My dog ate plastic from a pee pad. Should I worry if it hasn't passed?

Hi there. It's very possible that the pad may pass through his system without causing any problems, especially if he chewed it into pieces first. Or, he may vomit it up on his own. The biggest concern would be that it might become stuck in his intestines and cause an obstruction. Symptoms of this problem would include repeated episodes of vomiting, not eating, acting lethargic, and not having regular bowel movements. If any of these symptoms are seen, then you should take him to the vet right away for an exam and x-rays. But as long as he's acting normal (eating and drinking, no vomiting), you shouldn't need to worry. If he does develop any problems, this would likely happen within the next 2-3 days - so after that, you should be able to relax.

At his size, he should be able to pass it in the next 24-48 hours. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or straining to defecate. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

IT can take several days to pass, sometimes it stays in the stomach for some time before it continues to the intestines. as long as he is eating normally and not vomiting i would recommend to continue monitoring him and checking his poo daily.

It typically takes up to 72 hours for something to pass fully, and I would continue to monitor him for now. Three inches of it isn't a large piece, and hopefully it should pass without issue. It is a good sign that he is eating is normal, along with his energy and poop, so I would continue to watch him for the next 48 hours to be safe.

That's a tough one. Simba is so tiny, so a palm size sheet of plastic could possibly cause an obstruction or could pass through in the stool. Your options are to wait and hope it passes, but take him to the vet if he starts vomiting or having a decreased appetite or energy level for x-rays and possible emergency surgery. OR, you take him to an emergency clinic now that has an endoscope and see if they can remove it (which would still require general anesthesia and may not be successful because the plastic may just fall apart when they try to pull it out). There's not a clear right answer here because their are risks with both options. I'd give him a 50-70% chance of passing it on his own. I wish I could give you a more definite answer, but I hope that helps you decide how you want to proceed.

In most situations I think wood would probably be digested and you might not even be able to identify it in the stool. It can also take 5 days or more for something to pass through the gastrointestinal tract. As long as Finn is not vomiting and is eating normally I wouldn't be concerned.

As long as he is eating and drinking normally, I would not be concerned. If he begins to vomit or loses his appetite, then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and perform some diagnostic testing such as x-rays to help rule out a foreign body obstruction from the plastic. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.