My dog ate cardboard, what do I do?
My dog was playing with a shipping box but I now realize she's been eating it instead of just tearing it apart like I though. Will this digest easily?
2 Answers
It depends on how much she ate, the sizes of the pieces she ate, and what size she is, but more than likely she will be fine. The cardboard should break down well enough to pass through, but it would be a good idea to keep an eye on your dog for vomiting, trouble defecating (straining, passing blood, etc) and blockage (acting uncomfortable/painful, lower energy level, not wanting to eat, not passing stool, etc)
Like Shannon said, it really depends on how big the pieces were and how much was eaten. Dogs do not digest paper. It will hopefully pass through your dog's system and not cause any problems, like blockage. Your dog may even throw up the cardboard pieces. If you want to help something foreign through your dog's system, I've used Vaseline sandwiches (as I call them) along with some canned pumpkin. Use whole wheat bread, spread with some Vaseline, to provide the bulk to push the bad stuff out. I used it when my dog ate a whole bunch of cooked rib bones from the garbage. Google the treatment. I'm not making it up and it isn't harmful to your dog in the least.