My dog ate part of a big rubber ball – what should I do?

Our question this week was:

My 7-year-old boxer eat part of his big rubber ball about 3 weeks ago the past 4 days he has not been felling well today he vomited 2 big pieces of that rubber ball. What should I do?

Beth Pettey

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. You wrote that your 7-year-old boxer ate part of a rubber ball three weeks ago – vomited up a few prices today and has not been feeling well for four days. I’d recommend that you take your dog to your veterinarian for evaluation. My worry is that your dog has more of the ball in his stomach or intestine and it is “stuck” causing a gastrointestinal foreign body.

It is common that dogs eat things that cannot be digested – vomit some of it up (but not all) and end up requiring surgery to remove the remaining pieces. It is also possible that your dog vomited everything up and is lethargic from vomiting and being dehydrated.

The best thing to do is to take your dog to your vet and have him evaluated. They may want to do radiographs. If untreated – this could be fatal. An article that may be helpful is – gastrointestinal foreign bodies in dogs.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra