What Symptoms Will My Dog Show If They Have Eaten Wood?
You may not have actually witnessed your dog swallowing wood, but suspect that he has.
His symptoms will vary depending on where the foreign object is located within his gastrointestinal system.
If the wood was swallowed within two hours, chances are it’s still in the dog’s stomach.
After that, it will pass into the intestines.
Needless to say, the sooner the wood is removed, the less chance there is of intestinal blockage.
In some cases, knowing the symptoms can mean the difference between life and death for your dog.
If your dog is whining and pawing at his belly or if his stomach appears bloated, these are early signs that he’s eaten a foreign object.
Getting him to the vet before it passes into his intestinal tract can reduce the chance that he’ll need surgery.
A piece of wood can cause sudden, constant vomiting as the stomach attempts to eject it.
If it’s a large piece of wood, it’s almost sure to cause intestinal blockage. This is an emergency situation.
Other symptoms of blockage include constipation, difficulty defecating, refusal to eat and dehydration.
Advanced signs are fever, seizures, collapsing and shock.
My Dog Ate Wood: What Should I Do?
If you’ve seen or suspect that your dog has eaten a sharp object like wood, don’t try to induce vomiting.
Although this can work for some foreign objects, items that are jagged or pointed can cause more damage coming back up if the dog vomits.
Even a small sliver of wood can puncture their digestive tracts.
If your dog presents with any of the symptoms below, it’s best to take your dog to see the vet.
They can perform a physical examination and take X-rays to see the exact location and size of the obstruction to determine if the dog requires surgery.
Why Would My Dog Want to Eat Wood?
It may seem strange to you, but there are a number of reasons why your dog eats wood.
It’s not unusual to see dogs chewing on sticks.
They’re easy to find everywhere, and dogs are instinctively attracted to them because they make natural chew toys.
Puppies especially love gnawing on just about anything.
They’re curious, and use their mouths to explore the big wide world around them.
Chewing can also give them pain relief when they’re teething.
Most puppies grow out of this stage, but certain breeds such as Labradors, Golden Retrievers, Beagles and Pitbulls are notorious for chewing.
Although occasionally ingesting a piece of bark or part of a stick may not hurt your dog, if they’re obsessively chewing on wood, it could be a sign of other underlying problems.
It’s not known why dogs suffer from separation anxiety, but it’s not uncommon for them to become extremely stressed if they’re left alone.
Some dogs become anxious when they’re out in the yard all day.
Others can agonize if they’re in a different room when there are people in the house.
Dogs don’t understand that you’re coming back, and this distress often results in destructive and disruptive behavior.
Barking, whining, drooling, digging and howling are all symptoms of separation anxiety.
Chewing, which can lead to ingestion, is another sign.
Their anxiety can cause them to chew on wood furniture in the home or bark on trees if they’re left outside.
If your dog is sitting alone waiting for you to come home, he can easily get bored.
Many dogs were bred with an instinctive work ethic. If they have nothing to do all day, it can lead to negative behavior like chewing.
A dog needs to be both physically and mentally active.
Chewing is just a way for him to entertain himself. Puzzle toys are one way to keep your dog intrigued and engaged.
Pica, a condition of eating non-food materials, is considered an obsessive compulsive disorder.
In addition to separation anxiety and boredom, other causes of pica are hunger and loneliness.
There could also be underlying medical reasons for this disorder, including anemia, parasites, diabetes, digestive problems, iron deficiency, hyperthyroidism and tumors.
Vomiting, diarrhea and chronic bad breath are symptoms of pica.
Labrador Retrievers in particular are prone to suffer from this disorder.
Having something to chew when their teeth are coming in can relieve a puppy’s sore, sensitive gums.
Instead of chewing on sticks, this is a good time to introduce appropriate chew toys to your puppy.
Older dogs who have dental problems or gum disease may also chew sticks to alleviate discomfort in their mouths.
My Dog Ate Wood And Is Throwing Up? | DogVela
Once I a friend of mine said, “It was not until I got my dog that I realized how much of the world is edible”. And this is true. Given the opportunity, dogs would put anything in their mouths.
One particular thing dogs are rather keen on eating is wood. But is this inclination safe? What happens if a dog eats wood? Eating wood raises several health concerns – from mouth scratches and infections to intestinal blockages and tears. Plus, if the eaten wood was part of your antique or high-end piece of furniture, the destructive wood-eating component is definitely worth mentioning.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about dogs’ habits of eating wood. It will review the reasons behind your dog’s wood-eating fondness and its potential consequences. It will also offer some valuable tips on how to prevent your dog from chewing and eating wood.