Emergency Guide: What to Do If Your Dog Swallows a Fore

Insurance for Pets

While pet insurance is becoming increasingly common abroad, it's important to remember the old saying, 'When people have accidents, insurance companies always find ways to avoid paying.' This theory might make pet insurance claims even more challenging. And this isn't just an empty warning; there have been several related cases in online dog fan groups that serve as evidence.

Therefore, here's some advice: don't rely on pet insurance. Instead, ensuring your dog is well cared for in everyday life is the best form of insurance you can provide.

Foreign Objects

Almost everything we take for granted in our daily lives can be considered a foreign object to a dog. This includes items like earrings, socks, shoes, pens, phones, remote controls, underwear, hair bands, jewelry, coins, erasers, wires, and stones, among others.

So, be sure to keep these items safely stored away, especially if you have a dog that has a tendency to chew and bite on things.

The Golden Two Hours

If a dog swallows a foreign object within two hours, it's likely still in the stomach. The longer the time since ingestion, the more likely the object has moved into the intestines.

If the swallowed object is not sharp and the ingestion time is less than two hours, you can offer your pet some food. This can help protect its stomach while also encouraging it to naturally vomit up the foreign object.

However, if the object is sharp, like the electric fan mentioned at the beginning of the article, it's crucial to rush to the vet as quickly as possible.

The twohour mark is the maximum tolerance time for a dog's stomach. During this period, the stomach will do everything it can to push the object into the intestines, marking the beginning of danger.

Theoretically, any nonsharp object that can pass through the dog's intestines smoothly will eventually be excreted with feces.

Not all nonsharp small objects are safe, though. For example, batteries and coins. Some might say, 'I know batteries are dangerous, but what about coins?'

Metal objects can react with a dog's stomach acid, leading to reactions such as zinc or lead poisoning. Even more terrifying is the possibility of a battery leaking fluid in the intestines, with potentially dire consequences.

Consider this case: A Pomeranian accidentally ingested a button battery, and the owner initially didn't realize it. The dog refused to eat properly and began vomiting. It wasn't until the owner took the dog to the vet for an Xray that they discovered a hole in the stomach the size of the button battery, caused by a chemical reaction with stomach acid.

That hole was the result of the button battery and stomach acid reacting with each other.

Other Important Information

As mentioned earlier, there's a theory that the ingested object can pass through the dog's intestines without harming its stomach and eventually be excreted. However, this process can last for several days or even weeks.

The worstcase scenario is when the dog stops eating and drinking, starts vomiting bile and stomach acid, and other symptoms. In such cases, it's crucial to take the dog to the vet immediately.

If your dog swallows an object with a rope attached and you can see the rope in its mouth, never pull on it. Doing so could cause the rope to pull the foreign object further into the stomach, causing additional harm to the dog.

Our final piece of advice: Any ingestion of a foreign object can lead to various issues. If you're in a panic, rush to the vet for an Xray, and ensure that all potential chewable or swallowable items are kept out of reach.

And remember, don't attempt any athome methods for inducing vomiting, as 99% of dog owners lack the veterinarylevel expertise needed to safely perform such procedures.