Having a dog can be a joy in many peoples lives. But it can also have its challenges. Especially if you have a dog that likes to put everything in their mouth. Even worse, if everything they put in their mouth they also swallow. What are common things that dogs ingest? What do you do if your dog swallowed something? What are common things that dogs swallow? What are treatment options for a dog that swallowed something they were not supposed to? How can you minimize your dog eating things? These are questions you want to answer when dealing with foreign ingestion in dogs.
Common things that dogs can swallow
Food:
Even though we can give food off our plates to our dogs, they can’t eat everything we can eat. Common foods that can cause issues includes grapes, raisins, onions, and chocolate.
Prescription medications:
With prescription medications when a pill drops on the floor or medications are not placed out of reach, this leaves opportunity for your pet to get access for an accidental ingestion.
Pest control:
We all want a pest free household. While there are many effective pest control products out there, these products can prove to be dangerous. Common products that cause problems that dogs get into includes rodent bait, ant traps, and roach bait. These can lead to a deadly foreign ingestion in dogs.
Toys:
Toys can be a potential problem especially if your dog lives in a house with children. Some dogs can be attracted to colorful plastic and stuffed things. Common offenders includes balls, action figures, and stuffed animals.
What to do if you dog swallowed something?
That is the first question many pet owners ask when they noticed their furry companion swallow something unusual. Foreign ingestion in dogs can be scary. First don’t panic. There are few factors that will determine if it is a serious problem. What was swallowed? How much was swallowed? How long ago was it swallowed? What is the size of your dog? First thing you should do is contact your veterinarian and seek advice about foreign ingestion in dogs. If your veterinarian is not available, then you should attempt to contact an emergency veterinarian. Other options are the Pet Poison Pet Hotline if your dog ate something poisonous. There is also an online veterinary consultation website called JustAnswer where you can chat with licensed veterinarians for advice on how to deal with a foreign ingestion.
Treatment for a foreign ingestion
The treatment your pet would receive depends on what was swallowed and how long ago they swallowed it. If your dog ate something toxic like a prescription medication, onions, or grapes and it has been within an hour, most dogs are made to vomit. Hydrogen peroxide can be used to induce vomiting, but a most common drug used by veterinarians is called apomorphine. This is injected or placed in the eye to cause vomiting. The goal is to get the unwanted material out of the stomach. A second course of treatment could also include administrating activated charcoal. This is used to absorb any possible toxin present that the vomiting can’t get out. Usually vomiting is ineffective if whatever was ingested occurred longer than 3 hours ago. Any further treatment will depend on the specific product ingested to counteract any side effects.
If the foreign material is anything like a toy , or another inanimate object, the patient has to be monitored closely for any signs of an obstruction which could include vomiting, pain, or lethargy. Also an x-ray may be recommended to rule out a foreign body. If a foreign body is found, surgery would need to be performed to remove it.
How do you minimize your dog swallowing items?
Foreign ingestion in dogs can be kept to a minimum. If your dogs ingest something for the first time, you are likely to be more diligent to prevent it from happening again. To minimize occurrence, it will be important to pet proof your home to prevent your pet from having exposure to these dangerous products. If you notice that your pet ingests anything it is important to act quickly which will maximize a response to treatment.
Conclusion
Having your dog swallow something can be a scary experience. But is important to remain calm and contact your veterinarian. Just remember to improve the chances of success of treatment with foreign ingestion in dogs, it needs to be done as soon as possible.