My dog swallowed a 6-inch pizzle stick. Will it hurt her stomach?

The stomach acid does a pretty great job at dissolving bully sticks. However, if he seems to have any trouble Swallowing, if he won’t eat, or has any vomiting and/or diarrhea then I would highly encourage you to have him evaluated by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and I hope he does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

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 Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Scotia. Oh no, that's not good. You did the right thing by taking her into a vet right away. Keep an eye out for more vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, and a loss of appetite. If you see any of those signs, take her back into a vet right away. I hope this helps!

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.

Oh that wasn't good Sadie ate that! The problem with it is that could potentially get stuck in her GI tract or cause perforation of the intestines. Given that it's a small piece of wood, hopefully it should pass ok, but I will give you some things that may help. Give her a slice of whole wheat bread now, as it will form a ball of ingesta around the stick. You can give her this slice of bread with every meal, and keep an eye on her and her feces. If you see any blood in her feces, or she has diarrhea, anorexia, vomiting, or lethargy, that means the stick could have perforated her intestines or caused an obstruction, and Sadie will need to see a vet right away. It can take up to 72 hours for this to pass.

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.

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.