Ask Dr Claire

My one year old puppy ate a small tin foil fruit mince pie case. I found some shredded up pieces on my floor and they were quite small. What should I do?

An aluminium foil case when eaten, won’t be absorbed or cause toxicity, but the most significant concern would be that it could cause an obstruction or perforation of the bowel.

I’m also very glad he didn’t have the mince pie with the foil as sultanas and raisons are toxic to dogs, potentially even in small amounts.

The size of your dog, and the size of the aluminium foil case eaten (i.e. was it shredded to pieces first) dictates whether the it will become lodged in their intestines, forming a blockage – or whether it will pass through (they can also be vomited up).

When something gets lodged in the gut, dogs get very sick and if left untreated it is sadly, life threatening.

In general, symptoms to watch for which may indicate an obstruction are:
*Vomiting,
*Reduced or no appetite,
*Weakness,
*Diarrhoea and
*Weight loss.

A hands-on examination from your local vet would be a great place to start. They may recommend abdominal imaging (such as radiography and ultrasound) to see if there are signs of obstruction present.

If you’d like to chat in person, you can book a live video call or start a chat to discuss in more detail, as soon as possible.

We’re here to help!

Chat soon,
Dr Claire