Snack Bags Are Dangerous For Dogs, Experts Say

Though funny videos of dogs with their heads all the way inside an empty snack bag often go viral on social media, experts are warning against letting dogs anywhere near them, saying it causes a dangerous risk of suffocation.

According to news station WUSA9, the Washington D.C. area alone reports multiple dog deaths per year related to snack bag incidents. The problem with these bags is twofold (and for the faint of heart, maybe don't read on for specifics): The Mylar lining inside the bag that keeps snacks fresh forms a barrier that dogs can't chew through, and many chip bags (Mylar-lined or not) can get wrapped around a dog's snout.

A survey by the American Veterinary Medical Association found that more than 1,300 pet owners reported pet fatalities from food packaging between 2014-2018. In many instances, the packages had already been thrown out in the trash, but the dogs rooted them out. A nonprofit called Prevent Pet Suffocation recommends cutting up empty snack bags before disposing of them.