Fitbit eaten by mischievous dog continues to track movement
Dog eats Fitbit which keeps tracking movement. Here’s the funny tale of a lost Fitbit that was discovered inside a dog’s stomach.
As first reported by People, Marie Fournier, a dog owner from Caseville, Michigan, was left scratching her head when her Fitbit went missing from where it had been charging. Initially, she thought it must have been lost in her bedroom. However, a few days after the disappearance, she checked out her fitness app and noticed something strange.
It turns out, the tracker had been logging activity all along. In fact, someone had recently registered a 20 minute bike ride.
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Fournier realised that someone was using her trusty device it even though it was not in her possession. She first suspected her husband, Norm, of being the culprit. However, after talking with him Fournier ruled him out. Which left only two furry suspects, Harley and Halley.
The concerned pet owner then suspected that Halley had perhaps eaten the Fitbit when she realised that one of the dogs must have taken it and Halley was behaving oddly.
“I put Halley in the car with me and drove around the block, but the app wasn’t tracking. Then I did the same thing with Harley and found out she was the real culprit. Halley’s strange behavior must have been empathy for her sister.”
A journey through canine digestion
Fournier sought guidance from the Pet Poison Helpline right away. A senior veterinary toxicologist, Dr. Renee Schmid, cautioned her about the lithium polymer battery inside the device, which could cause tissue damage by generating an electrical current.
Since it was more than 24 hours since ingestion, there was a good chance that the Fitbit might not pass on its own. Therefore, surgery was recommended. A radiograph showed that Harley had indeed swallowed the Fitbit. The surgery uncovered not only the device but also a rock the size of a prune in the canine’s lower intestines.
You’ll be happy to know – Harley recovered from surgery and is now doing well. Fournier believes it was lucky that her dog ate the Fitbit. This aided in the discovery of the rock, which could have caused far more harm or even death if it had gone undetected.
As for the Fitbit, it survived its adventure intact, with only its band needing replacement. Fournier remarked, “apparently, Fitbits can also take a licking and keep on ticking.”
“The Fitbit itself continues to track. I’m keeping it out of reach now!” she added.
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