Question:
I have two female dachshunds, ages 2 and 3. The 2-year-old, Emma, is very overweight. Both receive the same amount of weight-control food each day, and they spend much of the day chasing squirrels in the backyard. Emma is still 7 pounds above her suggested weight limit.Also, she eats money! I know it is not unusual for a dog to shred tissue or newspaper, but she gets money out of my purse (and money from other family members) and eats it. I have found pieces of money all over the house. I have found portions of 1- and 5-dollar bills buried in the backyard. I have even had to chase her through the house trying to retrieve the 10-dollar bill she had in her mouth. There are some forms of paper she never touches, but certain pieces of mail and any kind of paper money seem to be her weakness. After losing almost $50 to her addiction, the family has learned to keep their wallets out of reach.What could be causing her weight problem? Could it be related to her cravings for paper money?.
S.B., Fort Worth, TX Jun 06, 2004
Answer:
It is my understanding that in the printing of paper money (at least in the United States), the sizing/finish that is put on the money contains an extract of animal fat or tallow called stearate. Stearates are also present in certain plastics, processed films and many cosmetics, which may explain why cats especially like to lick such materials. So your dog is probably reacting like these cats to the animal-fat extract, which should not cause any health problems -- unless she were to eat an entire wallet!
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