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My dog ate a small piece of plastic. What symptoms should I watch for?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Rottweiler | Female | spayed | 4 years and 10 months old | 80 lbs

Rayne just ate a small piece of plastic (like a soft credit card type). I would say around 1/2 inch. It looks like she chewed it in small pieces. I gave her bread and coconut oil as I do not have any pumpkin. What do I look for if there is a problem? Thank you.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Tomasz Wnuk

Veterinarian

Published on June 23rd, 2020

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The symptoms of gastrointestinal blockage include vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, poor appetite, lack of stools. If you see any of these symptoms in the next 24-48hrs, you should take Rayne to your local vets as an emergency. However, if she chewed the plastic into small pieces, most likely she will pass it with her stools and she will not show any worrying symptoms at all.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA
Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer
Published on December 30th, 2016
Poor Rodney! If he is eating and drinking normally and having regular bowel movements, then I wouldn't be overly concerned about this. Signs of an intestinal blockage would include repeated episodes of vomiting, acting lethargic, not wanting to eat, and not pooping. If you see any of these signs over the next few days, I would recommend taking him to the vet for an exam as it's possible that he may have an obstruction. Otherwise, any remaining pieces should pass through his system within the next 2-3 days.
3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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