My dog ate paper towels and is lethargic. Should he go to the vet?

That wasn't good that Rio ate paper towel! Typically these should pass without problem, but it sounds like the paper towel is causing him some GI upset. I would continue to watch him, and I can give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps. Withhold food for 12-24 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 his normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, he vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, he will need to see a vet right away. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should monitor her for signs of vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, lack of appetite. As long as she is bright, has normal energy level, has good appetite and is passing normal stools, she should be fine. However, if you notice any of the worrying symptoms, you should get her checked by your local vets in the morning.

Hello, thank you for your question about Dexter. Bacon grease is very high in fat and can be irritating to the stomach/GI tract. IF a large amount is eaten it can also lead to pancreatitis. Paper towels are usually digestable depending on the size of the dog and the number ingested. I would recommend continuing to monitor Dexter for any progression or worsening of the vomiting. You could offer Dexter a bland diet to help ease the potential discomfort in his GI tract. If Dexter becomes inappetant, continues to vomit, or develops diarrhea I would recommend having him seen by your veterinarian. They can perform an examination and determine the need for other diagnostics and treatments. Hope this helps, good luck!

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.

Fast him until tonight. Offer small amounts of water or unflavored PediaLyte throughout the day. Consider feeding him a bland diet in small, frequent amounts for the next few days then transition slowly to his regular diet afterwards. Monitor for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

Mischievous Atticus! The size of the piece of blanket is not very large so hopefully none of it has become lodged anywhere in the GI tract. With any luck, he is just feeling out of sorts from the gastrointestinal upset he has caused himself to have. If you do decide to take him to the vet, regular x-rays will not say with certainly whether or not there is a partial obstruction because cloth material cannot be differentiated. Contrast material like barium is needed to do this, which is a liquid that travels through the GI tract over the course of several hours. X-rays are taken numerous times over the course of this time to see if the barium is traveling in a normal or abnormal fashion. Since he has been passing portions of it already, I am really not very worried about it. He however might really benefit from an anti-nausea and anti-diarrheal medication. While there are over the counter options, something like Cerenia which can only be obtained via prescription would be a great choice in this instance. There are also several over the counter anti diarrheals available. If the vomiting and lethargy does continue to persist for another day or so, I would say to bite the bullet and bring him in for an exam. Hope this makes sense.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lacey! If she is eating and not vomiting and is passing stool (despite the straining and it being loose) then I wouldn't be too concerned. Hopefully she is just dealing with diarrhea. The diarrhea can be from stress of moving, ate something gross that is upsetting her tummy, a virus or bacterial infection, parasites, the paper towels could be causing a blockage, pancreatitis, toxin ingestion, food allergy/ sensitivity. Since she is waking up overnight I would fast her for 12-24 hours to rest the intestinal tract then restart feeding as a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 days of normal stools. If the stool hasn't improved in 2-3 days, she stops eating, starts vomiting or becomes lethargic I would have her examined by a Vet. I hope this helps and I wish Lacey a speedy recovery!