My dog ate a sharp popsicle stick. He eats everything. What now?

The good news is that usually corn dog sticks don’t cause too much trauma in terms of the sharp edges. Sometimes, they don’t even eat any, they just chew it. If Pax is acting great, give him a slice of bread which can stick to the sharper pieces and ease their passing. That being said, it can still cause some vomiting or diarrhea and if you see these, or if you see lethargy or any other concerning signs, it time to take Pax to your vet.

A small amount of plastic and a wooden popsicle stick is unlikely to cause an issue. I'd recommend monitoring for any vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased appetite and contacting your veterinarian if you see these signs.

If Hennighn just swallowed the stick, you can take into into the vet right away for them to induce vomiting. The only concern with this is that it could get stuck in the esophagus, which would be a bad complication. The other option is to wait and see if he digests and passes the stick. Dogs do eat wood, and often pass it without problem. You will need to monitor his feces and his behavior. The stick should pass within 24-48 hours. If he starts vomiting, having diarrhea, stops eating, or becomes very lethargic, then it is likely that the stick is stuck, and he will need to see a vet right away. Hennighn is a big dog, and Labs often eat things they aren't supposed to, so I wouldn't be surprised if he passed it on his own. Give him a slice of whole wheat bread now, and with every meal, to give him more fiber and encourage the stick to pass along. The bread now will help cushion the stick as it passes through the intestinal tract. If the stick passes, you have no worries, just keep monitoring the feces for it. Hope this helps, and good luck :-)

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Heidi. Do NOT induce vomiting, the wooden shards from the stick could damage her esophagus on the way out. Give her half a slice of whole wheat bread now, and one with every meal. This may form a ball of ingesta around the stick, and cushion it as it passes through the Gi tract. Monitor her closely, and if you see vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, or blood in her feces, take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

I think the sticks are made out of paper which should soften pretty quickly in the stomach. If the stick is plastic there could be slightly more concern for it to get stuck somewhere but I still think it would not perforate the stomach or intestines. You should monitor him for vomiting or a decreased appetite.

If the pieces are small enough, Jax should be able to pass them in the next day or so. Monitor for vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. The bread and other bulky food will help cushion the pieces and help push them through his system.

I'm sorry to hear Jax ate something he shouldn't! This is unfortunately a common behavior in puppies so hopefully he grows out of it. With an object as small as that little plastic eye, it should likely pass through with minimal issue for Jax. If he ate it very recently (within the last hour or two) you could go to your vet where they can use special medication to make him vomit, and hopefully bring the piece of plastic back up. If it's been longer than that then I recommend monitoring Jax carefully, ensure that he continues eating and drinking normally, and check his stool each time he poops to see if the piece of plastic has passed. If you notice that Jax becomes lethargic, goes off his food, or starts vomiting then you need to schedule a visit with your regular veterinarian for a thorough physical exam and possibly some X-rays to check for an obstruction. Since Jax has now shown us that he likes to chew on things it would be recommended to only offer toys that are safe for him to chew, with no extra pieces that might come off. And if he starts to shred a toy then it is time to replace it as even pieces of fabric can cause obstruction issues.