Dog Ate a Piece of Fabric Toy – What to Do Next

The ingestion of a fabric toy, even if it’s a small piece of it, has the potential to make a dog sick. How dangerous it is to dogs will depend on a number of factors such as the amount the dog swallowed and the dog’s size.

What happens if a dog eats a fabric toy?

The main concern is with blockage and choking. Dogs, for example, might start choking if a piece of fabric toy blocks or partially blocks their airway. They may start to gag and cough to get rid of the material that’s stuck in their throat.

The piece of fabric toy may then move along and end up causing a blockage in the dog’s digestive system. This could be in the stomach or along the intestines. It will depend on the type of material but certain pieces of fabric may expand as it absorbs the acids in the stomach. This is a dangerous situation and a dog affected by intestinal blockage may need surgery to extract the offending material.

Certain pieces of fabric toys may also make use of chemicals that are toxic to pets. This especially applies to low-quality fabric toys. The chemicals may get absorbed in the dog’s stomach and cause further aggravation. Dogs, as a result, may show clinical signs like vomiting and diarrhea.

Some dogs may end up being okay if they chewed the fabric toy into tiny-enough pieces. In such cases, the pieces of fabric toy may pass along the dog’s digestive system with little issue.

What to do if your dog ate a fabric toy

We would call the vet to be on the safe side. The risk of developing health problems might be low if your dog shredded the fabric toy into tiny pieces before swallowing. This, however, isn’t something you can guarantee if you weren’t there to witness it.

You should also keep careful watch of your dog, especially when they eat or poop. Any changes in such behaviors should be an immediate sign of concern. The pieces of fabric toy could be causing discomfort in the dog’s stomach if they are losing appetite or having a hard time pooping.