Help! My Dog Ate a Plastic Bag
Not every situation of a dog eating a plastic bag can be classified as an immediate emergency, but it’s best that you do not take any chances! There are several things that can happen if your dog eats a plastic bag. The best scenario is that the bag is small enough to pass through the dog’s digestive tract and eventually come out on the other end. The worst-case scenario involves the bag being too big, causing a full blockage of the dog’s digestive system.
Keep in mind that the medical treatment required for a plastic bag blockage may differ based on a few factors. The location of the blockage is an important thing to consider. The vet may conduct a number of examinations on your dog to identify the location of the obstruction. Intestinal blockage surgery may be one potential treatment which is required to fix the issue. This surgery is major, and the dog will need to go under anesthesia and be hospitalized for a few days post-surgery. You can imagine how expensive this procedure is as well.
What if the dog ate the plastic bag while you weren’t looking? There are some symptoms to look out for that may indicate a blockage in the dog’s stomach.
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Inability to potty
- Lethargic movement
- Diarrhea
- Signs of abdominal pain
It is important to know that dogs can’t digest plastic but if the plastic bag is small enough then it may pass on and appear when the dog defecates. According to the American Kennel Club, it should take under ten hours in normal circumstances for food to transit from the mouth to the large intestines. However, plastic bags will take longer since they are ingestible.
You need to take this matter seriously as it can cause major complications, and even death. The best thing to avoid this situation is to be proactive in making sure that plastic bags are out of reach of your four-legged friends.
