Dog ate paper towel from trash. Will he be okay? What to watch for?

Often times, paper towels will pass through without a problem - especially if Max chewed it into pieces before eating it. But there is always a chance that it could cause a blockage. You will need to monitor him closely for the next 2-3 days for any signs of a problem - if he begins vomiting, acting lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, then you need to take him to a vet right away for x-rays and possible surgery if a blockage is found. As long as he is acting normal, I wouldn't worry - you can keep an eye out for pieces of the paper towel to pass in his stool.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Dixie. Chances are this paper towel will dissolve in her stomach acid, and I would just keep an eye on her for now. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, or a loss of appetite, then you will need to take her into a vet right away. I hope this helps!

It could be that the paper towel caused Goldie's stomach to be upset, and that lead her to eat the grass. Then it is likely that the grass caused her to vomit. She should be able to pass a small amount of paper towel on her own, and it's unlikely that eating this has caused an obstruction already. I will give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps before having to take her into the vet. Withhold food for 8-12 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps :-)

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Coda. No need to take him into a vet. The paper towel should dissolve in his stomach acid, and this should not cause any problems. I hope this helps!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Kalua is still acting sick, straining to pass stool, vomitting or not eating you may need to take him to the vet. A paper towel by itself probably wouldn't cause an obstruction but if there was grease on it or he ate something else he could have gastritis, pancreatitis or an obstruction. If he is acting more normal today, feed a bland diet such as chicken and rice for a couple of days (Plain, no fat, skin, bones or seasoning). But if he continues to vomit or not eat, has diarrhea or constipation he should be seen by his vet. I hope he feels better soon.

Oh dear! Dogs do love to chew and shred toilet paper when they can get to it - this is a very common occurrence :) The good news is, if he did swallow any of the paper, in most cases it will pass through without any problems. Toilet paper is very soft and tends to break up easily when it gets wet, so it would uncommon to see an intestinal obstruction caused by eating this. As long as Magnum is acting normal, you shouldn't need to worry. Signs of an obstruction would normally develop within 2-3 days, and would include vomiting, acting lethargic, not wanting to eat, and/or not having regular bowel movements. If you see any signs of a problem, it would be a good idea to take him to your vet to be checked.

More than likely, Max will be fine. The paper towel should pass through him, and I would monitor his poop to see if it comes out. There is a chance the grease from the fried chicken could cause some problems, such as pancreatitis or GI upset. If Max begins vomiting, especially undigested food, that is a symptom of pancreatitis, and he will need to be taken into a vet right away. I would monitor him for vomiting, not eating, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting water, and not drinking water. If you see any of those signs, take him into your vet immediately.