My dog ate human hair and passed it. Do I need to be concerned?

I’m not too worried about 1 Human hair, but if he does consume enough of it I have seen it cause a blockage. Try to watch that he isn’t licking the floor after blow drying your hair , eating hair ties, or other avenues for consumption. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! That is not typical though I have seen it before. The one concern I have is that if Penelope eats a lot of hair that could at some point turn into an intestinal blockage. That would be uncommon and not expected but possible so I would try to discourage this behavior as much as possible. Good luck and have a good night!

Depending on his size and the amount of hair ingested, it is unlikely that it is creating a gastrointestinal obstruction. I would suggest to give some mineral oil (3mls twice daily up to 10 kg, 5mls if over 15kg) and soft food. Monitor his defecation for the next 24 hours. If it is a small amount of fresh blood a veterinary check up is not needed for the moment. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy or inappetence.

If you notice Jax having vomiting, diarrhea, or a decrease in appetite or energy, that could indicate the fur chunk is stuck and he needs veterinary care. If you don't notice that in the next few days, I wouldn't be too concerned, as hopefully it will have passed.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Alfa may be experiencing some irritation or tickling in his throat from the hair. But a small amount of hair should not be enough to cause any significant problems, such as obstruction of the intestines. I recommend offering Alfa a small meal of his normal food to see if this helps move any hair along. He should have plenty of access to water too. I hope this is helpful!

If Chewy is acting normal so far, I wouldn't be concerned just yet - the hair tie could possibly cause an obstruction, but there's a good chance that it will pass through without causing any problems. Signs of a possible obstruction would include repeated episodes of vomiting, not wanting to eat, and acting lethargic - if he develops any of these symptoms, I would have him seen by a vet right away. But as long as he is acting normal, eating and drinking with no vomiting, I wouldn't worry. In most cases, objects like this will pass through within 2-3 days of being swallowed; you can look for it in his stool so that you'll know once it's safely out :)

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would not pull on the hair and I would let it pass on its own. If it is just a single piece of long hair, your cat should be able to pass it on his/her own. If your cat ever becomes inappetant, vomits or has diarrhea, these may be signs of a gastrointestinal obstruction, which is a surgical emergency. It is possible the hair is attached to something else inside your cat's gastrointestinal system which could potentially cause an obstruction. If your cat is otherwise healthy and acting OK, I would simply monitor his feces for the passing of the hair. I hope this is helpful!