Maybe you were preparing for a party, and the beautiful irresistible cupcakes were all ready to be wolfed down by your friends and their kids. Suddenly, out the corner of your eye, you realize your dog ate a muffin wrapper and muffin. You spin around before the words “Nooooooo!” can come out. He has swallowed everything, cake, and wrapper; they are both gone, and he looks just about ready to grab another one.
Now you’ve got a problem on your hands. The dog seems ok for now, but will he be ok? What should you do when your dog eats a muffin wrapper? First of all, realize that this is not an unusual characteristic for a dog to display when food is within its reach. The main question is – was it the traditional paper wrapper that most cupcakes have settled down in for years on end? Then you don’t have to get into a panic just yet.
If the wrapper was made from paper, it could turn out to be fairly harmless. If the wrapper was plastic, foil, or silicon, the situation might be more serious. Often the type of wrapper, as well as the cupcake ingredients, might well be what is most dangerous to your dog’s health.
Can a Dog Digest a Muffin Wrapper?
Well, first of all, you have to realize there are different types of muffin wrappers and the risks and damage will come from what they are made from. Look at these types of muffin wrappers you get:
Silicone:
Even though these are quite popular cupcake wrappers, they can be problematic if a dog eats them. They can cause intestinal obstruction in the dog’s stomach.
Foil:
Naturally, you will be more concerned if the wrapper is foil because it can cause aluminum toxicity or poisoning. However, one good thing is that it won’t be a large dose. The risk is more if it becomes lodged in the dog’s gut, or he starts choking – and more so with little dogs or puppies.
Paper:
These are the safest liners and are more likely to be passed quickly by the dog, especially if he chews on them. But there’s still the chance of him choking or the potential to cause a blockage. Wax or parchment paper all are things to look out for.
It’s not the dog’s fault – he is smart and knows cupcakes are delicious. But he has not learned yet how to remove the muffin wrapper from the cake! Now you probably want to know the recommended dog digestion support to help him.
How Long Does It Take for A Dog to Pass a Muffin Wrapper?
If the wrapper becomes stuck, it could cause a whole heap of discomfort for the dog and end up being a dangerous situation. Once he has ingested the wrapper, it can take anything between 10-24 hours to move through the digestive tract. For some of the larger dog breeds, a bit of paper, perhaps if the wrapper was foil, and there doesn’t seem to be significant concerns, the wrapper might pass over the 48-72 hours.
Sometimes you might notice your dog might have a bit of diarrhea or an upset tummy if he swallowed something not edible. If it were a sharp object, though, you wouldn’t hesitate to take your dog to the vet, right? After 2 hours have passed, the wrapper would have made its way into the intestines, and you can’t try and get your dog to vomit or bring up the wrapper at this stage.
If you want to be sure the wrapper comes out, take your dog to the vet. The vet will induce vomiting via injection method to help get the wrapper up and out the dog’s stomach. Do this within 2 hours of the dog eating the wrapper because it is the most successful time.
What to Do when The Dog Ate a Muffin Wrapper?
If you know or see that your dog ate the muffin wrapper, give it a slice of bread to eat. Around 6 to 8 hours later, the wrapper or whatever material it was will probably be in the next stool your dog passes. If you don’t notice that the wrapper has passed, it might be blocked in his intestines.
If you have a mild laxative, try this on your dog. This will help him to excrete the wrapper. Don’t ignore looking out for the wrapper because he might experience difficulty passing it, and you need to take notice. Call your vet if you see your dog is having issues. You can also try psyllium in this instance; it’s like Metamucil and the best dog digestion support. But be sure to follow the directions that are listed on the box with great care. Vets often recommended canned pumpkin with the dog’s regular food to help the wrapper to pass.
See that your dog drinks his water. Water helps to get the wrapper moving and eases the passing of the wrapper. Unfortunately, these solutions might take days to work, and if you notice your dog is showing discomfort at any time, you need to get him to the vet quickly.
Conclusion
A dog eating a muffin wrapper is a perfectly natural behavior for a dog. Dogs will eat all kinds of crazy things, such as puppy pads and bandaids if given the chance. They are simply acting on their natural instincts. And he very well might be hungry too. Or he has not had obedience training which can lead to this behavior. He might be bored or in desperate need of entertainment. You will have to find out the reasons and deal with it. A good tip to nip eating, and swallowing the wrong stuff is to ensure that your dog is always kept active and stimulated. This will help to tackle unwanted behaviors. It’s your job to teach your dog good manners with obedience training. With plenty of love and attention, you might find your dog’s appetite for grabbing food and swallowing the wrong things slowly disappears.
