My puppy swallowed a beef hide stick. Has diarrhea. Is it a blockage?

These are not very digestible, so it may be somewhat concerning depending on the size of it. It's a good sign that he was able to swallow it, because these tend to get stuck in the throat when they are too big. The biggest concern is that the rawhide will get stuck in the intestines. These blockages can cause life-threatening complications. However, most dogs are able to pass various sized objects through their intestines without any problem. Signs of a blockage include vomiting, not defecating and a dramatic decrease in activity. If you notice any of these signs, then it would be best to take Kane to the vet for further evaluation. Otherwise, this should be passed in the stool within the next 3-5 days. I hope that helps and all is well with Kane.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Diarrhea is typically not a sign of an obstruction of the intestines. GI obstructions cause severe vomiting, lethargy, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite. It is possible that whatever toy Ben ate caused some irritation or trauma to the lining of his intestines/colon that is now manifesting as diarrhea. The diarrhea could also be unrelated to the toy, and could be due to eating any other type of new food, stress, or GI parasites. I recommend feeding Ben strictly his usual diet - no treats or other humans foods - for at least 5 days to see if this helps resolve his softer stools. I hope this is helpful!

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Allie is likely going to be just fine. As long as she is eating, drinking and not lethargic / inappetant then I would just monitor her at home. If she begins to exhibit any of the above mentioned symptoms, I would get her seen by a veterinarian for an examination and to have abdominal x-rays taken to make sure that there is no intestinal obstruction from the bully stick. I would feed her a bland diet as outlined below for at least 3 days past the resolution of the vomiting. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be happy to help you further. GENERAL INFORMATION A bland diet is a diet that is soft and highly digestible. It is low in fiber, fat and protein and is high in carbohydrates. Bland diets are generally composed of a single carbohydrate source and a single lean protein source. The most common bland diet is boiled rice and boiled lean chicken breast, without skin and bones. Since bland diets are low in fiber, stool production slows and defecation is less frequent. Bland diets are fed to rest the gastric system and to help promote normal stool formation. Animals that are physically sick should not be fed bland diets as a method of treatment. PRIOR TO FEEDING A BLAND DIET Pets should be fasted for 12 to 24 hours. Young animals should not be fasted for more than 12 hours. Fasting will allow the intestinal system to relax and minimize acid secretions that may irritate and inflame the intestinal lining. During the fast small amounts of water or ice chips may be provided. Never fast a sick animal, it may cause disease progression and death. BASIC BOILED RICE AND CHICKEN BLAND DIET RECIPE CARBOHYDRATE SOURCE: Boiled white rice LEAN PROTEIN SOURCE: Chicken breast, no skin and bones BOILED RICE: 1 part white rice with 3 parts water boiled for 20 – 25 minutes or until the rice is easily crushed. BOILED CHICKEN: De-fat chicken breast and boil in water for 10 – 15 minutes or until the chicken meat is easily pulled apart and cooked all way through. MIXING INSTRUCTIONS: Finely chop the lean protein and mix 2 cups carbohydrate source and ½ cup lean protein source. STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS: Bland diets can be premade and stored in the refrigerator for a maximum of 48 hours. The bland diet can be cooked in a batch and frozen in feeding sized portions to minimize preparation time. Thaw and warm the frozen diet prior to feeding. PERMITTED LEAN PROTEIN SUBSTITUTIONS Pork loin, egg whites, low fat cottage cheese. 7% low fat hamburger, plain low fat yogurt. PERMITTED CARBOHYDRATE SUBSTITUTIONS Boiled potatoes, boiled spaghetti, Minute rice. PERMITTED COMMERCIAL BLAND DIETS Science Prescription Diet I/D, Eukanuba Veterinary Diet Low Residue, Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Intestinal HE. FEEDING INSTRUCTIONS Estimate 25% of your animal’s diet and feed that amount of the bland diet every 6 – 8 hours. Smaller animals will require less and larger animals will require more adhering to the same carbohydrate to lean protein source ratio. The bland diet should be fed for 4 -5 days with no treats or other food sources until stools are firm. TRANSITION BACK TO A NORMAL DIET Never transition back to a regular diet rapidly. Transition back to the regular diet over a 1 week period. Start by adding 25% of the regular diet to 75% of the bland diet and feed that combination for 2 days. If stools continue to be firm then continue substituting the regular diet in 25% increments and feeding the combination in 2 day time intervals until the diet is 100% regular diet. Minimize treats for 1 week after moving the diet back to 100% regular diet.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! He may be showing signs of dietary indiscretion which can happen from eating something that does not sit well in the stomach. Clinical symptoms that can occur include inappetence, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Sometimes this resolves on its own. However, sometimes this does require some form of therapy which is mostly supportive in nature. Since he has developed diarrhea, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to prescribe an anti-diarrhea medication. Good luck and have a great day!

I do not see any need to worry at this time. If it was stuck in his throat, then he would be continually gagging and coughing. There is also not much of a chance it would be causing problems in the stomach or intestines, because these are digestible. Signs of a blockage are: not eating, not pooping, vomiting, and acting very depressed/painful. If you happen to see these signs, then this would warrant an urgent trip to the vet. Otherwise, he seems to be doing OK, so I wouldn't be concerned. I hope that helps and all is well with Coby.

Hello, sorry to hear about Bailey. Yes ideally she should be examined as this raw hide may have caused irritation and inflammation of her GI tract. Rarely, raw hides may cause intestinal perforations which could lead to even greater complications. Therefore, you should have Bailey evaluated by her veterinarian soon, especially if you note any persistent diarrhea, vomiting, or decreased appetite. In the interim, you may feed a bland diet of plain white rice, skinless and boneless chicken, and low fat cottage cheese. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would not be too concerned that she has not defecated yet today. The diarrhea may be due to stress colitis, or inflammation of the colon secondary to the stress of boarding. This should resolve on its own with a bland diet as you are feeding her. You can also try adding in 2 teaspoons of metamucil fiber powder to her meals twice daily to help bulk up her stool. She may not be defecating yet because her stools forming up and not coming out as quickly. I would monitor for signs of vomiting that could indicate that the watch band that she ate is causing a blockage of her intestines. This is a surgical emergency. It is possible she will pass the watch band by herself in her feces, so I recommend monitoring her feces over the next few days for passage of the band. I hope this is helpful!