Dogs & Paper Towels – What You Need to Know 

Some dogs love to put anything and everything in their mouths. This may cause frustration because you are constantly cleaning up messes. However, the main concern is that it can be detrimental to your pet’s health. Paper towels can be dangerous for your four-legged friend. As a pet owner, you need to be proactive in ensuring that paper towels (and other items) are not left out in the open and are easy for your dog to access.

You may be wondering why your dog loves paper towels particularly. Several things can cause this. For example, dirty paper towels smell like treats. Otherwise, some dogs tend to eat things that aren’t edible. This condition is known as pica. It makes your dog crave items like paper, dirt, and other non-food items.

Your dog should be able to pass small amounts of paper towels on its own. Unfortunately, if they overeat, their bodies will not be able to pass the foreign objects. What happens is that the paper towels will travel down into their intestinal tract and get stuck. When they go to eat their food, it’ll be backed up behind the paper towel wall. Your dog will end up suffering from an upset stomach.

What should you watch for? If you suspect that your dog ingested paper towel(s), keep an eye out for behaviors that warrant a sick dog. Depending on how many paper towels were eaten, your dog may be lethargic. Look for signs of whimpering, moaning, and drooling as well. If your dog goes through a few days without bowel movements, you will need to go to the veterinarian. A blockage may be present.