Other articles with keyword "DOGGIEPING" since 12/29/04
Posted on 03/31/2006 4:10:22 PM PST by aomagrat
(Note: Some images are graphic. Click 'More photos' to view a slideshow.)
A Socastee resident is spreading a safety message after her dog lost part of his tongue in a paper-shredder accident.
Sandy Clarke's boxer Cross lost "three or four chunks" of his tongue in late February when he stuck it into a shredder in her home office.
"The dog was screaming," said Clarke, who ran out and yelled for her husband after Cross became entangled. "I woke my daughter up screaming. It was very traumatic."
The incident lasted 10 to 15 minutes, with Cross finally being freed once the shredder was put in reverse instead of trying to pull him out.
"I didn't want more damage done," Clarke said.
The number of shredder accidents - usually involving small children - has caught the attention of national advocates who are now working to make safety standards better.
That's good news to Clarke, whose dog is still healing a month after the incident.
"I'm trying to get the word out. People need to be aware," she said. "[Shredders] need to be unplugged or there needs to be new safety devices on them."
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said it most often hears about accidents involving small children.
"We are aware of about five incidents involving dogs getting their tongues stuck in the shredder," said Patty Davis, spokeswoman with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. "Some of those had to be euthanized."
The market has changed for paper shredders, she said, with more people using them at home for work or as a means to prevent identity theft. Thus the Safety Commission is hearing about more accidents.
The devices are more popular than ever, according to the School, Home and Office Products Association. Shredder sales in 2005 grew 16 percent to $406 million from $350 million in 2004.
The national Safety Commission received 50 reports of paper shredder incidents from January 2000 to September 2005. Injuries included finger amputations and lacerations, with most incidents happening to children younger than 5.
The commission suggests parents never allow their children to operate a shredder - even with an adult present. Shredders without an on/off switch should also be unplugged when not in use. People should also keep shredders in a place that's not accessible to a pet's tongue or child's little finger.
"A child doesn't know that you need to let go" of the paper, Davis said.
Clarke has been able to take her concerns to the masses through national TV reports. She hopes to see tougher measures than a "keep kids and pets away" blurb, and she may get her wish.
The safety commission is working with national testing lab Underwriters Laboratory to revise shredder standards to require stricter warning labels and to make the feeder area opening smaller and less flexible.
The current standard is designed to keep a 12-year-old's fingers out, Davis said, and a revised one would protect younger fingers.
As for Clarke's shredder, it's still in her office - unplugged - though Cross doesn't visit like he used to.
Clarke's daughter, Michael-Ann, 11, says the dog, who turns 1 on Saturday, now shakes when he hears the shredder.
The injury was a first for Ark Animal Hospital in Surfside Beach, where the animal was treated, Dr. Greg Conner said.
The hospital sees its share of traumas, the veterinarian said, but this was unusual.
"It might be more common than we think, but that's the first I've seen it," Conner said. "That's the first I've heard about it. ... It looked pretty ugly."
Cross managed to avoid additional amputation and was treated for tongue lacerations, which heal well, Conner said.
The dog should still have full use of his tongue for eating, drinking and licking, he said. "The good news is that it's a happy ending for the dog."
will it work with cats?
Oooouuuch!
Use one at work.
May never be able to look at it the same way again.
> ... parents never allow their children to operate a shredder ...
With kids around, even visiting, the shredder needs to
be out of reach or inoperable, lest checks, stocks,
bond, cash, pets and the child disappear into it.
Even the insertion of an unshreddable object (table
fork) will wreck both the fork and the shredder.
Due to identity theft concerns, shredders are becoming
quite popular (we've had one for over a decade), and
these accidents are going to continue. Take steps to
ensure your name isn't featured in the next story.
No, they're too thick. Run over them once or twice and they should run through without a problem.
A safety warning for dogs: beware of paper shredders!
The technology to build paper shredders existed a hundred years ago, but people then would have thought the notion absurd. Fireplaces and stoves worked faster and better, and didn't require electricity.
I looked at one of the pictures. Actually, it looked sort of like decorative cutouts. My irreverent thought was there are people who pay to have that done to their tongues.
That said, for this to be a 15 minute incident, with the poor dog howling and bleeding, must have been horrible.
I only got the cat halfway through before the shredder jammed. Couldn't get the shredder to go in reverse so I had to put up with the cat in the shredder for another day and a half. Next time the cat goes in head first, but that has it drawbacks as well if the shredder jams again.
Yeah, as well as the even more convenient 55 gallon incinerator. Try using one of those today, though, and watch the full wrath of the nanny state befall you.
This hurts just reading about it.
I'll bet Gromit doesn't have this problem.
Just get Congress to pass a law the says the shredder manufacturer must put a warning label at dog's eye level warning the dogs about the danger.
Not to mention that the kid may feed interesting looking things into the shredder to see the shreds. Such as the contents of Mommy's billfold.
Spot was wondering, too!
Ironically, I think strip-cut shredders are probably most common among the people who shred the smallest volume of material.
A 4:1 torque converter on a 3500 rpm motor in the 1 horse range should do the trick.
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