Ask Dr Claire

My dog has ate my flip flop. He has puked a few times. Now he hasn’t ate or drank anything. He’s just laying around. Should he be okay?

Any foreign object has the potential to be dangerous when eaten. Obviously it depends on the size of the object in comparison to your dog, a flip flop chewed into pieces may pass in a large breed, but not a small one for example.

While some objects go straight in one end and out the other, there’s also a chance of them getting stuck in the intestines an forming a blockage along the way. This is called an obstruction of the gut and is really serious (can be life-threatening) if left untreated.

Common symptoms of an obstruction include:
– Vomiting,
– Reduced or no appetite,
– Weakness,
– Diarrhoea, and
– Weight loss.

Given you’re seeing vomiting, he really needs to get to the local vet for a hands on examination as soon as possible. Abdominal imaging (such as radiography and ultrasound) is often used to assess where the object is and whether its passing through.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can get a vet on a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail.

We’re on stand-by to help!

Chat soon,

Dr Claire