Urgent — same day vet contact
Within 2 hours for decontamination of small recent ingestion; immediate for batteries or sharp items
Dog has swallowed a foreign object
Phone the vet for any swallowed object — toys, socks, stones, batteries; some pass safely with monitoring, others need urgent decontamination or surgery.
Recognise the signs
- Witnessed swallowing
- Vomiting, retching
- Off food, painful belly
- Constipation or straining
- Lethargy
- Sometimes asymptomatic for days
First aid steps
- Phone the vet or Animal PoisonLine immediately.
- Note object type, size, and time.
- Do not induce vomiting at home unless told to.
- Bring an identical object or photo if possible.
Do NOT
- Do not induce vomiting for sharp objects, batteries, or known caustic substances.
- Do not feed (vet may want to induce vomiting or operate).
- Do not assume small objects always pass.
When to phone the vet immediately
- Battery — caustic damage, urgent
- Magnet (especially multiple)
- Sharp object (needles, hooks)
- Vomiting, painful belly, signs of obstruction
Common causes
- Toys, socks, gloves, underwear
- Bones, stones, sticks
- Hair bobbles
- Coins (zinc toxicity), batteries (corrosive damage)
- Magnets (multiple — gut perforation)
- Tampons, sanitary products
What the vet will need to know
- Object type, size, material
- Time of ingestion
- Dog's weight
- Symptoms
Aftercare
- Decontamination if early.
- Endoscopy or surgery to retrieve.
- Battery cases need monitoring for caustic damage.
- Repeat X-rays.
Prevention
- Bin discipline.
- Keep small objects out of reach.
- Choose toy size appropriate for dog.
- Discard chewed toys before they break apart.
Breed-specific notes
- Notorious scavengers: Labrador, Beagle, Spaniels.
Frequently asked questions
Will my dog poo it out?
Some objects pass safely. Others get stuck. The vet decides based on size, shape, material and X-ray.
What about batteries?
Always urgent — caustic damage to gut wall within hours. Don't wait.
Why are magnets dangerous?
Multiple magnets in different gut loops can attract through the wall, causing perforation. Single magnets less so.