My dog ate a long piece of rope from a mop. What should I do now?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is a good chance that she will pass it. However, it is important to watch closely for clinical signs consistent with an intestinal obstruction such as vomiting, abdominal pain and decreased appetite. If any of the above are observed, she should be evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!

If your dog ate rope, is vomiting, and not eating she really needs to be seen by her veterinarian. She could have an obstruction which cannot be resolved on its own. She may need surgery to remove it. If finances are an issue, you may be able to find a clinic that does payment plans or apply for Care Credit. I hope Skylar feels better soon!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Maggie. I'm sorry she ate the string anklet. I never recommend inducing vomiting at home. This is because hydrogen peroxide can and does cause gastritis and esophagitis, often worse than the initial problem. You can take her into an ER vet now, and they can safely induce vomiting with a shot. Otherwise, it may pass without problem, and you can watch her. If you see any vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, or lethargy, that is an indication there may be an obstruction from the anklet, and she will have to see a vet immediately. Should she develop an obstruction, surgery will be needed to correct it. I hope this helps, best of luck.

Hello. If the string was only about 5 inches long, this will probably pass with no problems. If he ate this within the last few hours, I would feed him some lubricant to help push everything out. Take a piece of bread & slather on a layer of Vaseline ( like spreading peanut butter on bread ). Feed Rocket a piece at a time & this is a very safe way to lubricate the gut. If he did not actually eat the string, the worse that may happen is a bit of soft stool for a day or so. I do not think this warrants inducing him to vomit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ideally you should have a Vet induce vomiting as the rope could get stuck in the esophagus on the way back up. Having foreign material stuck in the esophagus is a much bigger deal than the rope being in the stomach. I would go to the Vet now though before it moves out of the stomach. Rope can be a huge problem as it can get stuck half way in the stomach and in the intestine and act like a saw. An emergency hospital can use a safer drug to induce vomiting than you can at home. As hydrogen peroxide causes inflammation and ulceration of the esophagus and stomach lining. I wish you and Gus the best!

Induction of vomiting is only helpful if it is within a couple hours or if it is in the stomach and hasn't passed. At this time, I would not recommend induction of vomiting. I would take Rocket in to the vet for x-rays and/or ultrasound which will help determine if there is something still in the stomach or provide a baseline to be used for comparison should he start to feel sick. Watch him closely over the next few days for lethargy, decreased appetite, gagging, or vomiting, which would warrant immediate vet attention.

This could become a problem in that strings can cause a foreign body obstruction in the intestine. You can try to feed your puppy some sauerkraut which hopefully will envelope the string and take it with it through the intestines to be excreted naturally. Should your puppy get diarrhea, start to retch or get lethargic, she will need to be seen by a veterinarian right away.