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Airpods are great; they free you from tangled wires, and the case they come with lets you neatly store them in a safe place while keeping them charged. They are a bit of a double-edged sword since each Airpod is independent with no wires of any kind connecting them, so they can get lost if you aren’t careful. Unfortunately, they can also get to your dog if you aren’t careful.
If your dog ate your AirPods, your dog will most likely be fine unless they are an especially small breed or are a younger puppy. Most cases end with the dog passing the Airpod, but even so, you should take your dog to the vet for an evaluation.
However, even if your dog does turn out to be fine, there is the elephant in the room that the dog ate one-half (or both halves) of $160 earbuds. And so, we will be going more in-depth on how to handle the situation and answer whether or not your warranty will cover this accident. If you would like to learn more, we encourage you to keep on reading.
Table of Contents
Why Would a Dog Swallow AirPods?
Dogs like to chew and swallow various objects whether it’s edible or not. Hence the many stories you can find of dogs eating socks. Their eyesight isn’t as good as a human’s, so when you combine these factors, it becomes clear why a dog might swallow earbuds. They are small objects that can be easily inhaled, especially since it might look like a treat to them.
A dog might also put random things in their mouths because they are bored and just looking for something. Ask yourself if your dog has enough toys to play with when you aren’t interacting with them. Dogs have a natural instinct to chew, as we mentioned above, and so getting them to chew toys or a safe bone can help mitigate them swallowing things that they shouldn’t.
We like this AIMPIRE Chew Toy since it can withstand even the most aggressive chewers, and it is easy to clean. You can also put doggy toothpaste inside of it to clean their teeth – a 2 for 1 deal!
As for a safe bone, you’ll want something resistant to shattering and splintering. Buck Bone Elk Antlers are great for this as they are extremely sturdy. Alternatively, you can give them a Wally Wags Cow Femur Bone, which should keep them occupied for quite a while.
Ensure that your dog is getting enough to eat as well. Even if you are technically feeding your dog the correct amount of calories each day, low-quality dog food contains fillers that your pup doesn’t need and not enough nutrients resulting in them being hungrier than they should be.
Your dog might be simply looking for things to eat if they are swallowing random objects. We recommend Purina Pro Plan or Hill’s Science Diet for most dogs and pet parents since they are both good food at an affordable price. But if your dog has allergies or has a sensitive stomach, then you’ll have to adjust accordingly – contact your vet on recommendations if your dog requires a special diet.
What Should You Do?
The first thing you should do is take your dog to the vet. Your dog will likely be fine, but your dog should have x-rays taken. Depending on the scan, your vet will take appropriate action.
The vast majority of earbud swallowing instances end well, and they simply pass through; however, the outlier here is the design of the AirPods. Because they have that long stem that makes them iconic, there is more chance of the object getting stuck and creating a blockage in smaller breeds or puppies.
But don’t panic. Your vet will know exactly what to do. Your dog may require surgery if the Airpod is truly stuck, but more often than not, your vet might send you home with laxatives and tell you to come back if your dog stops defecating normally and/or the Airpod isn’t coming out within 2 days.
Does Your Warranty Cover Dog-Related Incidents?
Unfortunately, even if you have Apple Care+, the warranty does not cover your dog eating one-half of your Airpods or both, for that matter. This is considered intentional damage due to negligence. Additionally, Apple Care+ doesn’t cover lost or stolen AirPods either, so you can’t lie and say they fell into a drain.
Consider this an expensive learning experience. If they fell out of your ear and your dog happened to quickly lap it up, that’s one thing. But AirPods are meant to be stored in their case when not in use at all times.
Luckily, you can get a replacement for one or both of your Airpods at a discounted price; simply click here to order a replacement. If you rather would like a complete new setup of AirPods you can click here instead.
How Do You Prevent Dogs From Swallowing Earbuds?
If you want to prevent something like this from happening again, you will need to put in the work to teach your dog not to swallow objects that are not food for the benefit of your wallet and their well-being, possibly life.
Teaching your dog the emergency stop command and “drop it” are two essential things every dog should eventually learn. Dog owners should strive to have control over their dogs for safety and obedience reasons. Today it’s AirPods; the next is him bolting into the street or hopping into a lake, or even swallowing something much worse than earbuds.
You can teach your dog to make an emergency stop here and the drop it commands here.
Alternatively, you can watch these videos that we linked below:
Are AirPods Usable After Passing Through Your Dog?
Airpods are waterproof and are sturdy enough to survive passing through a dog in most cases. But realistically? Do you really want to use them anymore? We are not even sure if you could clean them enough to get all of it out by normal methods. If you want to remain…sanitary, we highly recommend just getting a replacement and referring to the above sections on how to prevent this from occurring again.
Accidents happen when having a dog, and if he has safely passed it, then getting new AirPods is nowhere near the most expensive outcome that could have happened (unless you have pet insurance to cover surgeries).
How To Prevent AirPods From Falling Out
If your AirPods keep falling, you’re off your ear; you have to consider if they are the right fit for your ear. While 90% of AirPod customers can happily use the earbuds without issue, some people have a unique shape to their ears that doesn’t provide a snug enough fit.
If you are using Airpods Pro, then you can experiment with different silicone tip sizes. Unlike the standard AirPods, which do a “one size fits all approach,” the Pro model improves this by offering replaceable tips to ensure that everyone gets the right fit.
Don’t be afraid to use a little bit of force and “wedging” the Airpods into your ear; in fact, that is how to wear earbuds if you want to ensure that they won’t fall out. If you would like a full guide on this topic, you can go to this article by Headphonesty.
Conclusion
Your dog eating Airpods certainly isn’t a good thing, but most of the time, the situation isn’t as dire as it seems unless you have a smaller breed. More likely than not, it will pass through, and the only thing to come out of it is having to get new earbuds, which, while isn’t cheap, is certainly far better than expensive surgery.
Related Articles
- Your Dog Ate a Q-tip: Here’s What to Do About It
- Your Dog Ate Spoiled Meat? Here’s What to Do About It
Sources
- Our Fit Pets: My Dog ate My Ear Bids What Should I Do?
- Hill’s: Why Does My Dog Eat Everything on Walks?
- AKC: My Dog Eats Everything: Help!
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