You’re a dog owner, and you’ve probably seen how much your pup loves to play with balloons. It’s pretty much a guarantee that the second he lays eyes on a balloon, he will lose his mind in excitement and try to destroy it as quickly as possible.
But what if your dog ate balloon? What should you do?
What To Do If Your Dog Eats A Balloon
If your dog has eaten a balloon, don’t panic. It’s possible that the dog will pass the balloon without any problems. If the balloon is still in your dog’s mouth try to remove it without hurting your dog.
You can try to pry it out with something such as tweezers or pliers. If you have a strong enough grip on the end of the balloon and are able to hold onto it while your dog chews, you may be able to pull it out yourself.
The next call of action is to call your vet so they can assess the situation and determine if you need to induce vomiting or take other measures to help get rid of the object from your dog’s system sooner.
The main concern is that if your dog swallows a balloon, it could cause an intestinal obstruction which can be very dangerous if left untreated for too long.
If your vet advises you to induce vomiting at home, follow your vet’s advice in terms of what to use and measurements.
Watch Your Dog For These Signs
If your dog ate a balloon and you’re concerned, stay with your pup and keep an eye out for these signs:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Shaking or trembling
- Increased salivation or drooling
- Difficulty breathing
Watch for the presence of rubber in the stool. Also, take note of your dog’s normal breathing pattern. If their breathing is unusually labored, their airway could have become blocked by the balloon.
Potential Problems
In addition to the immediate risk of choking or blockage, the chemicals present in balloons can also cause other unpleasant side effects including:
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal pain (sharp pains, cramps)
- Vomiting
- Drooling/foaming at the mouth
- Lethargy
- Bloody stool (poop that has blood in it)
How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating Balloons
The first thing you should do is make sure that balloons are out of reach. This mostly applies to dogs that are left at home alone for long hours.
The second thing you should do is give your dog something safer to chew on. You can buy toys designed for dogs that are made of rubber or hard plastic and are designed to be chewed on.
You should also consult with your vet to ask if your dog could be having pica. Pica is a condition where dogs eat non-food items like rocks, paper, and plastic bags.
Dogs with pica eat these items because they are bored or stressed or simply because they get pleasure from chewing or biting on something solid.
Pica may be caused by nutritional deficiencies, so your vet will want to run some bloodwork on your dog and check his fecal matter for parasites or other issues.
Dog Ate Balloon – FAQ
How long does it take for a dog to pass a balloon?
It takes 2 to 3 days for a dog to pass a balloon. It might take more time on rare occasions but if your dog is drinking and eating normally you shouldn’t worry.
Can dogs poop out balloons?
Yes, dogs can poop out ballons.
Conclusion
In order to prevent a balloon-eating incident, keep balloons away from your dog. If your dog does ingest a balloon, watch for symptoms such as drooling, vomiting, abdominal pain, lethargy, loss of appetite, or dark stools that might contain blood or mucus.
If any of these signs persist more than 24 hours after ingestion, contact your veterinarian right away.
When in doubt about whether something is safe for your pet to eat or chew on, it’s best not to let your dog play with it until you can verify it’s okay for him by checking with a vet first—even if it looks harmless.
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