Dogs are highly curious animals. Although their curiosity doesn’t measure up to that of cats, dogs are just curious enough to check out anything in the house that looks incredibly attractive. And that includes paper towels.
In the process of checking out paper towels, your pooch might end up eating them. As a caring pet parent, it’s natural to be worried if you realize that your dog accidentally ate paper towel. But what happens if a dog eats a paper towel?
Putting your dog under a general anesthetic to remove the paper with an endoscope
As previously mentioned, vets can pass a long, flexible tube called an endoscope into your dog’s stomach to remove objects. This is not always possible – some vets don’t have access to this equipment, some dogs are too big or too small to use it, and some paper is too fragile to be pulled out like this. This technique can also only be used where the object has been in the stomach for less than a couple of hours, as once it is in the guts the scope can’t reach it.
Admitting your dog to hospitalize and monitor them
Your veterinarian might recommend that your dog is hospitalized so they can keep a close eye on their symptoms and be ready to react if the paper towel begins to cause a problem.
Find out when was it eaten
Hopefully, if your dog ate paper towel, you caught them in the act, so you know exactly when they ate the paper towel. However, some dogs prefer a little privacy for their snacking, and you may only notice an upturned bin or a mess by the kitchen counter when you return to the scene of the crime hours later.
Whenever you discover that your dog has eaten something they shouldn’t, always ring your vet straight away. If they have eaten something that could cause harm, there are a couple of time-sensitive treatment options that your vet may perform. For instance, for some types of towel, removing before it gets into the guts is best – either by causing vomiting or using a long, flexible camera called an endoscope. The contents of the stomach move into the guts within around two hours, meaning if you wait, rather than call your vet, you might miss out on these easy and safe treatment options.
FAQ
Can paper cause blockage in dogs?
What happens if a dog eats a paper napkin?
It is possible for paper to get stuck in your dog’s digestive tract, which causes a blockage. The more paper they eat, the higher the risk of this occurring. Smaller dogs are also at a higher risk, because they have smaller digestive tracts. However, it’s really proportional.
What happens if dog eats towel?