My Dog Ate Something: What to Do

What to Do Right Away

1. Take away anything that's left so your dog can't eat more.
2. Call your vet or an emergency clinic. Tell them what your dog ate, roughly how much and when.^16,2
3. Don't make your dog vomit unless a vet tells you to. Salt, fingers down the throat, oils and human vomiting syrups are all unsafe.^4,7
4. Don't pull on string or objects coming from the mouth or rear end, as this can injure the intestines.^2,1
5. Don't give food, laxatives or home remedies to "push it through" unless your vet advises it, and don't wait to see if it passes.¹

Should You Make Your Dog Throw Up?

Only a vet or poison control expert should decide. Making a dog vomit carries risks, including inhaling vomit into the lungs (aspiration pneumonia), and it's not safe for sharp objects, batteries or caustic products, or for dogs that are already vomiting, very drowsy or having trouble breathing.^16,5,7 Flat-faced breeds such as bulldogs are at higher risk of aspiration.⁷ The ASPCA says one household product can be used in dogs, but only under a vet's direction, while other vets advise never doing it at home because it can burn the throat and stomach.^4,7 Vets have medicines that, given by injection, made 22 of 25 dogs vomit within 10 minutes in one trial.^17,16

Timing matters. Food and objects begin moving from the stomach into the intestine within about 2 hours, after which vomiting is less likely to bring them up.^7,5

Will It Pass on Its Own?

Many swallowed objects do pass, and vets sometimes monitor a dog with repeat x-rays.^10,18 Whether an object passes depends on its size, shape and material and on your dog's size.^1,18 Large items tend to stay in the stomach, while smaller ones, such as rocks, can move on and get stuck in the narrower small intestine.¹⁰ If an object hasn't moved within about 36 to 48 hours, or your dog gets sick, surgery is usually needed.¹⁸ Never wait at home without a vet's advice.

Common Objects and Their Risks

• Socks, underwear and fabric: among the most common objects removed from dogs, and a frequent cause of blockage.^3,10,9
• Corn cobs: dogs love the salty, buttery taste, and pieces are a common cause of blockage.^12,3,14
• String, thread, ribbon, tinsel and hair ties: string-like objects bunch the intestine and can cut through it. They need surgery.^18,8,19
• Tampons: they expand inside the gut and can block it, especially in small dogs. Plastic applicators can pierce the intestine.²⁰
• Plastic, toys and balls: large round items can cause a complete blockage, and broken plastic can have sharp edges.^18,15
• Peach pits and other fruit pits: easy to swallow but can lodge in the intestine, especially in small dogs.^12,15
• Rocks: often pass from the stomach and then get stuck in the small intestine.^10,13
• Bones, rawhide and chews: can lodge in the esophagus, stomach or intestine, and splinters can pierce the gut.^13,9,21
• Batteries: an emergency. They can burn and perforate the gut, and contain toxic metals.⁶
• Magnets: two or more swallowed magnets can attract each other through the intestinal walls and cause holes.^11,10
• Wooden skewers: can pierce the intestine and may not show on x-rays, so tell your vet if your dog may have eaten one.¹²

Signs to Watch For

If your vet advises watching at home, check for vomiting, loss of appetite, belly pain, restlessness, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea or straining to poop, and check the stool for the object.^2,3 Call your vet immediately if any of these appear. A dog that's still pooping can still have a partial blockage.¹⁸ See bowel obstruction in dogs.

How Vets Remove Swallowed Objects

• Inducing vomiting with a medicine, if the object was swallowed recently and is safe to bring up.^8,17
• Endoscopy, to grab objects in the esophagus or stomach without surgery.^9,22,13
• Surgery to open the stomach or intestine, or to remove damaged bowel.^3,8 In one study, all dogs survived when the object was removed from the stomach and 94% survived when the intestine was opened, but only 1 of 3 dogs survived when damaged bowel had to be removed.¹⁵

Cost

US surgery to remove a swallowed object typically costs $1,600 to over $12,000, according to Embrace Pet Insurance, while cases treated without surgery typically cost $300 to $1,200.²³ Trupanion's average foreign body claim was $1,355 in mid-2025.²⁴ Acting quickly can mean a simpler fix, such as vomiting or endoscopy, instead of surgery.^8,9

Prevention

• Pick up socks, underwear, hair ties and kids' toys, and keep laundry baskets and bathroom bins covered.^1,14
• Use a locked or lidded kitchen trash can, and throw away corn cobs, fruit pits and skewers where your dog can't reach them.^1,12
• Supervise chews and toys, and throw them away once they're small enough to swallow.^1,21
• Crate or gate dogs that chew when you're out, train "leave it" and consider basket muzzle training for dogs that scavenge.^1,3

Frequently Asked Questions

My dog ate a sock but is still pooping. Should I worry?

Yes, call your vet. A sock can cause a partial blockage that still lets some stool through.

How long does it take a dog to pass a sock or other object?

Objects that pass usually do so within about 10 to 48 hours, but socks often don't pass at all.

Can I give my dog something to help it pass the object?

Only with your vet's advice. Home remedies can make some blockages worse.

My dog ate a corn cob. What should I do?

Call your vet right away. Corn cob pieces are a common cause of blockages.

Will my dog be OK?

Most dogs do well when the object is removed promptly, before the bowel is damaged.