My dog ate a nail. What are the signs of internal damage to look for?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The risks of swallowing a nail include perforation of the intestinal tract, which is a life-threatening surgical emergency. They can also get iron toxicity, which can cause severe GI upset and liver damage. The best way to tell if Evy ate a nail would be to take her to a veterinarian for an x-ray of her abdomen. If you cannot bring her, please monitor her for signs of vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain, and have her seen by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise, if she continues to act normal at home, she likely did not eat the nail and should be OK. I hope this is helpful!

An immediate check up is required as your veterinarian can easily make him sick and resolve the problem straight away. This ingestion is likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects including vomiting and diarrhea.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Jayden is eating/drinking/pooping/peeing and playing normally, then I would just monitor him for now. If Jayden is vomiting, not eating, acting unwell, has a sore belly, or is not himself, then get him to the vet for some x-rays. In the meantime, feed a bland diet of boiled/boneless/skinless chicken breast and boiled rice in small frequent meals. Best of luck with Jayden!

It's difficult to know for sure, but it's definitely a concern for causing trauma in the stomach, or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. They can take an x-ray and tell if the needle was eaten or not. This would be expected to be somewhat costly at an after hours clinic, but is the best option.The other option is waiting to see if there are any problems. Signs of a puncture is vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Elvie would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery, because this can cause a severe infection.  I hope that helps and all is well with Elvie.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Alex. If your dog was in another room and you have since vacuumed the area where you were working, then it is unlikely that he would have consumed anything. If he ate a staple, it has the potential to puncture his stomach or intestines. This would make Alex very sick. He would stop eating, become very lethargic and likely vomit. If this occurs, he will require emergency veterinarian care. I hope this information helps!

Nail glue could cause irritation to the oral cavity or nausea and vomiting, but if only a small amount was ingested I doubt you'll see any signs. If Hiraku seems to be licking frequently, drooling, vomits or has a decrease in appetite I'd recommend seeing a vet.

Yes, absolutely get her in to your vet right away. Just because you're not seeing blood doesn't mean there isn't more debris in her belly. Since she has vomited debris, there's a good chance there is more in there that may still cause problems as it moves through. Your vet will do an exam, probably x-rays, and based n these results, will be better able to tell you how she's doing and how best to treat her.