My dog ate a lot of sand. Could this cause illness or bladder stones?

Hi, thank you for reaching out to Pet Coach. Chloe may have ingested enough sand to cause an intestinal problem. Not only can sand cause a large amount of irritation, but I have treated several dogs for obstruction caused by sand ingestion. We call it sand impaction in the small intestines and it can be very serious. The sand absorbs a large amount of water in the intestines and can a form cement-like obstruction. For Chloe, I would recommend that she is seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible if she is uncomfortable, vomiting, and/or has a decrease in appetite. Luckily sand will show up on Xray so the doctor can assess Chloe and may take an Xray to determine if her sand ingestion is causing a serious problem. Best of luck to you and Chloe.

Hi there and good morning! Thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is possible the stone formation may be linked to the ingestion of palm tree trunk, but from my knowledge Silica stones are more directly linked to between formation of these stones and plant derived ingredients in the food, such as soy and corn, which appears to be high in Alpo Dog Food. However, it is also possible these may be related to the palm eating as well if the palms Jack is nibbling on are high in silicates. Hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Sand can cause issues in the G.I. tract including information and potentially an obstruction/blockage. I recommend Tucker be examined by a veterinarian and likely an x-ray done. This is because if he does have an obstruction he will need surgery to remove the sand. If the x-ray looks good did it may be putting him on a bland diet and giving extra fluids will help him get better.

Unfortunately it might happen, especially in the small intestine. Usually the signs (vomiting, abdominal discomfort, diarrhoea, lethargy, inappetence) are seen in the following 48hours after ingestion. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. As long as she is eating, drinking as normal and passing normal stools, she is not in any danger. The symptoms of of gastrointestinal blockage include vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy, lack of stools. If Pearl definitely ate the stones and has not passed them, an x-ray of the abdomen would be a good idea. It may happen that the stones are still sitting in the stomach but not causing any clinical symptoms. They may move down to the small intestines and form an abstraction at some point. Stones are very easy to detect on x-ray, so this would give definitive answer if there is anything to worry about or not. Pumpkin or any other laxative treatment / diet will not be a good idea for Pearl.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can sometimes point out the possibility of a gastrointestinal condition and just like you pointed out it can be some lack of a nutrient or something in the diet. I think a good place to start would be changing his diet to something else to see if that makes a difference. If no difference is noted, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, start by changing his diet to something like a Purina Pro Plan or Hill's Science Diet product that tend to be very complete diets. Also, try to avoid him eating the sand as that could result in gastrointestinal upset or obstruction. Good luck!

Eating the sand has likely make Roxy sick. Feed her 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 she refuses to eat the bland diet, 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.