Dogs will generally eat anything that appears interesting to them. An interesting scent, dropping a piece of food, or rummaging through garbage are all common ways for dogs to eat what they should. With that in mind, if you have a dog, they can easily end up eating one of your panty liners.
If you find yourself in the scenario where your dog ate panty liner the first thing you’ll want to do is call your vet. Since panty liners are not meant to be digested, it could lead to some serious complications for your pup like intestinal blockages and infections.
In this article, we will talk about what do do if your dog has eaten a panty liner, if panty liners are poisonous to dogs, and how to remove the panty liner from your dog.
What Should I Do if My Dog Ate a Panty Liner?
Discovering your dog has ingested a panty liner can be a cause for concern, but taking the right steps promptly is crucial for their health and well-being. This is because a dog could become sick if it gets lodged somewhere in his stomach or intestines. Here’s our comprehensive guide on what to do if you find yourself in this situation:
Contact Your Veterinarian Immediately
The first and most critical step is to call your veterinarian or the nearest emergency veterinary clinic as soon as you notice the issue. Provide them with essential details about your dog, such as their size, breed, and any noticeable symptoms.
Observe Your Dog
While waiting for professional advice, closely monitor your dog’s behavior. Look for signs of distress, which can include vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, abdominal pain, loss of appetite, or difficulty passing stool. Note any changes and report them to your vet.
Do Not Attempt to Induce Vomiting
It might be tempting to try making your dog vomit to expel the panty liner, but this can be dangerous and may worsen the situation. Only induce vomiting if specifically instructed by your veterinarian.
Professional Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will likely recommend diagnostic tests, such as X-rays or imaging, to determine the exact location and potential damage caused by the panty liner in your dog’s digestive tract. This information will guide further treatment.
Consider Surgical Intervention
In some instances, when the panty liner or another foreign object is causing an obstruction or posing a significant threat, surgery may be necessary to remove it safely. Your vet will discuss this option if needed.
Prevention is Key
To prevent future incidents, store feminine hygiene products and other small, tempting objects securely out of your dog’s reach. Dogs are naturally curious and may be attracted to such items, so proactive prevention is essential.
In Short
Acting swiftly and seeking professional veterinary care is paramount when your dog has ingested a foreign object like a panty liner. Keep your dog’s health and well-being as your top priority, and trust the guidance of your veterinarian to ensure the best possible outcome.
Are Panty Liners Or Underwear Toxic to Dogs?
No, panty liners aren’t poisonous to dogs – they don’t contain any chemicals that will make your dog sick. However, since they are absorbent, they can lead to intestinal blockage when ingested in large quantities, especially in small dogs.
This can cause symptoms like lack of appetite, lethargy, vomiting, and abdominal pain. If left untreated, this can be life-threatening.
When your dog eats absorbent materials like panty liners, underwear, absorbent meat pads, paper towels, tampons, or sanitary towels, they expand while in the digestive tract. This can cause intestinal obstructions that can restrict blood to certain parts of the bowel, causing them to start deteriorating. Beyond that, it blocks the path of any food your dog tries to eat after the fact. This is what causes the symptoms as mentioned above.
The vet will have to do an X-ray to figure out the severity and exact location of your dog’s obstruction. This will help them determine if the foreign materials will pass on their own or your dog will need medical intervention. In some cases, Your dog will require emergency surgery. In these cases, you will need to prepare yourself financially and emotionally for the work it will take to get your dog to its usual healthy self.
Potential Risks If Your Dog Ate Panty Liner
If a dog ate a panty liner, there are several potential dangers and risks involved.
Gastrointestinal Obstructions
Panty liners are not easily digestible, and if a dog swallows one or a portion of one, it can become lodged in the dog’s digestive tract. This can lead to a gastrointestinal obstruction, which is a serious and potentially life-threatening condition.
Choking Hazard
If the panty liner is large or if the dog attempts to swallow it whole, there is a risk of choking.
Tissue Irritation
The materials used in panty liners, including the absorbent core and the outer layer, may contain chemicals or substances that can be irritating to a dog’s digestive tract.
Toxicity
Some panty liners may contain fragrances, dyes, or other chemicals that could be harmful if ingested by a dog.
Risk of Infection
If the panty liner is soiled with bodily fluids or other contaminants, it can introduce bacteria or pathogens into the dog’s digestive system.
Behavioral Concerns
In some cases, ingesting foreign objects like panty liners may indicate pica, a behavioral disorder where dogs have an abnormal appetite for non-food items. Addressing the underlying behavioral issue is important to prevent future incidents.
Can a Dog Pass a Panty Liner?
Yes, a dog can pass a panty liner, but typically it has to be a bigger dog.
Due to the size of their digestive tract, such dogs have a higher chance of passing a panty liner than their smaller counterparts.
Canned Pumpkin For Dogs
To move things along, though, you can feed your dog as usual, but buy some canned pumpkin to add to their food until you see the panty liner in their poop.
Pure canned pumpkin contains soluble fibers that add weight to your dog’s stool and lower the pH in their digestive tract. This ensures helpful bacteria thrive and hasten the digestive process. You need to be careful not to give your dog any pie mixes, though. Unlike their pure counterparts, they contain a harmful chemical to dogs – xylitol.
However, prevention is always better than cure when it comes down to it. So it’s better for you to train your dog not to eat panty liners and other foreign objects instead of having to deal with the aftermath of them doing so.
To get things started, you can use a dog chewing deterrent spray. Such sprays make anything you apply them to bitter so that your dog doesn’t chew or eat them.
Why Do Dogs Eat Panty Liners?
Generally, when a dog loves you, it will be drawn to items that strongly carry your scent. As such, they will eat your dirty socks, underwear, and even panty liners. In some ways, such acts, as gross as they are, can make your dog feel closer to you. Sometimes, your dog even believes that they are protecting you by doing these acts.
Like many other animals, dogs are led by their sense of smell. This means that they can smell your pheromones and get excited when they do so, especially when they’ve missed you. It also means that they view anything that has your strong scent as valuable and wouldn’t want it to end up in the grasp of “enemies .”That’s why they’re attracted to your panty liners and will chew them up without hesitation.
This behavior is often referred to as “pica.” While the specific cause can vary from one dog to another, below you’ll find some common reasons why dogs might engage in pica behavior.
Conclusion: Dog Ate Panty Pad
If there’s one thing you should know about dogs by now, it’s that they won’t hesitate to eat foreign objects, even the grossest ones. So if your dog has eaten a panty liner recently, there’s no reason to panic – it is common and can be handled easily.
In fact, some dogs will even pass the panty liner with no external help. And even if they do need some help, the interventions we have outlined are enough to safely get them to the other side.
