According to the Wall Street Journal, you shouldn’t be using Apple Airtag to keep track of your dog.
Apparently, Colin Mortimer told reporters that when the Airtag on his dog Sophie’s collar went missing, he used his phone to try and find it. After using the Find My app to locate the tag, Mortimer was able to have it produce a sound. Unfortunately, the beeping came from his other dog Sassy’s stomach.
Without other options, Mortimer gave his dog two doses of hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting. Luckily, Sassy was able to throw up the Airtag. However, this seems to be a best-case scenario. According to MacRumors, “sometimes these incidents require surgery”.
Not the First Dog To Swallow an Airtag, Certainly Not the Last
On Reddit, one dog parent bemoans his 80-pound Doberman swallowing an Airtag. Thankfully, his dog passed it on his walk the next morning. In another post, a person watched a dog eat an Airtag at the park. Mortifyingly, it seems the white plastic buttons are undeniably attractive to dogs. Apparently, a Louisiana vet told the Wall Street Journal he’d treated six dogs who swallowed Airtags in 18 months. Amazingly, in each case, the Airtag was attached to a dog collar.
In response, Apple issued a statement clarifying that Airtags are for tracking items, not pets or children. While Airtags can pass through dogs safely if they break it can create a dangerous scenario. Inside the Airtag’s battery are toxic substances that can poison your dog. As a result, if your dog swallows an Airtag, you need to get it out as quickly as possible.
They Do Have Benefits
Regardless of the risk, the fact is that Airtags can help rescue lost dogs. For dog parents who want to keep using the Apple product, it’s recommended to attach it to a collar without any dangling components. Certain products contain the tag flush against the collar and are more secure both for and against dogs.
