Dog Ate a Tampon – What to Do Next

We strongly recommend calling the vet as soon as you find out your dog has eaten a tampon. It can cause serious health problems and may even be fatal if the tampon gets blocked somewhere along the dog’s digestive tract.

Dangers of dog eating a tampon

There are a number of concerning consequences that can arise after a dog eats a tampon. One of the immediate concerns is with choking. Due to the size and shape of the tampon, it’s possible for dogs to choke not long after they swallow a tampon. The dog might suddenly try to gasp for air or cough excessively in order to try and clear their airway.

Tampons may also cause blockage as they move deeper into the dog’s gastrointestinal tract. This prevents your dog’s digestive system from functioning normally. Improper passing of liquids and solids could lead to serious health implications like canine bloat.

While the tampon is stuck inside the dog’s digestive tract, it’s possible for internal cuts and tears to also develop. It’s dangerous for the dog’s digestive system to become compromised given the role it has for the body. The risk of this is larger for dogs that also consume the applicator.

Unused tampons aren’t any less of a threat than used tampons. Unused tampons, for example, could expand in the dog’s stomach as it absorbs more and more of the dog’s saliva and internal fluids.

What to do if your dog ate a tampon

There’s nothing safe you can do as far as home remedies to help your dog. Call the vet as soon as you can. Your dog might get super lucky and the tampon might pass along without causing any issues. This, however, isn’t something you want to bet on with your pet’s life at stake.

Keep a close eye on the dog until you are able to have him seen by a vet. Observe for any changes or development in symptoms. Some of the common symptoms that may appear after a dog eats a tampon include vomiting, lack of appetite, and difficulties in defecating (bloody stools).

It’s been at least three days since dog ate a tampon

In the best case scenario, the dog should have either threw up the pieces of tampon or the tampon pieces should have appeared in the dog’s stool once a few days have passed. What happens though if your dog is acting perfectly normal but you haven’t sighted any pieces of tampon from his stool yet?

This might indicate the pieces of tampon is moving very slowly in the dog’s digestive tract and is only causing partial blockage. We would advise calling the vet for another check-up, even if your dog’s eating and pooping behavior is normal.