Experts have revealed that dogs are more likely than cats to eat their owner’s dead body, but the breed of dog you have can affect the likelihood of your dead body being eaten.
While many dog lovers may think that cats are more likely to eat you because of their independent attitude, a report published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine found that this may not be the case.
Medium to large sized dogs are the most likely to scavenge, with the beagle being the smallest breed to do so.
Stray, hunting and working dogs were among the breeds listed in the published cases for eating carcasses.
Even the friendly and adorable Labradors and Golden Retrievers have adopted this behavior, as they are especially driven by food.
Forensic anthropologist Carolyn Rando of University College London said National Geographic that canines can do more damage than felines.
Research says larger dogs, such as Labradors and golden retrievers, were mentioned in reports about litter picking (file image)
Rando said a dog’s behavior can matter more than its size or breed, adding that if a pet is anxious, insecure or has separation anxiety, this can lead to it eating its owner instead of a more canine. relaxed.
So how do you stop your dog from eating your carcass?
Rando said there’s no way to guarantee your pet won’t chew on your carcass, but you can take steps to make this less likely to happen.
She recommends making sure you have people visit your home if they haven’t heard from you in a while.
‘It’s a good reason to make sure you have people around you. “Social activity in the future is good for everyone,” he said.
According to veterinary charity PDSA, a whopping 29 per cent of the UK population owns a dog, meaning there are an estimated 11 million puppies in the country.
In 2015, A Staffordshire bull terrier from Merseyside was facing being put down after it started eating its owner’s carcass.
The dog, known as Buster and Butch, was discovered feeding on its owner’s corpse when police entered the property.
A woman who died from an aneurysm was discovered the morning after her death.
Forensic tests discovered that it was actually his dogs that had eaten his face and that his two cats had not touched his corpse at all.
He said they are typically applied to the softer parts of the face, such as the lips and nose.
Rando said, “If you’re sleeping, (cats) tend to hit your face to wake you up.” So a cat might start out trying to “wake up” its dead owner and then start biting when that doesn’t work.
Joseph Prahlow, a Michigan medical examiner, says he sees evidence that dogs – not cats – have nibbled on their owners during autopsies “at least a couple of times a year.”
While many may believe that cats are more likely to eat their carcass, research says otherwise (file image)
This is thought to be because dogs are seen as less picky about eating the foods they find compared to cats.
The outlet also spoke with psychologist Stanley Coren, who wrote books and hosted television shows about dogs.
He believes that because dogs are descended from wolves, they are more likely to bite their dead owners to survive if they cannot access other food.
In 2017, a New Jersey chihuahua ate its owner in an attempt to stay alive after they died in their home.
New owner Tyfanee Fortuna of Glen Gardner, New Jersey, said she adopted Rumpelstiltskin from an animal shelter.
“His owner was dead for a considerable time before anyone noticed and he ate his human to stay alive,” he said.
He also later revealed that the dog’s previous owner had been dead for two weeks until his body was found, meaning the dog would have been starving when he ate them.
In 2007, a Chow-Labrador mix managed to survive for a month after consuming the body of its dead owner.
But in 2015, a study of 63 cases of canines eating their owners found that in a quarter of cases, the pup had begun eating the body after less than a day, despite having access to other foods that They hadn’t touched.
Forensic pathologist Markus Rothschild writes in his study that when you die, your pet will likely try to get your attention by licking or pushing at your face.
But when the owner doesn’t respond, the dog’s mental state can become more panicked, leading it to bite your body.
Rando said there’s a bit of a jump between biting and eating, adding that dogs, in their wild nature, get stimulated when they “taste blood.”