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ChihuahuaMomma · Nov 23, 2007, 11:29 PM

So, I woke up to my chihuahua yelping a few hours ago. She has chewed through a cord to a plugged in lamp and got a nice jolt. I called her vet's emergency number and the vet told me that she'll be fine, just to feed her and let her sleep. Not something that you can MAKE my dog do. It scared the living you-know-what out of me. That's why I'm awake now, staring at her. I lay my hand on her chest to see if she is still breathing every few minutes. This is the biggest scare I have had. I know as much as I lecture to other people about responsible dog ownership and I leave a lamp plugged in... :eek:

My question is: Can there be long term effects or delayed effects? Could she be mentally effected?:p

Chibiabos · Nov 23, 2007, 11:34 PM

Hopefully, only of the positive variety (like cords aren't for chewing). If she survived the jolt, she'll be fine... its only that jolt that's the danger, it can cause her heart to stop beating. That can only happen at the time she is shocked, however. There are no long term effects.

However, it'd be best to take extreme caution in dogproofing all you can... keep all toxic cleaners, etc. locked in cabinets she cannot get into, try to find ways to shield electrical cords from her chewing on them (maybe run them under the carpet or through a pipe or tape them up the wall so as little of the cords as possible is accessible from the floor or on furniture).

labman · Nov 23, 2007, 11:42 PM

I am glad to hear she is OK, you question title panicked me. If you read the sticky starting at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802 you will see I am very strong on crating dogs. I don't even leave our 14 year old loose in the house at night or when we aren't around.

I hate it when people suggest leaving a light bulb to keep a dog warm outside when it is cold.

ChihuahuaMomma · Nov 23, 2007, 11:55 PM

I don't crate my dog as she is just too hyper and we live in an apartment, so there's just no room for one. She is a good girl if there are no exposed cords or anything for her chew on. Anyway, thanks for the advice.

froggy7 · Nov 24, 2007, 08:34 AM

Originally Posted by Chibiabos

try to find ways to shield electrical cords from her chewing on them (maybe run them under the carpet or through a pipe or tape them up the wall so as little of the cords as possible is accessible from the floor or on furniture).

Do not EVER run cords under carpet! You run the risk of the cord fraying as it gets walked on, sparking, and setting the carpet on fire. You always want to be able to see the cord so you can check its condition.

froggy7 · Nov 24, 2007, 08:36 AM

Make sure you check the dog's mouth when there is light. One of the side-effects of electrocutions is burns. That may keep your dog from eating and drinking.

ChihuahuaMomma · Nov 24, 2007, 01:04 PM

I can't lift my carpet in an apartment, I don't want to run the risk of damaging it and having to pay for it. And like someone else stated, it doesn't sound that safe. I just unplug things before going to bed...

And I will check her mouth, thank you. I was feeding her treats last night and she ate them fine. So, I think she is okay...

My poor baby. She slept with Mommy last night cause Daddy worked the midnight shift...

BBWfromPhilly · Nov 24, 2007, 03:25 PM

Stayed on topic and identified an after affect of the electric shock.

KISS · Nov 24, 2007, 06:45 PM

Electricity kills usually by going across a muscle. In humans, the heart muscle is a good target. Unless she was well grounded, there wouldn't be any major problems. But her tongue might be burnt. Keep an eye on it.

Glad she's OK.

ChihuahuaMomma · Nov 24, 2007, 09:46 PM

She's fine... sleeping my slipper right now... being cute as usual. No problems eating or anything.

Thanks to everyone for their concern!