Dog Ate a Band Aid – What to Do Next

While the risk isn’t high, ingestion of band aids does have the potential to make dogs sick. How likely it is for a dog to fall sick will depend on a number of factors like the number of band aids the dog ate and the dog’s size.

Will a band aid hurt a dog?

Yes, it’s possible. The main health risk is with intestinal blockage, especially with small dogs and puppies. The dog may start to develop a number of concerning symptoms if the band aid is big enough to cause blockage somewhere along the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Common symptoms of intestinal blockage include drooling, lethargy, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a loss of appetite.

What to do if your dog ate a band aid

Call the vet to be on the safe side, even if this is involving a large dog. A single band aid may pass through a dog’s digestive tract after a day or two but this isn’t something you should confidently assume. Some vets may advise you to induce vomiting but this would only be effective if it has been less than a few hours since the dog ate the band aid.

Keep a close eye on your dog for the next few days. The effects of eating a band aid isn’t always immediate. The dog may act normal for the first few hours. The symptoms may become more noticeable the next time the dog tries to eat or poop.