With nearly 2,000 claims from pet owners who's animals had ingested something they shouldn't have, Veterinary Pet Insurance Co. (VPI) – a US-based pet insurance firm – saw plenty of pets make meals of inedible objects in 2010.

Many of the usual ingestions showed up again and again; socks, hand towels, sticks, and rocks were especially popular pet "snack" choices.

Other ingested items were not quite as common. Following is a list of just some of the more noteworthy items that were removed from the stomachs of VPI-insured dogs and cats in 2010. All pets made full recoveries and received insurance reimbursements for eligible expenses.

    * jellyfish
    * glue
    * estrogen patch/make-up brush
    * tube of denture adhesive
    * dead poisoned vole
    * bikini
    * ink pen
    * plastic nose from teddy bear
    * magnetic purse clasps
    * baseball
    * glass Christmas ornament
    * hearing aid
    * bed sheet
    * box of pencils
    * popsicle stick
    * avocado pit
    * dental floss
    * coffee filter/coffee grounds
    * fishhook
    * pain relief tablet/B.B. pellet/highlighter
    * tent door
    * toy squeaker
    * watch
    * 16 steel wool pads
    * pseudoephedrine/sponge/snail poison/tampon
    * 20 cherry pits
    * light bulb
    * barbecue brush
    * Frisbee
    * jumper cables
    * razor blades
    * uncooked rice (1 pound)
    * wallpaper paste
    * squirrel
    * balloon ribbons
    * bird (whole)
    * butter/sand
    * deer antler (partial)
    * extension cord
    * leash/3 sticks of butter
    * pin cushion
    * portion of wool rug
    * tobacco
    * TV remote control
    * 10 quarters/one penny/one Canadian coin/three arcade tokens
    * foot-long submarine sandwich
    * fire log
    * wooden toy train
    * pine cone
    * round chew bone (whole)
    * caulk
    * eye glasses
    * money (paper)
    * oil-soaked dirt
    * sand
    * rosary crucifix
    * 25 to 30 soiled diapers
    * bath bubble mix
    * bathtub cleaner/outdoor plants
    * duck bone

Pet insurance policy holders at US firm VIP spent a staggering $3 million treating pets that ingested foreign objects in 2010.

Get dog insurance advice today!