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My dog ate rancid trash. How to prevent illness and bad breath?

Updated on September 23, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Schnauzer | Male | unneutered | 11 months and 16 days old | 6 lbs

Harlem got into some rancid trash in the back yard. He seems fine, but is there anything i can fo to avoid him get trash toxicity? Not sure what he ate but his facs smells awful.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 5, 2020

Hello. Depending on when he got into the trash will determine if anything needs to be addressed. If it was recent, then I would feed Harlem a tablespoon of canned pumpkin ( not pie filling ) twice a day with his meals. This will help to push things through a little quicker & may coat & protect the gut a bit. You might also start a probiotic as well. If you can not get a pet specific one, you can use the human product called Culturelle. I would administer half of what is recommended for an adult. Generally, we just wait to see if anything happens, so if he develops any diarrhea, you can pick up some Proviable KP at most large pet retailers. Vomiting just usually requires resting the gut ( no food ) for 12-24 hours. Hopefully, Harlem will be just fine. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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