My dog ate Christmas tinsel. Is it dangerous? What signs to look for?

Oh dear! Young dogs often do things like this, unfortunately. This may pass through uneventfully, or it may become stuck in the intestines and cause an obstruction. It depends a bit on whether he chewed it up first vs. swallowing it whole, and on how large the piece was that he ate. You will need to monitor him closely for the next few days for any signs of a problem. Symptoms of an intestinal obstruction would include repeated episodes of vomiting, acting lethargic, not wanting to eat, and not having bowel movements. If you see any of these signs, you will need to take Jim to the vet right away for an exam and x-rays, since he may need emergency surgery to remove the blockage.

If you are worried she ingested an object, like a sock or shoe then you would watch for signs of gastrointestinal upset such as vomiting, anorexia, abdominal pain, lethargy, or straining to defecate. If you are worried about a toxin ingestion these signs can vary widely and can include GI upset, rapid breathing or heart rate, excessive drooling, trembling, seizures, drunken appearance/gait, dilated pupils, pale gums, lethargy. If any of these signs occur seek veterinary care right away.

Hi there. As long as your dog is eating and drinking normally, not vomiting, and having regular bowel movements, you shouldn't need to worry. If she stops eating, or begins to vomit, then I would recommend taking her to the vet for an exam and possibly x-rays or ultrasound to see if she has an obstruction.

This may pass without problem. Keep a close eye on Leo for the next couple of days. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his poop, lethargy, or a loss of appetite, he will need to see a vet asap. Vets will see animals for emergencies during this time.

Just monitor her for the moment; unfortunately strings and any type of linear foreign body can sit in the intestine and stomach for ages before coming out!. As long as she eating fine and drinking ok and passing feces and urine normally and being normal in terms of demeanor and activity level she will be ok and she won't need any check up. You could potentially give her some mineral oil (2mls every meal )like paraffin oil to lubricate the gastrointestinal canal and help to get rid of the strings if there. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation (where you can post pictures ) if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

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.

At his size, he should be able to pass it in the next 24-48 hours. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or straining to defecate. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.