Swallowed Objects in Dogs: Signs and What to Do

What dogs commonly swallow

Young dogs, especially of large breeds, swallow objects most often. Common items include socks, underwear, towels and other fabric, pieces of toys and balls, plastic, food wrappers from the trash, sticks, stones, bones, rawhide and dental chews, and corn cobs.

Bulky items such as a sock, a ball or a corn cob can plug the gut completely. Sharp items such as needles, fishhooks and bone splinters can pierce its wall. Long, thin items such as string, thread and yarn carry their own risk. One end can catch under the tongue or in the stomach while the rest moves on, and the intestine bunches up along it. As the gut keeps working, the string can cut through its wall. This problem is more common in cats, and it happens in dogs as well.

Batteries are a special risk. A button battery can burn the esophagus or the gut where it lodges, and a chewed battery can leak corrosive material that injures the mouth.

Signs to watch for

What you see depends on where the object is. When something is stuck in the mouth, throat or esophagus (the tube that carries food to the stomach), the signs usually start suddenly. The dog may drool heavily, gag, paw at its mouth, swallow again and again, or bring food back up soon after eating. Some dogs can still drink but cannot keep food down. A thread caught under the tongue causes similar signs and is easy to miss.

When the object is in the stomach or intestines, owners often notice one or more of these signs.

• Vomiting, often more than once, sometimes soon after eating or drinking
• Loss of appetite
• Tiredness, low energy or hiding
• A painful belly, with a hunched stance, or growling or flinching when the belly is touched
• Diarrhea, sometimes with blood
• Straining to pass stool, or passing little or none

Signs may appear within hours or only after several days. A partial blockage can let some food through, so the dog may just eat less and vomit now and then, which looks like a mild stomach upset.

When it is an emergency

Veterinary care is needed right away in these situations. Calling the clinic on the way helps the team prepare.

• The dog is choking, struggling to breathe, or its gums look pale, gray or blue
• It vomits again and again or cannot keep water down
• The belly looks swollen or feels painful
• The dog is very weak, very quiet or collapses
• You saw it swallow something sharp, a battery, string, or an object large enough to cause a blockage
• String or thread is hanging from the mouth or the rear end

Speed matters. An object that presses on the intestine can cut off the blood supply to that part of the gut, and after a few hours the tissue may start to die. Repeated vomiting also leads to dehydration, which weakens the dog and adds to the danger.

What to do at home

If you know or suspect that your dog swallowed something, it is best to call your veterinarian as soon as possible, even if the dog seems fine. Tell them what the object was, how big it was, and when it happened. If you have a matching item, such as the other sock or the rest of the toy, bring it with you.

It is safer not to make the dog vomit unless a veterinarian advises it. A sharp object can injure the throat on the way back up, a battery can cause more burns, and a large object can get stuck in the esophagus or cause choking. Salt and salt water are particularly risky because they can cause salt poisoning. Home remedies meant to help an object pass are not recommended either. When the object is small and soft and was swallowed very recently, the vet may decide to make the dog vomit at the clinic, where it is done with medication and under supervision.

If string or thread is hanging from the mouth or the rear end, it is best not to pull on it. The other end may be anchored inside, and pulling can tear the gut.

Some small, smooth objects pass on their own. After an exam, the vet may suggest waiting for the object to pass, with close monitoring and sometimes repeat X-rays. While you wait, watch for vomiting, poor appetite, tiredness and changes in the stool, and check the stool for the object. Waiting at home is best decided together with the vet.

How vets diagnose it

The vet will ask what the dog may have eaten and then feel the belly for pain, and sometimes for the object itself. X-rays show bones, stones and metal clearly. Fabric, plastic and many toys are harder to see, so the vet may give a contrast liquid that shows up on X-rays, or use an ultrasound scan. Endoscopy, a thin flexible tube with a camera, lets the vet look inside the esophagus and stomach, and it can often remove the object at the same time. Blood tests show how the vomiting has affected the body and help rule out other causes.

How it is treated

An object in the esophagus is removed as soon as possible. Most are taken out through the mouth with an endoscope and small forceps while the dog is under general anesthesia. If that does not work, the vet may gently push the object into the stomach, where it may be digested or removed with surgery. The esophagus can narrow as it heals, and pneumonia can develop if food or fluid is breathed into the lungs, so the vet may plan follow-up checks.

Objects in the stomach can often be removed with an endoscope too. If an object is too large or too sharp, or has moved into the intestines, surgery is usually needed. The surgeon opens the stomach or intestine, removes the object and checks the rest of the gut for damage. If a section of intestine has been injured or has lost its blood supply, that section is removed and the healthy ends are joined. Dogs usually stay in the hospital for fluids, pain relief and monitoring.

Recovery after surgery

The vet will give a feeding plan for home. Eating usually starts again soon after surgery, with small meals of soft food, and the dog returns to its normal diet over several days. Activity is kept low while the wound heals, and a cone may be used to protect it. If the repair of the intestine leaks, this most often shows three to five days after surgery. The vet should hear from you right away if the dog vomits, stops eating, seems painful or becomes dull. Most dogs recover well when the object is found and removed early.

Rescued and newly adopted dogs

Dogs that lived on the street may be used to eating whatever they find, including bones and scraps from bins. That habit can come with them into a home. The first weeks in a new home bring many new things to explore, and a stressed or bored dog may chew more than usual.

At Paw Squadron, the first stops after every rescue are the vet and a bath, and every animal gets a checkup, treatment, vaccinations and a microchip before adoption. A health check cannot change a dog's habits, though, so it helps to prepare the home before the dog arrives. Some dogs swallow objects more than once, so it is worth telling your vet about any history of eating non-food items.

Prevention

Keep socks, underwear, hair ties, children's toys and sewing supplies off the floor and out of reach. A trash bin with a secure lid helps, and food waste such as bones and corn cobs is best taken out promptly. Choose toys that are too large to swallow, and throw them away once they start to break apart. Chew time is best supervised, since bones, rawhide and dental chews can get stuck in the throat, and your vet can advise which chews suit your dog. Teaching "drop it" and "leave it" with rewards makes it easier to take things away safely. If your dog keeps eating non-food items, talk to your vet. They may look for an underlying cause or suggest a basket muzzle for walks.

In a home with several dogs, it is worth checking whether the others ate parts of the same toy or item.

If you are ready to give a rescued dog a home, visit our Adoptions page. You can find more practical guides in PawPedia.