My dog ate stuffing. Should I worry if he's still eating and drinking?

Hello. The first thing you need to do is recover or throw this bed away. Much depends on how much Snowind may have ingested, but most times only a small piece is ingested. Most pets are just interested in a taste & rarely eat enough to cause a problem. You should just keep an eye on him for any abnormal gastrointestinal signs such as loss of appetite, vomiting or diarrhea over the next several days. If he seems to be doing fine, then do not worry, he did eat enough to cause a problem. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Eating filling from a bed will do one of two things, one- it can be pooped out with no complications, two- it can cause a blockage in the gut that requires surgery to remove. I recommend monitoring Buddy closely, if he is eating and pooping just watch his poop for the bedding, but if he is eating and pooping normally for 3 days it has passed through the system. If Buddy has ANY signs of not wanting to eat, vomiting, weakness, sore in his belly, or even just a decreased appetite, then I would get x-rays or an ultrasound ASAP. Hopefully he poops it out soon! Best of luck with Buddy!

Stuffing can act as a gastrointestinal foreign body that results in obstruction of the bowels. If vomiting is persistent, this is a strong indication that there may be either a partial or complete obstruction preventing food and water from moving forward in the GI tract. An abdominal x-ray would be the next best step to determine if your pet has a radiographic abdominal pattern consistent with obstruction. This should be done asap (as in today), because dehydration and irritation/trauma to the GI tract will continue worsening the longer it is present. If there is an obstruction, abdominal surgery may be necessary to remove it. And that's the case, we want your pet to be as stable as possible for the surgery. The longer the delay, the more weak and dehydrated your pet will be, and thus potentially less stable for surgery. In the meantime, I would offer only a small volume of water at a time, to see if your pet can keep it down without vomiting. I wish you both the best of luck!

Hi there. It could be a little too early for Snowball to pass the stuffing. We always worry any time a puppy ingests anything it shouldn't. Please watch her stools to see if anything is passing or if you note any blood in her feces, etc. If she shows any signs of vomiting or diarrhea, please take her in. Depending on the amount of stuffing she took in-she could potentially become obstructed which could make her very sick. It sounds like you're watching her very closely, good for you! My best to you and Snowball!

How small is small? If it was a very small piece it should pass on it's own through his GI tract. If it was a medium to large piece then he should see a vet as that could get stuck in his intestinal tract. Any time a dog ingests something abnormal they should be examined by a vet.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ingestion of cotton stuffing from toys and such can be an issue if it causes an obstruction in the intestines. This can be extremely uncomfortable and even result in a torsion or perforation. Fortunately, if it a small enough amount, it will typically pass. I recommend keeping a close eye on Jasper for vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, or lethargy as these may be signs of an obstruction. I’m happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Oops sorry that happened! Thanks for reaching out. Stuffing from furniture like sofas can cause gastrointestinal distress including gastrointestinal obstruction. Signs you'll want to keep an eye out for are vomiting, unable to keep food or water down, regurgitating shortly after meals, inappetence, and diarrhea. Please take Murphy to see his veterinarian if you notice any of those concerning signs.