My Dog Ate Polyester Stuffing – What Should I Do Now?

If you have a dog, then you know the joys of coming home to find that your pup has been busy while you were gone. 

One of those things could be discovering that they ate polyester stuffing! 

This can happen with just about any type of toy and is not uncommon at all. 

In this blog post, we will discuss what to do if your dog eats polyester stuffing, including tips on how to address the situation.

Can Polyester Stuffing Be Harmful To Your Dog? 

happy dog

Polyester stuffing is not harmful to your pet.

However, if placed inside the animal’s stomach it can make them really uncomfortable and as a result, they are likely to try and either spit it out or pass it. 

So please remember that dogs shouldn’t be allowed to chew on polyester stuffing because you’re exposed to some risk of their intestines getting punctured by the stuffing material (severe injury could actually be life-threatening).

How To Recognize Signs That Your Dog Has Eaten Polyester Stuffing

If you’re not sure or notice that something looks out of place with your dog’s stool, this could be a sign that your dog has eaten polyester stuffing.

It can also be helpful to give them their next meal or food in the form of treats rather than letting them eat at will, as this is when you’re most likely to catch it if they’ve consumed something non-food-related like polyester stuffing.

What Are The Symptoms Of Heavy Polyester Ingestion In Dogs?

dog sick and vomited after eating polyester

If your dog has eaten polyester stuffing, you may notice that they have some symptoms of gastrointestinal distress. These signs include:

  • Vomiting  or gagging as a result of the attempt to vomit out the object;
  • Diarrhea or constipation (or both) because sometimes it can take days for an animal’s digestive system to fully process the stuffing;
  • Abdominal pain, tenderness, or distension.

If your dog is experiencing any of these signs and you’re not sure whether they have eaten polyester stuffing, it would be a good idea to take them in for an examination with their veterinarian as soon as possible.

If your dog has eaten a large quantity of stuffing material, their symptoms may present as more severe and life-threatening than if they consumed it in small quantities because the polyester can be broken down by digestive enzymes too slowly or not at all. 

One thing to note is that just about any type of toy can contain polyester stuffing, so you may not be able to rule out whether or not your pet has eaten it just by looking at their toy.

My Dog Ate Polyester Stuffing – What To Do Now?

If your dog does ingest some polyester stuffing, it is important to remember not to panic and take the animal directly to a veterinarian. 

Instead, what you want to do is try and stimulate vomiting in order for them to rid themselves of any potential harm they may have ingested. 

To accomplish this, there are two methods that can be used:

The first method is by using hydrogen peroxide. This can be done in cases where the amount of polyester stuffing that has been eaten isn’t a lot and it would make sense to try this route instead of rushing off to see your veterinarian. 

Mix one tablespoon (15 ml) of hydrogen peroxide with two tablespoons (30 ml) of water and then pour it down the animal’s throat. 

This should cause them to vomit and pass what could be left of any polyester stuffing that was ingested earlier on in this process.

If hydrogen peroxide doesn’t work, you’ll want to use a cattle prod or a spoon handle to try and induce vomiting as well. 

You can do this by rubbing the spoon handle or cattle prod along the animal’s throat. 

It is important to be cautious when doing so since you can cause more harm than good if done incorrectly and it might require breaking your dog’s esophagus in order for the vomiting to take place.

When using a cattle prod or spoon handle, only rub them against one side of the animal’s throat as these are directions for one side only. 

This will minimize any risk of harm to your pet and should be done carefully in order to avoid injury or damage to their esophagus.

It is important to note that if the pet does vomit and they have a lot of polyester stuffing in their stomach, then it is recommended to go to see your veterinarian for an examination.

How To Treat Polyester Ingestion In Dogs

Activated charcoal can be given orally or through enemas in order to try and absorb some of the material that has been ingested by your dog before it makes its way through the intestines.

Antacids may also be given to try and reduce any related symptoms that your dog might have, such as stomach pain or gas;  they can also help with constipation if it’s one of the signs they are experiencing because sometimes those two things go hand in hand when polyester stuffing is ingested by an animal.

Your dog might require surgery if the polyester stuffing has caused some sort of obstruction or perforation in their intestines and it cannot be removed via other means. 

In life-threatening situations, emergency surgery may be required to save your pet’s life!

How to Prevent Polyester Ingestion In Dogs

One thing that is important for people who have dogs with a history of ingesting polyester stuffing materials is to make sure they don’t let the animal chew on anything like this in the future because there are risks associated with it.

You might want to try and switch the animal over to a different type of toy that doesn’t contain polyester stuffing or try using other types of items for them to chew on instead.

Conclusion

I hope this post helped you understand what should be done in case your dog has ingested polyester stuffing.

I have explained the two methods that can be used in order to try and stimulate vomiting: either by using hydrogen peroxide or a cattle prod or spoon handle. 

I’ve also written about how emergency surgery may be required in life-threatening situations.

I have also explained how someone who knows their dog has a history of ingesting polyester stuffing should try and prevent the animal from doing so in the future.

This includes either switching to another type of toy or using other items for them as an alternative to chew on instead.

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