My dog swallowed a bamboo broom. Is it dangerous? What are the risks?

Oh, that's not good that Sawyer ate your toothbrush. The concern about this is that it could cause an obstruction or it could cause perforation or damage to the GI tract. I don't recommend inducing vomiting at home, as the toothbrush could get caught in his esophagus on the way out. Given his size, he may pass this without problem, but I would keep an eye on him. If you see blood in his feces, he starts vomiting, he stops eating, he stops drinking, he starts vomiting water, he has diarrhea, and/or he becomes very lethargic, I would take him into a vet immediately. Best of luck, I hope this helps!

Unfortunately once a foreign object has been ingested there are only 3 things you can do for your pet: 1) Give 1 slice of bread to help bind the foreign object, 2) Feed the pet canned food to hopefully help bind the object for easy passage through the stomach and intestines, 3) Take your pet on a brisk walk for 20 minutes to encourage intestinal motility (only do this if your pet is not lethargic or acting abnormal). Then you just wait and see if this thing will pass without causing any disruptions to your pets gastrointestinal tract. Look for signs of obstruction, which include excessive vomiting, painful abdomen, severe lethargy and listlessness. If Peaches is going to pass this well she will most likely do so within the next 48-72 hrs, so monitor her feces well. However if she should present with any of the symptoms mentioned above, then the best thing to do for her is to get her seen for medical care with your vet.

Normally, objects can pass through a dog's GI tract fairly quickly (within a day), but there are a number of areas in the GI tract that foreign objects can get "stuck" and cause problems. I once had a dog eat a bamboo skewer and not show any signs for a couple of weeks. So, I would closely inspect Zoey's stool every time she goes to look for evidence of the skewer. If at any point, Zoey is lethargic, does not want to eat or vomits, I would have your veterinarian examine her right away. Good luck! Hopefully Zoey will be fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If the shaft is made of paper, this is unlikely to be a problem if Griffin just ate one swab. The stomach should be able to break this down. If the shaft is plastic, then it may cause an issue. However, seeing that Griffin is 90 pounds, I suspect he might pass this. If you want to be safe, then have a vet examine him and they may give him medication to cause him to vomit to try to rid him of the qtip before it passes out of the stomach.

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 :-)

Depending on the size of the piece ingested, it may cause problems for Wrigley. A small piece may pass on it's own. A larger piece may cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction. If there are sharp edges, it is possible it could cause a perforation. To be safe, Wrigley should be physically examined by your veterinarian. Abdominal x-rays should be done to locate the position of the antler. If it is still in the stomach, consider endoscopy to remove it safely. If you choose to monitor him at home, a bulky diet can be fed to both cushion and push the piece through the GI tract. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or straining to defecate. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.

No, it is not safe! The pieces can cause a blockage in the intestinal tact. You might try something harder, such as a Nylabone, if your dog is an overly-enthusiastic chewer. Another possibility is to have the dogs chew only when you are present--so you can monitor the toys frequently for any signs of pieces coming loose.