My dog ate drywall. How serious is it? What symptoms to watch for?

If Jordy did eat the dry wall by biggest concern would be possible obstruction if he swallowed a big piece instead of chewing it. However, as you know dry wall really crumbles and I suspect you would see evidence on the floor or in/ around his mouth if he has been messing around with it. I would monitor him for any signs of nausea or Vomiting. On the other hand you could be very proactive and have him seen at an ER today and have them induce vomiting to see if he vomits anything out. This may be a bit overkill since we don’t even know if it was ingested, but it is certainly an option. Best of luck and I hope he does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

I don’t think ingesting this amount of sheet rock would cause a problem although you could see vomiting and diarrhea. She may need to be crated or otherwise confined when unsupervised in the future to prevent this kind of destructive behavior.

Ferrets can definitely be naughty at times! The Sheetrock can cause intestinal obstruction or inflammation, so things to look out for include loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and diarrhea. Should these signs occur, your pet should be seen by a vet right away. In the future, Bubbles and Buddy should be supervised when out of their enclosure, or given a secure area of the home.

While modern paints do not contain lead, chewing wood can still cause intestinal injury and even result in foreign bodies. Signs of this would include lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, and/or diarrhea. You should do your best to reprimand Louie if you see him chewing the wall or furniture, and can even try some Bitter Apple spray to deter the chewing. I hope this helps and that all is well!

Poor girl. Styrofoam does have the potential to cause an obstruction, although smaller pieces have less of a tendency to do so. Monitor her for signs of an intestinal obstruction which includes excessive vomiting, lack of appetite, abdominal pain and weakness. Typically signs of an obstruction will occur within 24-48 hrs. If she seems fine beyond this then she's in the clear; however if you note these symptoms then take her to the vet immediately. In the meantime, feed her wet (canned) food to help bind it and then take her on 20-30 minute brisk walks twice a day to promote GI motility.

A small amount will likely cause nothing worse than minor stomach upset. This can typically be managed at home with a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Large amounts of toilet paper may cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction. Monitor for lethargy, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

No, this will not heal on it's own if this has been going on for a week. It's extremely serious Bentley can't keep any food down, and I would be very concerned this carpeting and drywall could be causing an obstruction. This is a medical emergency, and he has to see a vet now. Please take him into one immediately.