My Dog Ate Tampon: What Should I Do Now? (4 Tips)

At a glance, our pet dogs may not seem so naughty. They behave when we tell them to until they play with even our most intimate items. You’re right. The list includes your tampons. You’ve come to this article, which means you experienced the same thing.

So, you may ask: my dog ate a tampon. What should I do now? Tampons are the last thing our dogs should reach. The reason is that it’s dangerous to our dogs if eaten. Thus, the best way to deal with it is by taking your pet to the vet.

Although it sounds so gross and impossible, it does happen in reality. In fact, many pet owners experience the same thing.

When such incidents happen, you should worry about your pet, as eating a tampon is no joke.

In this article, we’ll give you a rundown of things to do. This way, you can deal with such an incident and prevent them in the future.

Without further ado, let’s get into it!

What should I do if my dog ate a tampon?

It’s hard to imagine our dog eating tampons. Thus, it can be quite problematic to see your pet eating such. As curious animals, it can happen from time to time. Still, it’s not something you need to take lightly. Thus, you’ll need to do something about it.

The thing about a tampon is that it is good at absorbing liquid. Thus, aside from its toxic components, it can absorb the gastric acids present in a dog’s body.

It’s quite dangerous for your pet, meaning they need immediate attention.

Of course, as pet owners, we want to ensure our pet’s safety, and that we need to ensure that nothing is wrong with them. Here are four simple tips you can do if your dog ate such an item.

Observe your dog.

You need to observe your dog and look for any signs of pain or reaction after eating your tampon.

Some symptoms would mean danger, and if such happens, you may need to call or take your pet to the nearest vet.

If your pet seems alright and doesn’t show any signs of severe symptoms, you may proceed with the next one.

Clean the area and remove the remnants.

The last thing you’ll want is for your pet to eat more of your tampon. Thus, you should remove any remnants from the area.

Dogs usually find tampons in the trash bins of your bathroom and other trash bins around.

Thus, if your pet is diving into a trash can and continues to dig in, take it away from the site and put it somewhere secure. Afterward, clean up the mess and prevent your pet from re-accessing it.

You May Also Read – My Dog Ate Chocolate Cupcake: What Should I Do Now?

Understand what happened.

Understanding the situation helps you identify how worse it is and how you should deal with it.

For this reason, it would be best to take note of every detail you can gather regarding the incident.

Here are a few questions that you need to answer and understand from the scene.

• How much of the tampons remain? (it will make you assess how much your dog ate)
• How long has it been since it happened? (the sooner you knew, the better)
• Did your dog consume other items aside from the tampon?

Getting such information would make you understand how worse the incident is.

Moreover, it will help you report what happened if you visit the vet and ask about what happened.

Take your pet to your vet.

Out of all the things in your house, a tampon or other similar items gives out quite a lot of risk for your pet. Thus, such an incident needs consultation with the vet.

It would be best to give your vet a call and state every piece of information about the incident. He or she will surely ask that you bring your pet to have it checked.

Your vet will ask you for all the necessary information. That’s the reason why you need to know everything about the incident.

Take note. Even if your dog seems fair, as long as you’re sure it consumed a tampon, a visit to the vet is necessary.

How to recognize if your dog ate a tampon?

Our pet dogs can be quite the sneaky type. Thus, chances are you won’t catch your pet in action.

To recognize if your dog ate a tampon, you need to check them for signs of illness. In particular, you can look for symptoms of intestinal blockage.

Here are the following symptoms this complication may include:

• Loss of appetite
• Constipation
• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen

When it comes to such incidents, a visit to the vet is always necessary. This way, you can be confident your pet receives proper diagnosis and treatment.

How long does it take a dog to pass a tampon?

A tampon can take up to four days for your pet to pass. The worse thing your pet may experience is that the item can cause a blockage.

If your pet doesn’t show any signs of poisoning or complication, you may wait for a few days and observe its poop.

If you see a tampon, that means your pet may have safely passed the item. Of course, it would be a different thing if you don’t see any tampons.

Worse, it would be worrisome if your pet doesn’t poop at all.

Whatever the case is, it would be best to take your pet to your vet to receive proper treatment.

Are tampons digestible for dogs?

Tampons aren’t digestible, but it doesn’t mean such items can’t pass through their gut. If your pet eats a tampon, it will likely pass through in a day or two.

However, worse things can happen, as well. If your pet is a small one, it may cause an intestinal blockage.

For this reason, it would be best to take your pet to your vet if you see it playing with a tampon and parts of it went missing.

If you’re confident your pet ate a tampon, you need to have it checked. Do so, even if your pet doesn’t show any signs of complications.

You May Also Read – My Dog Ate Maxi Pad: What Should I Do Now?

Can eating a tampon kill a dog?

It’s not likely to happen that a tampon can kill a dog. However, it’s still an obvious fact that eating a tampon puts any kind of pet at risk of many things.

First, tampons have materials that are toxic to all pets if ingested. Thus, it can be a cause of poisoning.

Such poisoning isn’t likely to happen, though. Since dogs eat many kinds of things, their body may not digest them. Instead, it would only let the tampon pass through.

Now, what’s worse is that it can cause an intestinal blockage. While the tampon may pass through, it can block the intestine of your dog.

A tampon contains materials used for absorbing liquids in large amounts.

Thus, it can rob your pet of vital fluids. Moreover, as the tampon absorbs liquid, it increases its size.

It can cause a blockage in your pet’s intestine, which is a significant threat. If left unchecked, it can cause death for your pet.

For this reason, it’s always best for your pet to get checked by your vet to receive proper treatment.

What happens if a dog eats period blood?

Dogs are carnivores by nature. Thus, eating period blood may not cause them any harm. It’s even period blood that attracts them to eat a tampon.

While the blood won’t cause them any issue, the tampon or sanitary pad can harm them.

The materials of a tampon absorb liquid in large amounts and expand as they do.

It can cause a blockage on your pet. Moreover, it can take vital fluids inside your pet.

Since dogs have an intense smelling capacity, the scent of the blood in your pad attracts them that much.

Such an attraction comes from instinct, and it’s quite hard to train away. Thus, here’s what you can do to stop your pet from eating tampons.

How to prevent dogs from eating tampons?

As I said earlier, dogs have that instinctive attraction towards the scent of blood in a tampon. Thus, they would tend to go to the trash bin and take out the item.

Such an instinct can be hard to take away. Thus, the best way to stop your dog from eating tampons is by keeping them out of their reach.

Try to replace your trash bins with secured ones. You can use heavy ones that would be difficult for your pet to take down.

Moreover, you can use a secure lid so your pet can’t take out its contents.

You can also put your tampons and trash bins in a room where your pet can’t access them.

As a general rule of thumb, preventing your pet from taking your tampon is the best way to avoid such incidents from happening.

What should you do if your dog ate a cupcake wrapper, or even a diaper?

Summary

Tampons are items that seem gross for us, but it’s the opposite for our dogs. While they may like to play with it and even eat them, it’s dangerous for their health.

The thing about tampons isn’t about the blood, but the item itself. Such things have that absorbent material that can take the vital fluids inside a dog’s body. As it does, it expands, which can cause a blockage.

For this reason, a visit to the vet is essential even if your pet shows no symptoms. As long as you’re confident that your pet ate a tampon, be sure to take it to the vet so it receives proper treatment.

Resources

Image credits – Canva

[1] PetMD’s take on intestinal blockage in dogs

[2] IronHorse Vetcare on signs of intestinal blockage