Man's best friend is an often-used description of dogs, but this level of love is regularly tested by some of their antics. At least once during the relationship with your canine buddy, you will experience an intense feeling of dread as your dog swallows an object that was not meant for them. It may be a sock, a plastic toy, or a child's treasured soft toy. The steps you take after you watch this event occur will make a difference in how sick your dog becomes. When your dog decides to swallow a foreign object that is not designed to be in their bodies, follow these three steps.

Do Not Induce Vomiting

The first instinct after the horror abates is to make your dog vomit in the hope they regurgitate the foreign object. The reason why this step is not advised is that the object could become stuck in the throat and cause difficulties breathing. If the dog attempts to throw up the object by themselves, allow this to happen, but do not feed your pet anything designed to force vomiting.

Ring Your Veterinarian

The first thing you must do is contact your veterinarian and describe when the incident occurred and what foreign object was eaten. If you are speaking to someone who is not aware of the size and breed of your dog, be ready to give these details because they have relevance to what happens next.

For example, if a very large dog eats a small sock and there are no obvious signs of distress, then the veterinarian may recommend waiting 48 hours to see if the object passes naturally through the digestive tract of your pet. The unfortunate side of this process is you need to check each time your dog poops to see if the sock is in there. If it does not appear within a specified amount of time, then it is time to visit the veterinary clinic.

Alternatively, if the object is causing your pet distress now, then you must immediately take your pet to the clinic.

Transport To The Veterinary Clinic

If your veterinarian does advise of an immediate need to visit the clinic, then do not delay this visit. X-rays are likely needed to see where the object is and how much damage it may cause. If possible, take another person with you in the vehicle to sit with your dog and keep them calm during the drive. Once at the clinic, the veterinarian will decide the best course of action and this may involve surgery to remove the object.

So, to recap, if your dog eats something they should not have, then keep calm, call your veterinarian and follow their instructions so that the least amount of damage is done to your pet's digestive system.

If you have further questions, reach out to a local veterinarian.