My dog ate an ice cream stick and is heaving. What should I do?

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Heidi. Do NOT induce vomiting, the wooden shards from the stick could damage her esophagus on the way out. Give her half a slice of whole wheat bread now, and one with every meal. This may form a ball of ingesta around the stick, and cushion it as it passes through the Gi tract. Monitor her closely, and if you see vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, or blood in her feces, take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

If Hennighn just swallowed the stick, you can take into into the vet right away for them to induce vomiting. The only concern with this is that it could get stuck in the esophagus, which would be a bad complication. The other option is to wait and see if he digests and passes the stick. Dogs do eat wood, and often pass it without problem. You will need to monitor his feces and his behavior. The stick should pass within 24-48 hours. If he starts vomiting, having diarrhea, stops eating, or becomes very lethargic, then it is likely that the stick is stuck, and he will need to see a vet right away. Hennighn is a big dog, and Labs often eat things they aren't supposed to, so I wouldn't be surprised if he passed it on his own. Give him a slice of whole wheat bread now, and with every meal, to give him more fiber and encourage the stick to pass along. The bread now will help cushion the stick as it passes through the intestinal tract. If the stick passes, you have no worries, just keep monitoring the feces for it. Hope this helps, and good luck :-)

I can certainly understand your concerns about Finn's stick ingestion, but the good news is that it sounds as though he's still doing very well at home. Stick ingestion is a bit of a tricky situation. Even if you had taken Finn to his vet immediately after he'd eaten the stick, your vet would likely have advised against inducing vomiting. The induction of vomiting of potentially sharp objects risks perforation of the esophagus, which is extremely dangerous. The only other ways to get the stick out are a) wait for it to pass or b) surgically remove it. At this point, the fact that Finn is doing well at home (namely eating, drinking, and acting normally without any vomiting or diarrhea) indicates that it's still more than reasonable to simply wait and give him more time to pass it. While I can't definitively tell you that surgery is absolutely not indicated without having examined Finn, it doesn't sound as though it's something that you need to urgently pursue by taking him to the vet. For the time being, I think it's reasonable to continue monitoring Finn closely at home. If you notice anything change, such as a loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, retching, gagging, or diarrhea, be sure to take him to see his vet right away. Otherwise, feeding him a bulkier diet, such as bread and rice, pumpkin, and boiled chicken may help him to pass the stick through his stool a bit more efficiently. I hope this helps and that everything goes well!

I am not sure why she is vomiting now. It is possible that the vomiting is completely unrelated to the popsicle stick. These types of foreign bodies often stay in the stomach without any symptoms for weeks or even months until they get stuck. Though it is good news that it came up and now that isn't a worry! Only offer small amounts of water and no food for 12 hours. If the vomiting continues for longer than 24 hours, or it continues for several hours in a row, or if Scout develops lethargy, diarrhea, belly pain, etc. I would have her examined by a vet today rather than waiting until tomorrow.

Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach is a group of online veterinarians with only one physical location in California. Cost for neutering varies greatly based upon where you live, type of pre-surgery work ups, medications and if you are looking for a low cost spay/neuter clinic. I recommend to call some local clinics to get a quote or to call your local humane society if you are looking for a low cost option. Certain clinics like VCA and Banfield will also offer wellness plans which will include a neuter. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Oh dear, poor Josie! Since you are unable to easily remove the stick due to her wiggling, I recommend taking her to an emergency vet (or your regular vet if they are open) now. If the stick is left in place, it may cause significant pain and damage to the gemlike, which could quickly lead to infection. If the stick becomes dislodged, it could also become a choking hazard or pose a risk of foreign body ingestion, either of which may lead to bigger problems. If she is too squirmy for an emergency vet to remove the stick while she is awake, sedation may be needed. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

When dogs eat wood it can cause a lot of inflammation in the gastrointestinal tract and possibly an obstruction. I am not sure why you think it is stuck but if he is vomiting and having diarrhea than he should be examined by a vet for treatment. Your vet can take an abdominal x-ray to look for abnormalities and then decide the best way to treat. If there is an obstruction than he would need surgery to remove the foreign material. If there is no evidence of an obstruction than your vet can prescribe medications to help with any gastrointestinal issues.