My dog ate a contact lens case. When should I take her to the vet?

Oh dear! It's common for puppies this age to eat things like this that they shouldn't, unfortunately. You're right that it's possible for pieces of the mask to get stuck in his intestines and cause an obstruction, but they may also pass through his system without any problems at all. As long as he is acting normal (eating and drinking fine, active and playful, no vomiting, and pooping regularly), there shouldn't be any reason for concern. If he stops eating, or begins to vomit or act lethargic, then I would recommend taking him to the vet for x-rays to see if he may have an obstruction - if so, surgery can be performed to remove the blockage at that time. But as long as he is not showing any symptoms, there is no need for any kind of treatment :)

If Mary ate these items within the past 2 hours, then you should take her to a pet ER right away, where she can receive an injection to make her vomit. that way the plastic does not enter the intestines and cause an obstruction. Please take her to a pet ER now.

If she chewed it to bits, it should pass without any problems. If she swallowed it whole, there is a slim chance it could cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction. Monitor for lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, abdominal pain or straining to defecate. See your veterinarian if necessary. You can mix in some cooked brown rice or add a couple tablespoons of plain, canned pumpkin (NOT pie filling) to the meals to help cushion it and push it through.

I'm sorry to hear Jax ate something he shouldn't! This is unfortunately a common behavior in puppies so hopefully he grows out of it. With an object as small as that little plastic eye, it should likely pass through with minimal issue for Jax. If he ate it very recently (within the last hour or two) you could go to your vet where they can use special medication to make him vomit, and hopefully bring the piece of plastic back up. If it's been longer than that then I recommend monitoring Jax carefully, ensure that he continues eating and drinking normally, and check his stool each time he poops to see if the piece of plastic has passed. If you notice that Jax becomes lethargic, goes off his food, or starts vomiting then you need to schedule a visit with your regular veterinarian for a thorough physical exam and possibly some X-rays to check for an obstruction. Since Jax has now shown us that he likes to chew on things it would be recommended to only offer toys that are safe for him to chew, with no extra pieces that might come off. And if he starts to shred a toy then it is time to replace it as even pieces of fabric can cause obstruction issues.

As long as he is eating and drinking normally, I would not be concerned. If he begins to vomit or loses his appetite, then I would recommend having a veterinarian take a look at him and perform some diagnostic testing such as x-rays to help rule out a foreign body obstruction from the plastic. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

Hello, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Uh-oh, naughty Chloe! I definitely recommend taking Chloe directly in to the nearest vet - time is of the essence. There are lots of variables that will factor into how concerned I would be about this, including the size of the lid pieces, and thickness/firmness of the plastic. I recommend you bring Chloe directly in to the vet while the swallowed material is still in her stomach, and bring the honey jar and the remains of the lid so the vet can see what sort of material they're dealing with and how much Chloe ate. Your vet can then decide with you what the best course of action is. The may want to start with x-rays if they think the plastic material is thick enough to show up, to make sure it's still in the stomach. If I am very concerned that a swallowed foreign material may cause a problem, I will sometimes either induce vomiting (if it can be done safely) or consider immediate surgical removal of the foreign material (if inducing vomiting may not be safe due to sharp edges of the foreign material). In other cases, it may be an option to simply wait with the hopes that Chloe will pass the material out in her stool without any issue, and monitor her closely for any symptoms that might indicate the plastic material isn't passing. However, even if you end up going this route, I'd still absolutely recommend doing so with a vet's guidance, and they may want to put Chloe on GI protectants to minimize the risk of irritation as it passes. Hope this helps - good luck!

It's difficult to know for sure without knowing the size or type of object ingested, but it's definitely a concern for causing an obstruction in the stomach or intestines. If she ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take her to the vet. This may require anesthesia and special instrumentation though, so it would be expected to be somewhat costly - especially at an emergency clinic. This is the best option though. The other option is waiting to see if it passes OK. Normal GI transit time is 3-5 days. During this time you would just be waiting to see if she has any signs of an obstruction. Signs of an obstructions are vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Olive would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery. I hope that helps and all is well with Olive.