My dog ate toy stuffing/string. Can it cause obstruction? How to stop?

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!

You need to take Echo into a vet immediately. He could have an obstruction from this stuffing, and may need surgery to remove it. Leaving an obstruction untreated is fatal, which is why you need to get him into a vet now. Best of luck.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Rocky ate some of the stuffing from the item in the photo. If it was just a very small amount, he will likely be OK. The biggest concern when a dog eats something he shouldn't is a foreign body obstruction, meaning the item causes a blockage of his intestines. This would be a surgical emergency. If Rocky continues to act normally - normal attitude, normal eating/drinking/urinating/defecating, and is not vomiting, he will likely be OK. If he starts vomiting and is acting lethargic, I recommend having him seen by your veterinarian right away. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Rocky!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. If kora is not exhibiting signs such as vomiting, lethargy, inappetance or abdominal pain then she is likely ok. If you notice these signs I would get kora seen by the vet and have x-rays performed to rule out an intestinal blockage. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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!

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.

Poor Ashley! Diarrhea and vomiting could be caused by parasites, change in diet toxin ingestion, infectious diseases, blockage in the intestines caused by ingestion of a foreign body, or a mass/growth in the gastrointestinal tract. Based on what she threw up, I'm concerned that there may be more string/ toy stuffing causing a blockage in Ashley's gastrointestinal tract. It is important that you have Ashley seen by a veterinarian immediately to help determine the cause of the symptoms, as if there is a blockage it could be life threatening, and she may need surgery to resolve it. Your vet may want to check her bloodwork and take x-rays to help determine what is going on with Ashley and to start appropriate treatment.