Tag: Belgian Malinois

Belgian Malinois Eats 23 Live Rifle Rounds (and He’s Okay)

Benno, a 4-year-old Belgian Malinois from Mountain Home, Ark., has previously eaten socks, glass, marbles, coins and many other objects. Nevertheless, his dog dad, Larry “Sonny” Brassfield, wasn’t concerned about leaving a bag of .308 caliber bullets within Benno’s reach last month.

He should have been. Benno got into the bag April 21, chomping and swallowing 23 of the live rifle rounds.

“You can baby proof a house, but I don’t think it’s possible to Benno proof a house,” Brassfield told the Baxter Bulletin yesterday. “Lord knows, we’ve tried and failed.” (Frankly, leaving a bag of bullets in Benno’s reach doesn’t seem like they’re trying very hard.)

The morning after he ate the bullets, Benno started vomiting. Brassfield’s wife told him she saw a few rounds in the vomit. Instead of checking the bag to see how many rounds were missing, Brassfield waited to see if Benno vomited more rounds.

“I just decided to watch him for a bit,” Brassfield told the Baxter Bulletin. “He ate like he normally does, no problem. Then about 15 to 20 minutes later, he threw up again, and three more rounds came out. At that point, I knew I had to take him to the vet.”

Dr. Sarah Sexton at All Creatures Animal Hospital took X-rays, which revealed that Benno had eaten at least 17 rounds.

“This is something they certainly did not cover in school,” Dr. Sexton told the Baxter Bulletin. “I’ve had dogs eat things before, mostly stuffed toys. Once I had one swallow a hearing aid, but I think this takes the cake.”

Fortunately the ammo was made of brass and copper, which are not as toxic for dogs as the lead and zinc found in some bullets.

During surgery that lasted for two hours, Dr. Sexton removed 16 live rounds and one shell from Benno’s stomach. There were also two rounds in his esophagus, which she did not remove.

“Since the ammo is not toxic, I decided not to go back in,” Dr. Sexton told the Baxter Bulletin. “I decided we’d give it a week to see if he would vomit them up or pass them.” Benno did later pass the two, pooping out the last bullet eight full days after he ate it.

Brassfield said there was a lot of joking during the surgery: “He could have gone up in smoke, could have gone out with a bang.”

Hilarious!

Brassfield promised he will never again leave live ammo where Benno can get into it. However…

“Really, you’re never going to stop him,” he told the Baxter Bulletin. “It’s just a question of what he’s going to eat next.”

Good luck, Benno. You’re going to need it.

Photos via Facebook

Tissue (Box) Alert: ‘Max’ Movie Features Military Dog with PTSD

May 2017 Update: The sequel “Max 2: White House Hero” (affiliate link) is now available on digital HD and DVD.

It’s not just two-legged members of the military who can suffer the devastating effects of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — military dogs are susceptible as well.

The title character of the new movie “Max” (affiliate link) — which Esquire is calling “Hollywood’s dog version of ‘American Sniper'” — is a Belgian Malinois who’s been traumatized by the death of his handler, U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott, who was killed in Afghanistan.

Max is adopted by Wincott’s family and bonds with his teenage brother as they both cope with their loss.

At least 10 percent of military dogs suffer canine PTSD, according to Walter Burghardt Jr., chief of behavioral medicine and military working-dog studies at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. Dogs and their handlers are trained for all military branches at Lackland, which also has a state-of-the-art veterinary hospital that treats military and police dogs.

Canine PTSD was first recognized as a combat affliction in 2009.

The dogs are “essentially broken and can’t work,” Burghardt told the Los Angeles Times in 2012.

As with humans, the symptoms of canine PTSD vary. Dogs may be afraid of the dark or loud noises, or their temperaments may drastically change. Most of the dogs refuse to perform the tasks they were trained to do.

The treatment for canine PTSD is similar to that for humans. It includes counterconditioning and, sometimes, anti-anxiety medication.

Burghardt estimated that about half the dogs with PTSD can be retrained for “useful employment,” while the other half — like Max — are retired from the military and can be adopted as family pets.

This is a huge improvement since the 1970s, when hundreds of military dogs who served in Vietnam were considered “equipment” and abandoned there when the war ended.

“Max” was directed and co-written by Boaz Yakin (“Remember The Titans”) and stars Josh Wiggins, Robbie Arnell, Thomas Haden Church and Lauren Graham. It’s coming to a theater near you June 26.

The official trailer was released this week. Grab a tissue or three, and take a look. (The heartbreaking scene at the marine’s funeral is likely based on this real-life incident.)

Photo via Facebook

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