Our question this week was:

My dog ate foil and now hasn't pooped in 2 days. What should I do?

Kylynn Dunlap


Answer

Thanks for your email. I'm guessing by foil you mean aluminum foil. Several questions come to mind that I'd need to know to give you good advice. I'll try to tell you what the questions are and give you indications of problems to help guide you.

If you were calling me, I'd want to know – how big is your dog, when did he eat it, how much did he eat and how is he acting now. If he ate a small piece, you may not even see it in his bowel movements. A lot will depend on the size of your dog. A small piece may be different for a 7 pound toy poodle vs. a 115 pound Rottweiler.

Also, it is important to understand how he is acting now. Is he eating? Is he vomiting? Is he lethargic? Is he acting painful? All of these signs would be cause for concern and warrant immediate attention by your veterinarian.

If you have any doubts – see your veterinarian or take your dog to your local emergency clinic. They may want to do a radiograph to help determine if the foil is still in the abdomen and if it is a problem.

The biggest concern is that the foil is causing an obstruction. An article that might be useful to you is: Gastrointestinal Foreign Bodies in Dogs.

Best of luck!


Dr. Jon



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