Dogs, for some reason, enjoy paper products, including paper towels. This is a common problem in dogs. They may find the paper towel in the garbage. And there are dogs that able to access the kitchen counter and pull a paper towel roll onto the floor. The pup may then enjoy chewing up and playing with the paper towels. However, a dog’s love affair with paper towels could lead to serious medical complications.
Will Eating Paper Towels Hurt A Dog?
The simple answer to the question is yes, eating paper towels can be harmful to dogs.
Though factors ranging from the size of your dog to the amount eaten will dictate the complications they experience, the overall risk makes it an activity your pup should refrain from.
Eating paper towels could cause complications requiring anything from hospitalization to emergency surgery, proving just how dangerous eating paper towels can be.
The Dangers Of Dogs Eating Paper Towels
As we mentioned above, a dog that eats paper towels is at risk of serious complications. While we don’t often think of paper towels as dangerous material in itself, it’s what happens to paper towels in the digestive tract that makes them so dangerous.
For example, have you ever attempted to clean up a large spill, only to have your paper towels swell with liquid?
Contact with a large amount of moisture can almost cause paper towels to turn into a thick sludge, and this can happen within the GI tract.
Get a big wad of toilet paper wet and see how it turns into a sticky sludge. Most toilet paper is made to dissolve but too much toilet paper can cause problems within the GI tract.
If a large amount of paper towels are consumed, this can cause a thick blockage that makes it impossible for other digestive materials to pass.
This can range from causing a life threatening obstruction that must be surgically removed, to a mass of paper towels that makes it tough for a dog to regularly pass stool.
Not only can consuming paper towels lead to an intestinal obstruction in dogs, but it can also cause serious irritation as it passes through the GI tract.
This material can rub and cling to the intestines as the body attempts to digest it, causing abdominal discomfort in some cases. This be painful for a pup and can lead to GI upset such as vomiting and diarrhea.
Does It Matter How Many Paper Towels They Ate?
Like many other cases of dietary indiscretion in dogs, the amount of paper towels your pup consumed can dictate the complications they experience.
A dog that shredded one ply of paper towel may pass the material with ease, while a dog that shredded an entire roll can experience life-threatening symptoms.
The amount of paper towels they ate does impact how serious of a situation this is, but it’s important to take this occurrence seriously no matter what.
We can never know how much paper material is too much for a dog to pass on their own, so it’s always best to just reach out to your vet if it ever happens.
FAQ
How long does it take a dog to pass a paper towel?
Why do dogs eat toilet paper rolls?
Will my dog be OK if he ate paper?