Dogs are curious creatures. They like to sniff out and eat plenty of things that they shouldn’t. Scrunchies are one of those small items that often get left in plenty of places around your home and forgotten about. Your dog may stumble across a scrunchie and before you can stop it, will swallow it.
What are the next steps if you catch your dog eating a scrunchie?
What happens if your dog eats a scrunchie (hair tie)?
If your dog manages to get ahold of a scrunchy and eats it, you need to monitor your dog closely. Scrunchies can cause serious issues such as choking or blockages.
Even though they are made of relatively soft material, they pose the risk of getting tangled or wedged in your dog’s digestive system. In extreme situations, your dog may need surgery to remove the scrunchie if it does not pass it on its own.
Do scrunchies pass through dogs?
Dogs have remarkable digestive systems. They can process items that we can not. Scrunchies are made of soft material.
As long as they do not become tangled or trapped, your dog will be able to pass a scrunchie. If your dog has eaten a scrunchie, it is important to monitor its bowel movements to ensure that the foreign object has moved through their system.
Scrunchies are also relatively small, meaning that they are easier to pass. In most cases, your dog will either pass or vomit up a scrunchie. However, if your dog eats multiple scrunchies, because of their size and elasticity, your dog will likely not be able to pass them. Scrunchies can become entangled and end up creating a much larger blockage.
What to do if my dog eats a scrunchie?
If your dog gets ahold of a scrunchie and eats it, the first thing to do is to check to ensure that they’ve swallowed it. Oftentimes, dogs can act like they’ve swallowed something while it is still in reach towards the back of their throat. If you can still see the scrunchie, gently remove it.
If you aren’t able to remove the scrunchie before your dog swallows it, they need to be monitored for symptoms of an abdominal obstruction. While many times dogs can pass a scrunchie, there are instances where they can become lodged in your dog’s digestive system, especially if you have a small dog or if they eat multiple scrunchies at once.
The problem with scrunchies is not only their shape, but also the fact that they are elastic. This makes it much easier, especially when your dog swallows multiple scrunchies, for them to become entangled. Once they become entangled in other scrunchies, or parts of your dog’s digestive system, your dog will then suffer from a digestive blockage.
If your dogs show symptoms of abdominal blockage, you need to take them to the emergency vet immediately. These symptoms can include a lack of interest in food or water, vomiting that does not produce scrunching, diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating, and crying out in pain or winking when the area is touched.
These symptoms indicate that the scrunchie has most likely become lodged somewhere in your dog’s digestive system. Your vet will most likely say that your dog needs surgery. This will prevent further damage from the blockage and help your dog’s digestive system get back to normal.
How long does it take for something to pass through a dog’s stomach?
If your dog is not showing any immediate signs of distress, you should continue to monitor them to see if they can pass the scrunchie on their own. It is a good idea to still contact your vet to let them know that your dog has swallowed a scrunchie. They will ask about your dog’s symptoms and recommend that you come in after a certain number of days if the scratches still has not passed.
Foreign objects, such as scrunchies, can take anywhere between 10 to 48 hours to pass through your dog’s digestive system. This mainly depends on the size, the amount, and if the object becomes lodged at any point.
If it has been a couple of days and you have not observed your dog passing the scrunchie, or if they begin to exhibit signs of abdominal obstruction, it is time to make a trip to the vet. Abdominal obstructions are always a serious matter as your dog’s health can decline very rapidly.
Why does my dog eat hair ties?
Dogs will try to eat almost anything and everything. They can also accidentally swallow items that they are chewing on while playing with them. Whether it is accidental or not, when your dog eats objects that it shouldn’t, those objects can have a harmful impact on your dog’s digestive system.
Scruncies, or hair ties, are an item that dogs often eat. There are a few reasons for this. Hair ties are items that are frequently left around the home.
This means that your dog is likely to stumble across a forgotten hair tie in a place it won’t usually find objects to chew or eat. Hair ties can also be fun for a dog to play with. Small dogs especially enjoy playing with stretchy items and hair ties can seem like the perfect size for your small dog. Lastly, hair ties smell like you.
Dogs can also resort to eating hair ties out of boredom. Dogs require plenty of mental stimulation to keep them occupied. If they do not get plenty of attention and have dog-friendly toys available, they will find their own ways to amuse themselves. This can result in your dog eating, accidentally or not, items that it shouldn’t.
Hair ties are surprisingly common when it comes to items that dogs shouldn’t, but do, end up eating. There have been cases where vets have removed over 50 hair ties from dogs’ stomachs or digestive systems.
When it comes to hair ties, it is better to be safe than sorry. Keeping hiaries out of reach of your dog and providing them with plenty of safe toys can save you a trip to the vet.