My puppy ate a popsicle stick. What signs mean I need to see a vet?

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your question about Heidi. Do NOT induce vomiting, the wooden shards from the stick could damage her esophagus on the way out. Give her half a slice of whole wheat bread now, and one with every meal. This may form a ball of ingesta around the stick, and cushion it as it passes through the Gi tract. Monitor her closely, and if you see vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, lethargy, or blood in her feces, take her into the vet. I hope this helps!

A small amount of plastic and a wooden popsicle stick is unlikely to cause an issue. I'd recommend monitoring for any vomiting, diarrhea, or decreased appetite and contacting your veterinarian if you see these signs.

A wooden stick might pass without any problems but could also cause irritation to the stomach and intestines or even a perforation. You would see decreased appetite, vomiting or diarrhea as symptoms of a problem. If you see any of these signs you should see a vet right away for an exam and x-rays.

If Hennighn just swallowed the stick, you can take into into the vet right away for them to induce vomiting. The only concern with this is that it could get stuck in the esophagus, which would be a bad complication. The other option is to wait and see if he digests and passes the stick. Dogs do eat wood, and often pass it without problem. You will need to monitor his feces and his behavior. The stick should pass within 24-48 hours. If he starts vomiting, having diarrhea, stops eating, or becomes very lethargic, then it is likely that the stick is stuck, and he will need to see a vet right away. Hennighn is a big dog, and Labs often eat things they aren't supposed to, so I wouldn't be surprised if he passed it on his own. Give him a slice of whole wheat bread now, and with every meal, to give him more fiber and encourage the stick to pass along. The bread now will help cushion the stick as it passes through the intestinal tract. If the stick passes, you have no worries, just keep monitoring the feces for it. Hope this helps, and good luck :-)

Jax should be just fine if you don't notice any vomiting within the next several days. Young dogs often eat things they shouldn't, and it's important to keep everything off the floor that you don't want chewed on. Large Kong treats stuffed with peanut butter are a good, safe chew toy option. Also, make sure he's getting a lot of attention and exercise. Good luck!

Oh that wasn't good Sadie ate that! The problem with it is that could potentially get stuck in her GI tract or cause perforation of the intestines. Given that it's a small piece of wood, hopefully it should pass ok, but I will give you some things that may help. Give her a slice of whole wheat bread now, as it will form a ball of ingesta around the stick. You can give her this slice of bread with every meal, and keep an eye on her and her feces. If you see any blood in her feces, or she has diarrhea, anorexia, vomiting, or lethargy, that means the stick could have perforated her intestines or caused an obstruction, and Sadie will need to see a vet right away. It can take up to 72 hours for this to pass.

I can certainly understand your concerns about Finn's stick ingestion, but the good news is that it sounds as though he's still doing very well at home. Stick ingestion is a bit of a tricky situation. Even if you had taken Finn to his vet immediately after he'd eaten the stick, your vet would likely have advised against inducing vomiting. The induction of vomiting of potentially sharp objects risks perforation of the esophagus, which is extremely dangerous. The only other ways to get the stick out are a) wait for it to pass or b) surgically remove it. At this point, the fact that Finn is doing well at home (namely eating, drinking, and acting normally without any vomiting or diarrhea) indicates that it's still more than reasonable to simply wait and give him more time to pass it. While I can't definitively tell you that surgery is absolutely not indicated without having examined Finn, it doesn't sound as though it's something that you need to urgently pursue by taking him to the vet. For the time being, I think it's reasonable to continue monitoring Finn closely at home. If you notice anything change, such as a loss of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, retching, gagging, or diarrhea, be sure to take him to see his vet right away. Otherwise, feeding him a bulkier diet, such as bread and rice, pumpkin, and boiled chicken may help him to pass the stick through his stool a bit more efficiently. I hope this helps and that everything goes well!