Dog owner's warning after Aldi pet bed horror story

A horrified pet owner has issued a dire warning to pet owners about a popular Aldi product however, professionals say it’s not as simple as a busted bed.

Angie Barkley couldn’t believe her eyes when her nine-month-old puppy Harley was struck down with internal bleeding after chewing a small hole in an Aldi dog bed.

“It scared the absolute bejesus out of me,” the worried mum tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

“I did notice he’d chewed a tiny little bit of his new bed from Aldi but didn’t really think anything of it. In the morning he was bleeding from the inside.”

A visit to the vet confirmed the ‘nylon shards’ from the chewed bed had created a blockage in the pup’s tummy, and cut up his insides leaving him bleeding profusely.

Angie realises that if she hadn’t noticed the puppy chewing, there could have been a far more horrifying outcome.

“If I hadn’t realised it was that tiny little bit, god knows how much he would have eaten,” she adds.

“I don’t think he’d be alive right now.”

The bed in question was a $20 elevated pet bed the supermarket had on sale as a Special Buy.

The material was advertised as “woven tear-resistant nylon cover”, though as one commentator pointed out, not ‘chew resistant’.

Aldi tells Yahoo Lifestyle they are investigating the incident.

“We are in contact with the customer and can confirm that this is an isolated incident with no other reports to our customer service department regarding a similar issue,” a spokesperson says, adding that all products are ‘extensively tested’ before being made available to customers.

Angie says the incident so far has cost her over $700 in vet fees, and depending on Harley’s recovery could soar to thousands.

Facebook call-out sparks controversy

Taking to Facebook, Angie’s daughter Leah shared the story, warning other pet owners to be hyper-vigilant around the bed, as it came without any warning of possible danger, and backing up Angie’s harrowing story.

“Just a warning to anyone who bought this a few specials ago,” she started the post in Facebook group Aldi Mums.

“Well, she’s currently sitting in the vets now bawling her eyes out because her puppy chewed the corner and the nylon has ripped apart his intestines.”

The post garnered some sympathy online, but many were quick to point out the bed may not be at fault.

“As a vet nurse, we see many dogs who need surgery for eating bedding. It happens regularly and even soft beds can get stuck,” one woman wrote.

Leah disagreed, arguing soft bedding would not have sliced the insides in the same way.

“The material they used is nylon, and the way it’s woven is so thin that when it is chewed apart it turns to sharp shards, basically little needles,” she wrote.

Dr Kevin Cruikshank of Gold Coast Vet Surgery, however, says in his professional opinion it’s hard to blame any particular material for creating internal issues if chewed and says the case sounds like ‘bad luck’ more than anything.

“There’s always a small chance anything chewed up can get stuck,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle, adding it’s ‘imperative that people supervise their pets’.

He adds most don’t realise that something a dog swallows often won’t cause issues until it reaches the intestines, sometimes many hours later, and as such he advises owners who suspect something has been swallowed visit a vet immediately rather than wait until they spot symptoms.

“Time is of essence even if it seems a very small thing,” he warns.

Angie clarifies that she was not aware the dog had ingested anything until she spotted the blood.

‘That product shouldn’t be on shelves’

Debate raged among fellow customers regarding the bedding, but Angie was firm she thought it should at least come with a warning.

“I’ve had lots of dogs, I know how to look after them and I know what they’re not supposed to eat,” she tells us.

“That product shouldn’t be on the shelves when it can do that damage, and there are no warnings.”

She added her bed’s stitching was loose, and the material, therefore, easier for the dog to latch on to.

“He’s a very special pup and when I thought he would die it was just horrible,” she says.

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com

Want more lifestyle and celebrity news? Follow Yahoo Lifestyle on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Or sign up to our daily newsletter here.