Can a dog get sick from eating a diaper? Here’s What to Expect

My Dog Ate a Diaper!

If your dog swallows a diaper or part of a diaper, it is absolutely a veterinary emergency. Don’t hesitate to get your four-legged friend into the car and take him to the closest clinic. Both cloth diapers and disposable diapers have the potential to get stuck somewhere along the digestive tract and cause health problems. Your dog might appear to be fine immediately after the fact, but it could take hours or days for the symptoms of the blockage to manifest. It’s best to act as soon as you can. Disposable diapers, themselves, are particularly dangerous if swallowed because of how they are designed.

Why Are Diapers Dangerous to Dogs?

Disposable diapers are made up of a fluid-absorbent material held between a waterproof layer on the outside and a soft inner layer. Each of these layers are indigestible and can cause complications when eaten, but the super-absorbent filling itself carries a few more risks. When ingested, this material can draw important fluids away from the body and cause severe dehydration. Aside from that, it can expand to many times its original size, forming a gel, which can cause a tight blockage in the intestine.

Some intestinal blockages can only be treated with surgery, so it’s best to get your dog to a vet as soon as you notice that any part of a disposable diaper was swallowed.

What To Expect At The Vet

When you bring your pup to the vet for eating a diaper, there are a few things you can typically expect in terms of the physical exam process and potential diagnostics.

This will often vary based on how long ago your dog consumed the diaper, and whether or not they have developed symptoms.

To help you have an idea of what to expect, let’s break it down.

The best way to determine the most effective treatment plan for your pup is through thorough questioning.

Treatment can vary greatly based on the answers to the following questions, so you can expect your vet to pick your brain on the following topics.

How long ago did your dog eat the diaper?

Was the diaper used or soiled?

What type of diaper was it? Baby diaper, adult diaper, cloth diaper, etc.

How big was the diaper?

How much of the diaper was eaten? Did they tear apart the diaper or eat it whole?

Has your dog developed any symptoms of obstruction? Vomiting, anorexia, etc.

Once your vet asks these questions, they can better determine the best plan of action going forward.

Dog Ate Diaper

Your dogs will eat many things that you won’t like, but few things will be weirder than your dog eating a diaper.

If your dog ate a diaper, they’re at risk of developing GI obstruction, infections, and other diseases, so you should bring your dog to the veterinarian.