Help! My puppy swallowed a pin. Does she need emergency vet 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.

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.

I am sorry to hear about your puppy. It is possible the puppy may pass this object. You can try giving a piece or two of whole wheat bread torn into pieces to help aid in its passing and will need to observe him for signs of obstruction for the next few days until the bobby pin is passed. Signs of obstruction include vomiting, decreased appetite, lethargy, and painful abdomen. If this happens you must seek veterinary care as soon as possible. If the bobby pin was just swallowed a veterinary center with an endoscope may be able to remove the bobby pin without doing surgery if that is an option for you.

It may be serious but not necessarily. You should take your dog to your vet to take an x-ray to see where the needle is (it could got stuck in esophagus and it this case it should be removed). If the needle is in the stomach you will have to wait 24-48hrs for the needle to be passed. If in any doubts the second x-ray should be taken. If your dog develops signs of vomiting, vomiting blood, abdominal pain, lack of appetite he will need emergency surgery to remove the needle. However, most of the dogs will pass a needle and surgery is not required.

It's difficult to know for sure, but it's definitely a concern for causing trauma in the stomach, or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. They can take an x-ray and tell if the needle was eaten or not. This would be expected to be somewhat costly at an after hours clinic, but is the best option.The other option is waiting to see if there are any problems. Signs of a puncture is vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Elvie would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery, because this can cause a severe infection.  I hope that helps and all is well with Elvie.

That requires an immediate check up and possibly radiographs. The ring may eventually cause partial gastrointestinal obstruction or inflammation. I would strongly recommend to have Summer checked over to be on the safe side.

Just keep a close eye on her like you're doing. If she swallowed a pin she may have a stomach ache, stop eating or vomit. If you see her do any of these things or if she becomes lethargic please take her in right away for an exam and x-ray. That will determine if there is a pin inside. If so it will probably need surgical removal. If she's doing fine I don't think you need to worry. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Pond.