My 10-month-old puppy ate a paper towel. Is it an emergency?

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Coda. No need to take him into a vet. The paper towel should dissolve in his stomach acid, and this should not cause any problems. I hope this helps!

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should monitor her for signs of vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, lack of appetite. As long as she is bright, has normal energy level, has good appetite and is passing normal stools, she should be fine. However, if you notice any of the worrying symptoms, you should get her checked by your local vets in the morning.

If it was just a small piece of paper towel, it will likely pass through the intestinal tract without problems. Watch Gizmo's poop for the next 3-4 days and you should see it when it comes out. Should Gizmo get diarrhea and then vomiting, you need to take him to your vet for an exam as then the paper may have caused an obstruction. However, I think it will leave the body via the natural way.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. If Kalua is still acting sick, straining to pass stool, vomitting or not eating you may need to take him to the vet. A paper towel by itself probably wouldn't cause an obstruction but if there was grease on it or he ate something else he could have gastritis, pancreatitis or an obstruction. If he is acting more normal today, feed a bland diet such as chicken and rice for a couple of days (Plain, no fat, skin, bones or seasoning). But if he continues to vomit or not eat, has diarrhea or constipation he should be seen by his vet. I hope he feels better soon.

HI, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Lacey! If she is eating and not vomiting and is passing stool (despite the straining and it being loose) then I wouldn't be too concerned. Hopefully she is just dealing with diarrhea. The diarrhea can be from stress of moving, ate something gross that is upsetting her tummy, a virus or bacterial infection, parasites, the paper towels could be causing a blockage, pancreatitis, toxin ingestion, food allergy/ sensitivity. Since she is waking up overnight I would fast her for 12-24 hours to rest the intestinal tract then restart feeding as a bland diet of boiled chicken or hamburger with rice. Feed 1 cup per 20 lbs per day until 2 days of normal stools. If the stool hasn't improved in 2-3 days, she stops eating, starts vomiting or becomes lethargic I would have her examined by a Vet. I hope this helps and I wish Lacey a speedy recovery!

It could be that the paper towel caused Goldie's stomach to be upset, and that lead her to eat the grass. Then it is likely that the grass caused her to vomit. She should be able to pass a small amount of paper towel on her own, and it's unlikely that eating this has caused an obstruction already. I will give you a home remedy to try to see if that helps before having to take her into the vet. Withhold food for 8-12 hours, then feed a bland diet of boiled white meat chicken (no bones) and white rice in small amounts several times a day for a couple of days. Then slowly add back in her normal diet. If the vomiting continues in the absence of food, she vomits the bland diet, develops diarrhea, stops drinking water, starts vomiting water, or becomes very lethargic, she will need to see a vet right away. Good luck, I hope this helps :-)

A small amount will likely cause nothing worse than minor stomach upset. This can typically be managed at home with a short fast followed by a bland diet fed in small, frequent amounts until symptoms resolve. Large amounts of toilet paper may cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction. Monitor for lethargy, persistent vomiting or diarrhea, loss of appetite or abdominal pain. These are symptoms that should be addressed by your veterinarian.