My dog ate tennis ball pieces. Is her vomiting a bowel obstruction?

I am so sorry Simba has been throwing up! Based on his clinical signs, I recommend taking Simba to the Emergency Veterinarian. If he is vomiting up foreign material, such as the tennis ball, it is possible there is more in his stomach or his intestines that could be causing a partial or full obstruction. I hope Simba feels better soon!

My concern is that Axel has ingested a foreign object ( ball ) that could be potentially causing an obstruction. I hope this is not the case, he could have just some gastritis from the inflammation caused by the ball pieces. However, the presence of a potential foreign object in his tummy needs to be ruled out via a check up and x rays or other imaging, as it can be life threatening. Furthermore the vomiting will persist until the primary cause is addressed. While you search for a vet that can see Axel , offer him small amounts of water frequently , try not to let him drink a lot of water in one go as this will increase the chances of him being sick.

Poor Kahlua! It is likely that the tennis ball is hurting her stomach. The problem with a tennis ball is that it can cause an obstruction in her GI tract. If Kahlua ate it within the past two hours, I would have her seen by a vet right away. The vet may decide that inducing her to vomit with a shot would be the best treatment for her to prevent any chance of an obstruction. Even if it's been longer than two hours since she ate it, I would have her seen by a vet anyway. The vet may prescribe medications to help with her upset stomach.

Small pieces will not probably cause any harm and will pass through gastrointestinal tract quite smoothly (considering her size and the small pieces she ingested). Possibly signs of vomiting or diarrhoea can occur. I would suggest to withhold food for the next 8-12 hours and then start feeding with a bland diet based on boiled chicken and rice in small portion every 6 hours for the following 48hours. Then gradually reintroduce the normal diet over 5 days. I would definitively recommend a veterinary check up if the signs persist or you notice diarrhoea, vomiting, lethargy or inappetence. 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.

She could have an intestinal obstruction or possibly just an upset stomach. She should be examined by a vet to determine if she has an obstruction and your vet can take an abdominal x-ray to evaluate. She would need surgery to remove the towel, if an obstruction is found. If your vet does not see evidence of an obstruction than he/she can prescribe medications to help treat the vomiting.

Sadly it is very possible that Onyx has a partial obstruction in the upper GI tract from swallowing the soft toy. I am glad that he is acting normally, but the vomiting after eating is very concerning. I recommend having him examined by a veterinarian and likely having x-rays taken to look for signs of an obstruction in the GI tract. The sooner, the better, to prevent possible damage to the GI tract, dehydration or more serious complications. Onyx may need surgery or a scoping procedure to remove an obstruction.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As you point out, this could be due to an upset stomach. Of course the concern would be a gastrointestinal obstruction from her eating pieces of her toy. At this point, if she has only vomited once, you may continue to monitor her closely to see if it is only going to be an isolated episode. Watch closely for signs associated with an obstruction such as nausea, vomiting, anorexia and abdominal pain. If observed, have her evaluated by a veterinarian as soon as possible for further assessment and treatment at that point. Good luck and have a great day!