My dog ate a bamboo skewer. What should I do to make sure she's okay?

Normally, objects can pass through a dog's GI tract fairly quickly (within a day), but there are a number of areas in the GI tract that foreign objects can get "stuck" and cause problems. I once had a dog eat a bamboo skewer and not show any signs for a couple of weeks. So, I would closely inspect Zoey's stool every time she goes to look for evidence of the skewer. If at any point, Zoey is lethargic, does not want to eat or vomits, I would have your veterinarian examine her right away. Good luck! Hopefully Zoey will be fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

I would recommend taking your dog to the vet to have an x-ray performed. Wooden skewers are usually not broken down in the GI tract and may need to be removed surgically. I have seen one case where the dog was able to pass the skewer on his own but using this "wait and see" approach carries a high risk for bowel perforation from the skewer and if that happens, you are unfortunately in an emergency situation. An x-ray can help determine if in fact the skewer was swallowed whole or if it was chewed up and broken down.

Oh that wasn't good Sadie ate that! The problem with it is that could potentially get stuck in her GI tract or cause perforation of the intestines. Given that it's a small piece of wood, hopefully it should pass ok, but I will give you some things that may help. Give her a slice of whole wheat bread now, as it will form a ball of ingesta around the stick. You can give her this slice of bread with every meal, and keep an eye on her and her feces. If you see any blood in her feces, or she has diarrhea, anorexia, vomiting, or lethargy, that means the stick could have perforated her intestines or caused an obstruction, and Sadie will need to see a vet right away. It can take up to 72 hours for this to pass.

It's difficult to know for sure without knowing the size or type of object ingested, but it's definitely a concern for causing an obstruction in the stomach or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. This may require anesthesia and special instrumentation though, so it would be expected to be somewhat costly - especially at an emergency clinic. This is the best option though. The other option is waiting to see if it passes OK. Normal GI transit time is 3-5 days. During this time you would just be waiting to see if she has any signs of an obstruction. Signs of an obstructions are vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Olive would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery. I hope that helps and all is well with Olive.

In most cases, a very small foreign object like this will pass through the GI tract with no problems - if this just happened, you can feed him a slice of bread to help add some bulk to his stomach contents, which should help to surround and cushion the staple as it moves through. To be safe, you should monitor him for the next several days for any signs of a problem. If he has repeated episodes of vomiting, begins acting lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, I would recommend taking him to the vet right away since it's possible that he might need surgery to remove the staple. As long as he is acting normal, I wouldn't worry - it will likely pass though without any problems sometime in the next 2-3 days.

Poor Zoey. With any sharp foreign body ingestion we get concerned for possible laceration of the intestines as the intestines work back and forth to grind up ingesta. Staples certainly have the potential to at the very least cause some moderate GI upset and inflammation of the intestines. Laceration of the intestines is also possible. I would recommend feeding Zoey 1 piece of bread in between meals, 2 times day to hopefully bind up the staples and blunt their edges. Also the fiber of the bread helps to bulk up the stool for easier passage and exit out the rectum. Take Zoey on 20-30 minutes brisk walks twice a day as well to help promote GI motility. Then monitor her stool daily and for any signs of trouble which would include excessive vomiting (even water), lethargy, and lack of appetite. If you see these symptoms then take her to your local vet right away. Hopefully these are going to come out just fine. There is a greater chance that they will exit ok, due to their small size, but you can never be too cautious with any foreign body ingestion. I hope things work out ok for your furry friend Zoey.

What a naughty puppy. If the earring was small enough it has a good chance of coming out. I would feed Chewy 1/2 slice of bread twice a day, in between meals to help bind up the earring and then monitor the stools. Typically it can take 2-7 days for foreign objects to exit. Monitor him for signs of trouble which includes excessive vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and little to no stools. If you see these signs then it's best to take him in to your vet for abdominal x-rays to see if it is lodged somewhere and further treatment. But as o said it likely will pass. I hope things work out well for your pup Chewy. Take care.