What Should I Do If My Dog Has Swallowed Something They Shouldn’t Have

What Should I Do If My Dog Has Swallowed
Something They Shouldn’t Have?
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What Should I Do If My Dog Has
Swallowed Something They
Shouldn’t Have?
Dogs are curious creatures who love to
chew and eat anything that they can find.
This means that they can occasionally
swallow things that they shouldn’t. If your
dog swallows something small, it will
usually just pass through their system
without causing them any harm. However,
sometimes dogs can swallow larger and
more dangerous objects, which can cause
serious damage to their bodies quite
quickly.
Warning Signs Your Dog Has
Swallowed a Foreign Object
How can you tell that your dog has
swallowed something that they shouldn’t?
Here are a few of the warning signs:
Your dog has lost their appetite or
their appetite is reduced
Your dog is vomiting
Your dog is showing signs of
abdominal discomfort
Your dog has diarrhoea or an
absence of faeces
Your dog is reluctant to move or is
crying out
If your dog is exhibiting any of these
symptoms, this is a sign that you should call
your vet and seek their advice.
What Things do Dogs Swallow?
To a dog, everything looks like food or a fun
new chew toy. How can you prevent your
dog from swallowing a dangerous item and
what can you do if they have eaten
something they shouldn’t? Here are some
tips to keep in mind that will help you to
protect the health of your curious canine
friend.
Dogs have been known to swallow a huge
range of foreign objects, including bones,
stones, fruit stones, small toys, corn on the
cob, baby’s dummies, coins, rubber ducks,
rubber bands, hair clips, fridge magnets
and much more. These objects, depending
on their size and shape, can cause a
physical obstruction in your dog’s digestive
system. This usually occurs at the outflow
of the stomach or the small intestine. If the
foreign object is chewed up, the sharp
edges of the object can cut the inside of the
intestine – which can cause a dangerous
infection in the abdomen that is called
peritonitis.
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It is also very dangerous for your pet to eat
pants, socks, thread, needles and other
such materials. They can cause a physical
obstruction if they get balled up in the
stomach. Also, if your dog swallows thread
it can cause the small intestine to bunch up
and then the thread can cut through the
intestine, like cheese wire cutting through
cheese. Needless to say, this is a very
dangerous situation for your dog and they
might need surgery to remove the item.
What to Do
If you think that your dog has swallowed
something, it is important to act quickly. If
you can see the thread, string or cord
handing from their mouth or bottom, don’t
pull on it or cut it! This can seriously
damage the inner organs and make it more
difficult to remove, so just leave it.
The most important thing to do is to phone
your local vet for advice. Whether your pet
has swallowed poison or a foreign object,
they need treatment right away or it could
be fatal.
What Will Your Vet Do?
First of all, your vet will perform a full
physical examination of your dog and they
will ask you a lot of questions so that they
can get all of the information they need
about your dog. They will likely ask you if
you know what your dog has swallowed
and when they have swallowed it. Your vet
might also want to know questions about
your dog’s general health.
Then, your vet might perform x-rays, blood
tests, ultrasound and other tests. Your dog
might need a general anaesthetic so that
the vet can operate and remove the object.
They will also examine the health of the
intestine – in some situations it might be
necessary to remove the damaged
intestine altogether.
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How to Prevent This
Your dog swallowing a foreign body can be
very dangerous to their health, so the best
thing to do would be to prevent it where
possible. It is impossible to stop your dog
putting objects in their mouth and eating
things they should not, but you can keep an
eye on what they are chewing on and keep
anything dangerous out of reach.
Make sure that cooked bones, fruit stones,
corn on the cob and other such food waste
are disposed of in a secure and safe way so
that your dog cannot find and get hold of
them.
Following these tips will help to protect
your dog from the danger of swallowing a
foreign object and requiring expensive
medical treatment.
Beeston Animal Health Ltd.,
Whitchurch Road,
Beeston Castle,
Tarporley,
Cheshire,
CW6 9NJ
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