What Happens If Your Dog Eats Plastic?

If you suspect your dog has eaten plastic then it is really important to book an appointment with the vets at the earliest possible time. If you had seen a child swallow some plastic, you would certainly be rushing them to the hospital and so it should be no different for a dog.

Plastic can be very sharp and so it can do a lot of damage to the insides if the edges of the plastic cut into the lining. This can make a dog very ill indeed. The vet should be able to run tests to try and find exactly where the plastic is resting. If it seems like it has not done any harm and it isn't too large or sharp then they may well just let the dog naturally pass it through in its poo.

Plastic has a lot of chemical agents in it so it will not sit well in a dog's stomach. This could result in the dog vomiting or becoming very ill.

It is important to always keep an eye on what a dog may be eating or chewing on. This is even more crucial when they are puppies as they are a little more adventurous and naive and so will want to taste and smell everything that they come into contact with. 

As mentioned earlier it is important to get the dog checked out immediately. It will put your mind at rest at the very least and could well end up saving your dog's life if the plastic had been lodged somewhere dangerous.

Don't panic, use some common sense. If it is a small piece of plastic and not sharp, there is nothing to worry about. The dog cannot digest the plastic but will just pass it along with whatever else it has been digesting. If it is too late to induce vomiting, give it plenty of water and some other food to eat as well, and keep an eye on it for a few hours.  If the plastic object has splintered or is bigger than the size of your dog's usual poops, or if your dog starts looking and acting unwell (whimpering, panting, retching) then phone the vet and ask for advice. In this case you may have to take the dog to the vet. But do not be alarmed for no reason, in most instances your dog will be fine.

My sister couldn't stop our dog Daisy, a black lab, from eating a plastic bag on one of their walks a few days ago.  Up until last night, Daisy seemed fine and was eating and pooping normally.  She finally became quite sick and had diarrhea all night and finally vomited the cursed plastic bag this morning.  We were worried she would have to go to the vet but now that it's been expelled we hope she'll be just fine...

Most objects will pass through the intestinal tract with no problems at all. Objects which are more likely to cause obstruction are smooth sided and spherical like golf balls and rubber balls. Signs that a foreign body has become lodged and is causing a blockage include vomiting, constipation, abdominal pain, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, pain whist passing faeces and blood in the faeces. If you suspect your dog has an obstruction you should contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Dogs cannot digest plastic. If the piece is small enough it will pass through and come out the other end.
If the piece is too large it will get stuck somewhere and this needs removing surgically.
Now that you know she can destroy this type of toy - you need to get her tougher ones that she cannot bite bits from.

My Chihuahua got to her food bag because my brother didn't close the gate we think she ate tiny pieces of plastic along with an incredible amount of food she threw up once already and looked like plastic was in it she is still shaking but she does seem better

Keep your dog away from those toys if it is doing this. It will definitely affect its digestive system adversely. But if your dog has taken its material in then its better to make it vomit at once so that less chances remain there for internal disorders in the stomach and intestine. Visit a vet immediately if some complication occurs. Change its food as well so that its concentration can be diverted.

Call your vet immediately and ask what to do its not healthy for anyone to swallow something plastic also it they have it in there mouth but haven't swallowed it yet tell them to drop it out of there mouth but if you dog/ puppy isn't trained than try to take it out of their mouth because you don't want anything bad to happen to it.

Ok, this may not be an answer you like.  But one of two things will happen: 1) it will come back out in the poop of the dog.  2) it will get stuck inside causing pain, diarrhea requiring surgery or putting the dog to sleep.  I've had a bad few days with my dog that had eaten something that got stuck.  Not a pleasant time.  Very messy and smelly.

Get him to the vet right now. It is very life threatening to have this plastic in the dog's systems, it is a choking hazard, as well as it getting stuck in the intestines, and killing the pup that way. There isn't any time to spare with this, you need to go now. Hope this helps, good luck to you and the pup.

Yea take him to the vet strait away and make sure they do an xray as I lost my dog the same way I told the vet and she said she will be fine in 24 hours then she stoped eating and drinking   took her back to the vet and he said it was blocked and she needed a opp
but would not help me unless I had £850 pound witch I did not have I offered £400 pound
but they said it was not enough so I had my friend to take her to the PD SA but there was no time left and she burst the stomach so they had to put her to sleep very sadly missed so please
don't let the same happen to yours .

Hard plastic develops sharp, jagged edges when
it has been chewed on.   Sharp enough to possibly
slice or puncture you dog's inner organs.   Be safe than
sorry and take her to the vet.  A.S.A.P.