My dog swallowed a toothpick and is gagging with mucus. What to do?

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I suspect Pumpkin's appetite was decreased because the toothpick was passing through the intestines and was causing abdominal discomfort. You should continue to monitor Pumpkin at home for the next 24-48hrs. If he starts to vomit, becomes lethargic, anorexic or if he starts to struggle to pass stools, you should take him to your local vets right away as these symptoms would suggest gastrointestinal obstruction.

I would worry about the blood in Spot's vomit. Toothpicks are sharp and you worry about one of them punching a hole in the stomach. I would recommend to take her into the veterinarian asap. They will prescribe medications to coat her stomach. I would also advise to feed her bread for the next 2 days as the bulk may help to cover any tooth picks and hopefully prevent further damage. If she continues to vomit blood, she may need a surgery or endoscopic exam to exam her stomach. I hope Spot is ok!

I'd just keep an eye on Max for now. If you see blood in his stool or other signs such as vomiting, anorexia, and lethargy, then I would be worried and have him seen by a vet. Otherwise, he should be fine.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Biko is gagging, he may have something stuck in his throat and is trying to clear it. You can try offering him some wet dog food formed into a meatball to see if this helps push anything in his throat along. If the gagging continues or you are ever worried about how well Biko is breathing, I recommend having Biko seen by a veterinarian for an exam. Your vet may recommend chest x-rays to see if Biko has any primary lung issues or reasons for the gagging. I hope this is helpful!

Hello. Unfortunately, it sounds like the ice cream stick is lodged. There is a small chance that she might vomit it back up, but this could cause irritation or damage to the esophagus. I really think this needs to be removed by your veterinarian. Call to see if they have endoscopic equipment as this will be a non-invasive way to retrieve the stick ( altho it still requires anesthesia ). If the stick can not be removed this way, surgery may be necessary, but in most cases it is no more difficult than doing a spay. But I do recommend having her evaluated. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. If he inhaled grass blades in his nose, this could contribute to the signs you are seeing. He may also have some grass or another foreign object lodged in his esophagus. I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at Chuck so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. I wouldn't wait too long because if there is something stuck and it goes unaddressed, it could potentially become a serious problem. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.