My dog swallowed a scrunchie. Is it an emergency? What should I do?

If Chewy is acting normal so far, I wouldn't be concerned just yet - the hair tie could possibly cause an obstruction, but there's a good chance that it will pass through without causing any problems. Signs of a possible obstruction would include repeated episodes of vomiting, not wanting to eat, and acting lethargic - if he develops any of these symptoms, I would have him seen by a vet right away. But as long as he is acting normal, eating and drinking with no vomiting, I wouldn't worry. In most cases, objects like this will pass through within 2-3 days of being swallowed; you can look for it in his stool so that you'll know once it's safely out :)

If she has swallowed a piece of flat material (not the actual knot) I would not be immediately concerned (that is unless she was exhibiting distressed breathing indicating it was still in her throat). Fabric will often pass uneventfully and the addition of mild laxatives for a few days can help encourage this. Any vomiting or abdominal pain would raise concerns about possible obstruction and would warrant immediate veterinary attention should it develop (your vets office should have contact information for your nearest emergency clinic if required outside of normal hours)

If it has been less than 2 hours since your pet ate it, you can induce vomiting by giving an oral dose of hydrogen peroxide, about 1 cc per pound. One tablespoon is about 5 cc. A turkey baster will work if you don't have a syringe. Longer than two hours and it will have already moved into the intestines. If he does not produce the underwear, he needs to go to the vet right away. This could cause a blockage in his intestines, or it could cause the intestines to bunch up along the fabric and slow or even stop the blood supply to them. If left untreated, this condition can be deadly.

It's difficult to know for sure without knowing the size or type of object ingested, but it's definitely a concern for causing an obstruction in the stomach or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. This may require anesthesia and special instrumentation though, so it would be expected to be somewhat costly - especially at an emergency clinic. This is the best option though. The other option is waiting to see if it passes OK. Normal GI transit time is 3-5 days. During this time you would just be waiting to see if she has any signs of an obstruction. Signs of an obstructions are vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Olive would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery. I hope that helps and all is well with Olive.

The only thing you should do right now is to monitor her for any signs of an obstruction which includes: excessive vomiting (especially water), decreased appetite, lethargy and little to no stool production. This sounds like something that should pass through with no problems, but just keep an eye on here tonight and definitely get her seen by a vet tomorrow if she develops any concerning symptoms. You can also try feeding her a piece of bread 1-2 times a day to help bind up the rubber and help facilitate its passage through her GI tract. I do hope that Sage does well after ingesting this foreign object. Best of luck and take care.

I would be concerned about the hairbrush head - it looks like it could be fairly large and difficult to chew into small pieces. It could become lodged in the stomach or intestines. If it happened in the past hour you could head into an emergency clinic to discuss the pros and cons of inducing vomiting. Otherwise I’d recommend monitoring closely for any vomiting or decreased appetite and call your vet right away if noted.

This could cause gastrointestinal obstruction and should ideally be checked as soon as possible at your local veterinarian. Your veterinarian will probably make him sick with an appropriate medication and perform an xray/abdominal ultrasound to make sure gastrointestinal passage is free. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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.