If your dogs have been eating diapers lately, then you must be panicking lately regarding what you can do in this matter. After all, diapers are not easily digested and can cause a lot of different problems for your canine partners. Plus, not to mention the fact that this can be gross and unhygienic.
So what does it mean if your dog eats diapers? Your dog’s eating diapers could indicate that your dog is bored, frustrated, or has teething problems. This is often the reason why your dog puts anything in their mouth at all. It just so happened that the diapers were the closest thing within his/her reach.
If you find yourself in a situation like this, worry not as you are not alone regarding this matter. A lot of pet owners out there also have the same problem with their dogs. This is because dogs can be such a weird bunch and diaper-eating is just one of the many weird behaviors observed from them.
So calm yourself down to assess the situation and think better regarding the next thing you should do to help your dogs out. After all, familiar as it is, diapers inside your dogs can cause many severe problems for your dogs.
To help you out even further, here are some of the things you should know and do if you ever find yourself in a situation such as this.
The first step to take? Taking Immediate Action!
If your dogs have been snacking on fresh new diapers or used ones, then it is time to act fast and contact your vet right away before things get any worse. This is because diaper intake can cause many potential risks and problems for your dogs, and dilly-dallying, the situation will not help your dog recover faster.
Doing so will allow you to control the situation better and prevent the condition from worsening any further.
There are two things in which your vet would probably recommend you to do in this situation. You can either choose to visit your vet personally or you can try encouraging your dog to vomit utilizing a specific solution — a mixture of hydrogen peroxide and water.
However, do not jump to choosing to force your dog to vomit right away, as this can do more harm than good. Consult with your doctor first before proceeding with this option.
If the case seems severe, choose to bring your dog to the clinic for immediate and fast treatment. Your vet may decide to have your dog undergo gastric lavage to thoroughly clean out your pet’s stomach.
However, if the case does not seem that severe, it is also possible that your vets will have your dogs observed for a specific period.
If your dog appears to be panicking, having difficulty breathing, or losing consciousness after eating the diaper, do not waste any time and bring them to the closest clinic right away.
What makes diapers dangerous for your dog?
So what exactly makes diapers dangerous for your precious pets? Well, let’s find out together below.
Dogs who eat diapers can suffer from a lot of different possible health problems. However, among all these potential health problems, the immediate concern when your canine partners eat diapers is choking or having their digestive tract blocked. Let’s get to know more about diapers before moving forward.
Now, diapers are made in a lot of different ways. However, whatever method was used to create diapers will always consist of these three primary layers. The outer layer is designed to prevent leaks, the middle layer is designed to collect the fluid, and the inner layer is responsible for keeping the skin dry.
Of these layers, the outer and inner layers can cause problems, especially for small dogs. But of the three, it is the middle layer that is the most problematic.
The middle layer is problematic because it is designed to collect and absorb moisture from its surroundings. When your dog eats the middle layer, what happens is it will start drinking water and stomach acid found in your dog’s digestive tracts. This will result in dehydration and intestinal problems if left unattended. After all, these fluids are necessary to keep your digestive system functioning well.
On top of all that, when this absorbent material starts to sell up from all the fluids it has absorbed, it can cause blockages inside your dog, which can be fatal and very dangerous.
Check out the article “What is inside those Disposable Diapers?” to get a better understanding of what disposable diapers are made of and why they could be toxic for your dogs.
Can cloth diapers also be dangerous for your dogs?
From the beginning of this article, we have mostly been referring to disposable diapers as this is what’s commonly used by a lot of people. However, this does not mean that cloth diapers are not dangerous for your dogs if they decide to eat them. It may not happen frequently, but from time to time, there are cases where your dog eats reusable diapers.
Cloth diapers may not be made from superabsorbent polymers, same as with your disposable diapers; however, they are still made from absorbent fabric. They may still cause your dogs to dehydrate and the like. And since the cloth is made from rougher textures, it can even result in your dog’s throat or intestines forming some abrasions.
On top of that, there are other things you should be wary of as well —such as the diaper’s safety pins and other closures. If your dog eats this up as well, it can cause many different problems for your pet. If the safety pin was swallowed while closed, it might pass through your dog’s digestive tract without any problem.
However, if it is open, it can cause a lot of severe injuries for your beloved pets.
Why do your dogs eat diapers?
A lot of you are probably wondering why your dog eats diapers. After all, diapers can be gross, and they don’t seem tasty as well. So why exactly does your dog eat diapers? Well, allow us to answer that question for you.
Dogs, in general, are pretty famous for eating almost anything — from tampons, to dead animals, to their vomit — you name it. So if you think about it, then eating diapers is not that unimaginable at all. It can be less gross when compared to the other different things that your dog eats.
There is no clear way to explain this behavior of dogs. It’s just how they are. They tend to be curious and never fearing when it comes to a lot of things. It could also mean that your dogs did this due to hunger and so. Dogs can be pretty initiative when needed. This can be seen by how they forage through the trash when they are hungry and how they tend to drink water from the toilet when thirsty.
Generally, dogs do a lot of unexplainable things. Indeed they have their reasons for their behaviors. We can’t wrap our heads around their logic and way of thinking.
Plus, dogs love to chew on things when they are bored, frustrated, or teething. This is why you often find them chewing on your shoes, on your remote, your cushions, and almost anything else that is within reach.
Avoiding the same problem from happening again
As pet lovers, you surely do not want your dogs to suffer the same thing again after resolving the issue. If so, you most probably will act upon the current problem and set some countermeasures in place to not happen again.
These countermeasures do not have to be complicated. The simpler it is, the more effective it would be in keeping the same thing from happening again.
If you need some help or ideas in dealing with this dog-eating-diapers problem, then here are some tips and tricks that you can try at home for your dogs.
- Get a pet-proof trash can for your children’s diapers. Make sure that your used diapers are entirely out of their reach. By doing so, they will no longer have access to your child’s waste.
- Store your unused diapers somewhere out of reach. Do not leave your child’s diapers lying around anywhere. Place them somewhere your dogs can not get their paws on them.
- Observe how your dog acts around if you need to have them wear diapers. See if the diapers are a perfect fit for them and cannot easily wiggle themselves out of their diapers. By doing so, you are reducing the possibility of your dogs being able to eat their diapers at all.
- Spray your diapers and trash cans with a dog deterrent spray. Choose something bitter so that if it gets into their mouth, they would not want to chew on it any further. This would help your dog and discourage them from chewing on diapers and trash cans in general.
Conclusion
Dogs eating diapers pose a lot of potential risks and problems for your dogs. However, if you follow all the tips and recommendations included above, you may find yourself free of this problem. Being proactive and doing something about the problem will do the trick for situations such as these.
Just make sure to contact your vet right away if you find yourself in a situation like this. After all, doing this will allow you to get your canine partners the best possible treatment that is perfect for your current dilemma.
If you are interested in providing your dogs with chew toys, so they stop feeding on diapers, you may check this article about the Best Chewtoys for French Bulldogs. This should help you choose the best toys for your pups.
