I used to give my guys balloons to play with.  I had to stop.  After taking my
(long overdue) recertification in CPR, the nurse teaching the course told us
the horror story of the day.  A child (human - but easily applies to our kids)
had been chewing on a balloon, popped it, and in his surprise from the noise,
he inhaled the balloon. Mylar and rubber balloons are deadly.  If a piece of
broken ballon is trapped in the esophogus or air pipe creating a seal, no
amount of CPR is going to save that individual, only surgery.  The balloon
acts like a balloon - for lack of a better explanation - except stuck on the
inside of the body.  Blow in, balloon inflates, release, and air rushes back
out never reaching the patient, (who is by now surely turning blue!).
 
I'd find a better toy, as it scares me so badly to think that brain damage
only takes 4 minutes.
 
P.S. I like Rudy's little art ferret - it doesn't need a mask - it's supposed
to be a BEW!!! (Onyx took offense to the assumption that all ferrets *need* a
mask - she's prefectly beautiful without one thank you very much! :-) )
+++++++
Monica Istvan, Calgary Alberta Canada
The Terrible Two and The Kitty Krew
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1191]