My dog might have swallowed a staple. What symptoms to watch for?

In most cases, a very small foreign object like this will pass through the GI tract with no problems - if this just happened, you can feed him a slice of bread to help add some bulk to his stomach contents, which should help to surround and cushion the staple as it moves through. To be safe, you should monitor him for the next several days for any signs of a problem. If he has repeated episodes of vomiting, begins acting lethargic, or doesn't want to eat, I would recommend taking him to the vet right away since it's possible that he might need surgery to remove the staple. As long as he is acting normal, I wouldn't worry - it will likely pass though without any problems sometime in the next 2-3 days.

Naughty Benny! No, there's no need to take him to a vet immediately. This small amount of staples and the size of the staples should not cause any problems. I would feed him a slice of whole wheat bread now in order to wrap around the staples to cushion them as they go through the intestines. I would give him the bread at each meal to bulk up his feces, and monitor his feces for the staples. They should pass through in 24-48 hours. If they haven't passed through in that time, or if you are seeing any blood in the stool, black stool (this indicates bleeding in the stomach), vomiting, or lethargy, you need to take him into your vet right away. Of course, if you want to be safe, you can take him into your vet now, and your vet can try to retrieve them. Vomiting wouldn't be indicated in this case because they could puncture the esophagus on the way up. Your vet could use an endoscope to retrieve them.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Jax ate a staple. I have to agree that I think it will pass in time but one never knows with foreign bodies in each individual patient. I would monitor Jax very closely over the next 2-4 days for nausea, vomiting, and/or diarrhea. If these signs appear and persist I would advise seeing your vet immediately for possible x-rays. You may see no signs at all and that would be the best scenario for this case. One thing I would advise is feeding 1 teaspoon of canned pumpkin twice daily with his regular food. Not pumpkin pie filling, just canned pumpkin. It's loaded with fiber and will keep the gut happy and things moving during the next few days, hopefully helping the staple along and out of the system. Good luck with Jax. Not sure if you will check the bowel movements but that staple might be really hard to find. I hope it passes soon and with no complications.

Poor Zoey. With any sharp foreign body ingestion we get concerned for possible laceration of the intestines as the intestines work back and forth to grind up ingesta. Staples certainly have the potential to at the very least cause some moderate GI upset and inflammation of the intestines. Laceration of the intestines is also possible. I would recommend feeding Zoey 1 piece of bread in between meals, 2 times day to hopefully bind up the staples and blunt their edges. Also the fiber of the bread helps to bulk up the stool for easier passage and exit out the rectum. Take Zoey on 20-30 minutes brisk walks twice a day as well to help promote GI motility. Then monitor her stool daily and for any signs of trouble which would include excessive vomiting (even water), lethargy, and lack of appetite. If you see these symptoms then take her to your local vet right away. Hopefully these are going to come out just fine. There is a greater chance that they will exit ok, due to their small size, but you can never be too cautious with any foreign body ingestion. I hope things work out ok for your furry friend Zoey.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. The risks of swallowing a nail include perforation of the intestinal tract, which is a life-threatening surgical emergency. They can also get iron toxicity, which can cause severe GI upset and liver damage. The best way to tell if Evy ate a nail would be to take her to a veterinarian for an x-ray of her abdomen. If you cannot bring her, please monitor her for signs of vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, abdominal pain, and have her seen by a veterinarian right away. Otherwise, if she continues to act normal at home, she likely did not eat the nail and should be OK. I hope this is helpful!

It's difficult to know for sure, but it's definitely a concern for causing trauma 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. They can take an x-ray and tell if the needle was eaten or not. This would be expected to be somewhat costly at an after hours clinic, but is the best option.The other option is waiting to see if there are any problems. Signs of a puncture is vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Elvie would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery, because this can cause a severe infection.  I hope that helps and all is well with Elvie.

I am sorry to hear about your concern for Rocket. We would be watching for things such as lethargy, vomiting, decreased appetite, pain in the abdomen, trouble defecating, weakness. If you think your dog ate a nail, I would recommend an examination at a veterinarian as soon as possible. An x-ray can tell them if the nail was eaten and may help determine if it is passing or if it may cause a problem.