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My puppy ate rubber bands. Should I take him to the vet right away?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shih Tzu | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 11 days old | 6.7 lbs

I have a shih tzu puppy (almost 3 months old, he is roughly 6-7 pounds) he ate about 5/6 small rubber bands, they're about less than an inch long...will he be okay, or should I take him to the vet?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Catherine Stecyk

Veterinarian

Published on August 10th, 2018

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would definitely bring Milo to your veterinarian as soon as possible so they can induce vomiting and try to get the rubber bands out of his stomach. Rubber bands have the potential to become foreign body obstructions, meaning they can get stuck either in the stomach or intestines. If this occurs, this is a surgical emergency, which can cost several thousand dollars. There is a chance he could pass the rubber bands in his feces, but I do not believe it is worth the risk. If you are unable to get to a veterinarian within an hour, you can try to induce vomiting at home by giving him 1/2 of a teaspoon of hydrogen peroxide. I hope this is helpful!

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on January 19th, 2017
Oh that was naughty of Jake! I would not recommend inducing vomiting at home. The reason is that hydrogen peroxide (which people use at home) can and does cause severe esophagitis and gastritis, often worse than the initial problem, so it's always preferred best to have the dog seen by a vet to induce vomiting with a shot. He could pass them without a problem, but there is always a chance of them getting stuck in his GI tract causing a linear foreign body. Should that happen, he would need surgery to remove them. Given that it's only been 20 minutes since he ate them, I would take him into a vet on call or an ER vet immediately to safely induce vomiting to prevent them from causing an obstruction.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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