My puppy ate a bobby pin and I can't afford a vet. What should I do?

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. This certainly could pose a risk for causing problems as it passes through the GI tract such as a puncture. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian, then I would recommend feeding bulky food items such as canned pumpkin and bread and see if this helps create a layer around the safety pin as it passes through the GI tract. Of course, my recommendation is to still get Chiku in to be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. I would recommend endoscopic removal of the safety pin while it is in the stomach. It is not a cheap procedure but is cheaper than surgery and is non-invasive. 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.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Feeding more food may not necessarily help Yanyan, so I recommend withholding food and just offering water for the next several hours. If the bobby pin will become an issue, you will likely see clinical signs such as vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, etc. I would just feed her her usual diet for the next few days, and monitor her feces for passage of the bobby pin. If 2-3 days pass and she is still acting normally, she is likely going to be just fine. If at any time she starts showing any of the clinical signs I mentioned, she should be seen by a veterinarian right away. I hope this is helpful!

Bulky foods like dry dog food, rice, or white bread can sometimes help surround an ingested foreign body and help with passage, but it can vary and is not a guarantee to protect against damage or perforation.

Yes, she should see a vet ASAP and have an xray done, this way you will know for sure if she ingested it as well as where it is situated, if she indeed ingested it she will likely need to have a surgery done to have it removed.

What a naughty puppy. If the earring was small enough it has a good chance of coming out. I would feed Chewy 1/2 slice of bread twice a day, in between meals to help bind up the earring and then monitor the stools. Typically it can take 2-7 days for foreign objects to exit. Monitor him for signs of trouble which includes excessive vomiting, abdominal pain, lack of appetite and little to no stools. If you see these signs then it's best to take him in to your vet for abdominal x-rays to see if it is lodged somewhere and further treatment. But as o said it likely will pass. I hope things work out well for your pup Chewy. Take care.

Hi, and thanks for writing. I think it's important for you to take your puppy to the vet for a physical examination and an x-ray of his abdomen. I think there's a pretty good chance that the thumbtack will pass through the GI tract without any problems. However, there are no guarantees, and anytime there's something sharp like that in the GI track I would be inclined to recommend getting it out and not letting it pass through. The worst-case scenario is that it punctures his intestines and causes very serious problems. Since it's metal (or at least partially metal) a thumbtack will show up on x-ray and you can see where it is (and verify that he did eat it, if there's any doubt). If it's in his stomach still it should be pretty simple to retrieve if your vet has an endoscope, or can refer you to a specialist who does. If it's already out of the stomach and in the intestines he may need surgery to get it out. Good luck.

Hello. Puppies will swallow small sticks with no problems, but you can help them to pass by lubricating her gut. Feeding bread is good, but I like to smear the bread with some Vaseline & feed Lilly this. In addition, you can feed her 2 tablespoons of canned pumpkin ( not pie filling ) twice a day for the next few days. If she does not have any problems over the next 2-3 days, like vomiting, diarrhea ( some soft stool will be normal from the Vaseline & pumpkin ), or she quits eating, then she will be fine. You can stop the pumpkin at this point. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.