My dog swallowed string. Is it an emergency? What should I do next?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Maggie. I'm sorry she ate the string anklet. I never recommend inducing vomiting at home. This is because hydrogen peroxide can and does cause gastritis and esophagitis, often worse than the initial problem. You can take her into an ER vet now, and they can safely induce vomiting with a shot. Otherwise, it may pass without problem, and you can watch her. If you see any vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, or lethargy, that is an indication there may be an obstruction from the anklet, and she will have to see a vet immediately. Should she develop an obstruction, surgery will be needed to correct it. I hope this helps, best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Ideally you should have a Vet induce vomiting as the rope could get stuck in the esophagus on the way back up. Having foreign material stuck in the esophagus is a much bigger deal than the rope being in the stomach. I would go to the Vet now though before it moves out of the stomach. Rope can be a huge problem as it can get stuck half way in the stomach and in the intestine and act like a saw. An emergency hospital can use a safer drug to induce vomiting than you can at home. As hydrogen peroxide causes inflammation and ulceration of the esophagus and stomach lining. I wish you and Gus the best!

If the string came out very easily without having to pull hard, it may be OK. If you had to put a lot of tension when pulling it, there is a chance the string could have cut the esophagus. Watch closely for vomiting (especially with blood), gagging, difficulty swallowing or decreased appetite. Also watch for black, tarry stools. This is a sign of bleeding in the esophagus, stomach or small intestines. If any of these symptoms are seen, I would take her to a veterinarian immediately. They may want to do blood work, x-rays, or even use a scope to evaluate the esophagus for injuries.

Hello. If the string was only about 5 inches long, this will probably pass with no problems. If he ate this within the last few hours, I would feed him some lubricant to help push everything out. Take a piece of bread & slather on a layer of Vaseline ( like spreading peanut butter on bread ). Feed Rocket a piece at a time & this is a very safe way to lubricate the gut. If he did not actually eat the string, the worse that may happen is a bit of soft stool for a day or so. I do not think this warrants inducing him to vomit. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Mocha. I never recommend including vomiting at home because the substance used at home causes esophagitis and gastritis, often worse than the initial problem. Plus, the shoe could become stuck in his esophagus, leading to a very serious situation. You can take him into a vet now to have vomiting safely induced with a shot, or you can chose to monitor him. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his poop, anorexia, or lethargy, he should see a vet immediately. I hope this helps!

Hi there. Poor Leo. No, do not pull the string. This string could eventually cause a blockage in the GI tract and cause him to get very sick. I'd recommend getting him seen at the ER. They will perform and exam, and determine if there is anything they can do before it gets through the stomach. The sooner, the better.

If Rose has been vomiting today and is not eating, she should be examined by an ER vet and have abdominal x-rays performed. Some foreign material can linger in the stomach for quite awhile before either passing or causing an obstruction. Foreign body obstructions often require surgical intervention. However, if Rose only vomited once and is otherwise eating, drinking and acting normally, you may be able to monitor her at home for changes.