Oh no! My Dog ate plastic! What’s going to happen to him now?!This is probably one of those things that can freak most dog owners out and sometimes it is a situation that can’t be avoided at all. Dogs are very curious creatures and they sniff almost anything, try out almost anything, and even eat the things they find fun to chew on.
We dog owners, sometimes we can’t even see this coming and we could be turning our backs not knowing that something is happening to our dog or that they are completely eating something that they shouldn’t. Once we figure out, things can get quite frustrating. We intend to scold our dogs for doing so and probably panic afterward.But don’t worry, let me tell you all there is to know when your dog ate plastic. Let’s both scroll down to read what we need to know, shall we?
Symptoms Your Dog Will Be Experiencing When They Have Eaten Plastic
Sometimes we pet owners are unsure whether they have eaten plastic or not. But sometimes when we know they did, we expect something to happen. Such things can get us worried or paranoid on what could happen and we may even rush to the vet when they do. Well, good idea!
However, large dog breeds don’t get so affected by this as much as eating plastic affects small breed dogs. But if your dog is starting to show signs that it is definitely NOT okay, they could be showing these following signs:[one_half_first]
- The Lack of Appetite or the refusal to eat
- Changes in Bowels such as diarrhea and constipation
- Painful abdomen or swollen abdomen[/one_half_first][one_half_last]
- Vomiting that starts out as food and proceeds to water
- Sign of Nausea such as gagging, licking the lips repeatedly, and drooling
- Changes in their typical behavior
- Lethargy[/one_half_last]
Is your dog showing most of these signs? Then this is something we all shouldn’t ignore. Take quick action by going to a nearby vet or else this can trigger a near-death situation.
What You Can Do to Help – Treatments and Options
When you can’t seem to get a vet and that it is so late at night or that the vet is already closed, there are some things you can do for the mean time. However, this can serve as a first aid for your dog but is not guaranteed to work for every dog.
The things you will need are:[one_half_first]
- Pumpkin Puree
- Bread
- Yogurt[/one_half_first][one_half_last]
- Cotton Balls
- Cream[/one_half_last]
There are three methods that you can try to treat your dog. If you have all the five things, then that would be much better. But if you seem to have only a few of them, well it’s fine as long as it fits the following methods that I will be telling you.
The three methods are…
- Method 1: Using Pumpkin Puree and Bread
-
Source: http://chasingdogtales.com
Making Pumpkin Puree is quite simple. If you already know how to make one, then we can start making one right away. But if you don’t know how, don’t worry, here’s a simple procedure on how to make pumpkin puree…
- Start by preheating your oven to 325 degrees in Fahrenheit or 165 degrees Celsius
- Get your pumpkin and cut it in half from stem to base. Seeds and pulp should be removed
- Cover each half with a foil
- Place it in your preheated oven with the foil’s side up. Set the timer to 1 hour or until you see it is tender enough
- Start scraping the pumpkin’s insides from the halves and puree into a blender. Be sure to strain to remove remaining stringy pieces
- Place it in a freezer inside a contain or a freezer safe bag
After all of it is done, you just have to…
- Grab a piece of bread and place the pumpkin puree and the bread in one container
- Mash them together until they are a hundred percent mushed
Now, for the last step, you feed this to your dog. This recipe helps their digestion. It can help move your dog’s bowels to get rid of the plastic they have swallowed.
- Method 2: Using Yogurt
Another method is to help move your dog’s bowels with yogurt. Yogurt is known to be quite helpful as it contains natural antacid. The amount of yogurt that you are going to give your dog will depend on your dog’s size. If you have a big dog, might as well give your dog 1 to 2 tubs of yogurt. If you have a small dog, just give just enough of yogurt to fill their whole stomach. This way, they can eliminate the waste and plastic in their body easily.
- Method 3: Using Cotton Balls and Cream or Yogurt
When the first two methods don’t work, then this is one of the emergency options you can try. However, this is a bit controversial and professionals recommend to only do this method when the other two methods fail to work.
The things you will do are…
- Get a cotton ball and your cream or yogurt
- Dip the cotton ball into the cream or yogurt
- Try to find ways to feed this to your dog
A number of times you will be doing this depends on the dog and how much plastic he has consumed. Just always be sure to be careful with the number of cotton balls you are giving them.
Well, those are the three methods. However, if none of them works, then I suggest you take your dog to the vet immediately so that they can do a much deeper check up and see what they can do.
How to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Plastic or Any Foreign Objects Ever Again
Our doggies, sometimes there’s nothing stopping them from doing so. And sometimes, we are not always there to stop them. It could be that no one else is there to stop them either. But there are ways that we can help prevent this from happening again when we are away or when we are not.
What you can do is…
- Monitoring Your Dog outdoors and indoors
- Putting your dog in their crate when you are gone
- Before leaving, be sure to pick up items on the floor that your dog has access to chewing on and eating
- During walks, use a short leash or a non-extended leash
- Your dog’s crates and beds must have safe materials
- Always deworm your dog regularly
- You have to be aware of the signs and symptoms of when they eat something they shouldn’t
- Ask the veterinarian for advice on what to do and what not to do
Conclusion
To say honestly, whenever my fur baby eats things like plastic, leather, the sofa, the chair, and the bed, I get furious. But I could never stop worrying about what would happen to my dog. If only it was possible to dog-proof the whole house, then I would do that completely. Furthermore, I am happy that I got to search for solutions and ask my vet about what to do. This made life easier for my dog.
I am also glad to share what I know to you and I hope that each step and each information you read in this article was helpful. Please share this article with anyone you know and give it a thumbs up! Thank you!