Snack Bag Suffocation Hazard

Laurie Anne Walden, DVM

Yulia Khlebnikova via Unsplash

Chip, snack, and cereal bags pose a suffocation risk that pet owners might not know about until it’s too late. Dogs and cats have died after putting their heads in snack bags and other food containers.
 
Of the various types of food containers, plastic and Mylar-lined bags are the biggest suffocation hazards. When an animal with its head in a bag inhales, the bag tightens around the head, cutting off airflow. The animal might not be able to remove the bag on its own. Death can occur in just a few minutes.
 
Preventive Vet conducted an online survey about pet suffocation and received 1354 responses from 2014 through 2018. The responses from pet owners whose pets died or almost died of suffocation are summarized here.
 
Most common culprits:

• Chip bags and other snack bags: 72%
• Pet food and treat bags: 11%
• Bread bags, cheese bags, plastic and cardboard containers, and others: 11%
• Cereal bags (cereal box liners): 6%

 
Where pets got hold of the bags:

• Garbage or recycling: 28%
• Coffee table or side table: 22%
• Backpack, car, pantry, and other locations: 20%
• Kitchen counter: 13%
• Outdoors: 6%
• Dining table: 6%

 
More than one-third of pet owners were home when their pet suffocated. Of the owners who were away from home, 18% were gone for less than 15 minutes.
 
Animals of all sizes are at risk. According to the survey responses, more than half of the dogs who suffocated were larger than 30 lb, and some were over 60 lb.
 
Prevention
Simply being aware of the risk is a big part of keeping your pets safe. A lot of us have probably left chip and other food bags where our pets can reach them. Here are some steps you can take:

• Transfer snacks, pet food, and cereal from bags into sealed, rigid containers your pets can’t fit their heads into.
• Before throwing food bags into the garbage or recycling bin, tear or cut them along the bottom and one side so they lie flat. (This is the same concept as cutting apart plastic 6-pack can rings to protect wildlife.) An alternative is to tie the bag into a knot.
• Serve chips and snacks in bowls and don’t leave the bags out in the open.
• Keep garbage cans and recycling bins secure from your pets. Use trash containers with lids or keep them inside cabinets your pets can’t open.
• Be especially aware of the risk during holidays, parties, and events that involve groups of people and snacks in your house.
• If you see an animal with its head in a bag, jar, or box, for goodness’ sake do not take a video to post online. This is not funny. Get the container off the animal’s head; the animal is scared and probably can’t get the container off by itself. (Caveat: use caution if it’s a wild animal.)

 
More Information
Pet suffocation awareness, Preventive Vet website: https://www.preventivevet.com/pet-suffocation
Prevent Pet Suffocation website: https://preventpetsuffocation.com/
 
Photo by Yulia Khlebnikova

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