- Work out what they have eaten, including finding any packaging relating to what they have eaten – if you cannot work this out but are concerned then contact your local veterinarian
- Do NOT try and make your pet sick yourself, as what they have eaten may be dangerous if they bring it back up
- Call your local veterinarian or veterinary poisons service with the following information
- What your pet has eaten
- When your pet ate it (or approximately when)
- How much your pet has eaten
- What kind of animal and breed your pet is (a rough weight can also be helpful)
- Depending on the advice of your veterinarian you may need to take your pet in urgently for them to be made sick, or for further treatment if required
When your pet eats something they shouldn’t have it can be quite a stressful experience, depending on what they have eaten it could be dangerous to their health. This is not always the case however, so before you rush your pet into your local veterinarian it is good to work out some initial information so they can be treated most effectively. If it is not immediately obvious what your pet has eaten then it is still worth contacting your local veterinarian, and if there are any clues as to what they may have eaten (e.g. empty wrappers, where they have found something to eat) then make note of these.
What will my veterinarian do if my pet has eaten something toxic?
If your pet has eaten something truly toxic then there are a number of steps the veterinarian will follow depending on the severity, and these may include stabilisation, decontamination, further supportive treatment and follow up medication if needed.
Stabilisation
Some types of toxin will lead to clinical signs that do not allow the decontamination step to be performed immediately, for example if an animal has eaten a toxin that causes neurological signs like seizures or unconsciousness then making them sick is totally inappropriate. In these cases the animal needs to be stabilised with other medications before the decontamination step can take place. In addition to treating the signs caused by the toxins, diagnostic tests like blood and urine samples can be obtained. At this stage starting supportive treatment including intravenous fluids and correcting high or low temperatures can begin.
Decontamination
Decontamination is the main way of preventing illness related to toxin ingestion, and involves removing as much of the toxin from your pet’s system as possible. The most effective way to remove the toxin is usually by making your pet vomit, and this can be achieved by giving them a simple injection under the skin. Once their stomach has been emptied as much as possible through vomiting, the next stage of decontamination is performed by feeding them a meal containing activated charcoal, a substance that removes the toxin from the stomach and intestines as it moves through the system.
Further supportive treatment
Further supportive treatment will vary greatly depending on the kind of toxin and the effects that it has on the body. For example, if it is something that will damage the kidneys then a high rate of intravenous fluids may be used to help protect the kidneys, if it is something that can affect the blood glucose levels then your pet may be supplemented with extra glucose, and if it can continue to cause seizures despite the decontamination step then anti-seizure medications may be required in this step.
Follow up medications
There are cases where specific medications are needed following a specific toxin ingestion, for example vitamin K is required if your animal has eaten rat poison that contains compounds to prevent the blood from clotting, or if your animal has had an overdose of anti-inflammatory medications then they may need a medication to reverse the damaging effects of them.
What if my pet has eaten something non-toxic?
Whilst non-toxic things may not require the same urgency of treatment, some of them can still be problematic and require intervention by your local veterinarian. If your pet has eaten something that is not toxic and will not cause an obstruction then it may be fine to just leave them. For example if they eat food scraps they have managed to steal or find, or if they have managed to scavenge the faeces of another animal, however in both of these cases you may need to monitor them for subsequent vomiting and diarrhoea as a result of eating something potentially unsavoury! If your pet has eaten an object or item that they will not be able to digest or will get stuck in their stomach or intestines on the way through, then this poses a much larger risk to them and will most likely need further intervention.
Foreign bodies – damage or obstruction risk
Objects that are likely to cause damage or an obstruction in the stomach or intestines are referred to as foreign bodies and depending on their nature they can be dealt with differently. In most cases your veterinarian will recommend imaging so that the nature and position of the foreign body can be identified, so that the most appropriate and safest method of dealing with them can be chosen.
Foreign bodies that are made of a soft material or small in size (such as a sock or a small toy), and also identified to still be in the stomach, have the potential to be vomited back up again, and so inducing vomiting with an injection under the skin may be the most appropriate treatment option. If the object has made its way past the stomach then in some cases you can monitor your pet and wait for it to pass naturally, but if it gets stuck along the way then surgical removal may be necessary.
If the foreign body is something sharp or rigid, for example an animal bone, a piece of metal or a sewing needle, then it would not be appropriate for the animal to be made sick as this could cause further damage to the stomach or throat (oesophagus), so instead these items may be removed either surgically or using a flexible camera (endoscopy), or if it is very small then sometimes if your pet is fed a large amount of food it can move through the system without any further problem.
If the foreign body is something very long and stringy, such as yarn or ribbon which is more commonly eaten by cats, then this can produce something called a linear foreign body. These foreign bodies can become dangerous, as if they get stuck under the tongue or within the stomach, but still reach the intestines, then they can cause the intestines to bunch up and damage the intestinal walls. These foreign bodies often need to be removed surgically if they have worked their way into the intestines.
Foreign bodies that are large and firm or an awkward shape that can easily get stuck, such as a corn on the cob or plastic toys, may need to be surgically removed, especially if they have already made their way into the intestines. Sometimes with this type of foreign body it is not immediately obvious that they have eaten anything, but if your pet is vomiting a lot and not able to keep any food or water down then you should get them seen by your local veterinarian immediately.
A common mantra in the medical world is ‘prevention is better than cure’, and this is certainly true when it comes to pets eating things they shouldn’t, so at home it is important to minimise the risk of your pet gaining access to toxins and potential foreign bodies. By ensuring that all foods, medicines, and small items that could be swallowed are well out of reach of your pet you can minimise the risk of possible toxins and foreign bodies from being ingested. Toxins and foreign bodies are not exclusive to the home however, so it is also important to make sure that when out with your pets you keep a close eye on what they are up to, and making sure they have good recall and know a command that will make them leave alone what they are interested in can prevent an unintentional and potentially dangerous snack!