Pet Poison Helpline
When Marie Fournier’s Fitbit disappeared from where it was charging, she thought it must have been lost in her bedroom.
But after a few days of searching, the Caseville, Michigan dog owner checked her fitness app and noticed something odd: The exercise tracker had been recording activity since she disappeared.
“I opened the app and confirmed that it must be there because someone was using it. It was hilarious. It tracked movements, and it felt like I was riding a bike outside for 20 minutes,” Fournier said in a statement to Pet Poison Helpline.
Before the device disappeared, Fournier last saw her Fitbit charging on her dresser in the upstairs bedroom of the house she shares with her husband, Norm, and their two dogs, Harley and Halley.
After speaking with Norm, Fournier ruled him out as a Fitbit thief who recorded a 20-minute bike ride, so only two suspects remained.
“When I realized it must have been one of the dogs that took the Fitbit, I began to suspect that Halley might have eaten it because she was acting strangely,” Fournier said.
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Pet Poison Helpline
“I put Halley in the car with me and drove around the block, but the app wouldn’t follow. Then I did the same with Harley and found out she was the real culprit. Halley’s odd behavior must have been empathy for her sister,” the dog’s mother added.
After determining the Fitbit’s location, Fournier quickly called the Pet Poison Helpline, who recommended that he get to a veterinarian immediately.
Dr. Renee Schmid, senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, said there are concerns about the lithium polymer battery inside the Fitbit, which can damage tissue by generating an electrical current.
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“Since more than 24 hours have passed since ingestion, we were concerned that the Fitbit was transmitting on its own, and we recommended surgery,” Dr. Schmid said. The Caseville Small Animal Clinic team x-rayed Harley; of course, there was the Fitbit.
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“But there was another mass that they couldn’t identify in his lower intestines. At first they tried to induce vomiting. Nothing came out, but the mass moved, and we could get it better. see,” Fournier said.
Surgery uncovered the Fitbit, including its silicone band and a prune-sized stone inside the canine.
Fournier said it was lucky her pup ate the Fitbit because “if she hadn’t, we wouldn’t have known about the rock, and it could have caused a lot more damage or death. “. Harley has recovered from the operation and is doing well.
What if you were wondering if the Fitbit survived its Magic School Bus-style adventure, Fournier said she just needed to replace the device band. “The Fitbit itself keeps tracking. I’m keeping it out of reach now,” she said, adding, “apparently Fitbits can also lick and keep running.”
Pet Poison Helpline says owners should seek emergency veterinary care if a pet ingests a battery.
“Depending on the specific type of battery, whether it has been punctured, and the amount ingested, treatment may vary from home monitoring, to taking medication to provide gastrointestinal protection, or possibly surgery. The batteries Lithium batteries, especially round button-type batteries, tend to lodge in the esophagus, creating even more problems,” a statement from the helpline said.