Charlie probably ate some glass

[kristen_acri]

I absentmindedly left a casserole out on the counter when I went to see who was at the door. Couldn't figure out why Charlie didn't follow me to the door. It was because he pulled the casserole down off the counter. It took him a while to get him away from the food. There was a good amount of blood on the floor and I'm sure he ate some pieces of the ceramic dish while eating the food. My hand came out bloody when I was looking in his mouth.

I panicked at first but am now more calm and feel I can wait this out a bit. The emergency vet says he should be seen for an x-ray and they were concerned about the onions and garlic. I'm okay with him getting those foods. He's acting like his typical self.

Any ideas and/or words of encouragement? This behavior is going to be my training priority for sure!!!

Thanks!

Kristen

 

[Dr. Jeff]

Oh boy, lucky Charlie! What a great treat he found!

Wonderful work Kristen with keeping calm.

The blood in Charlie's mouth is probably from cutting his tongue, palate or gums while he was scarfing up the food.

He may not have eaten any glass. Yes, an x-ray can show you, but may not be worth the risk of lacerating the lining of his stomach or intestines.

Since his BEAM is good, you might just want to feed him some bland soft foods that can help pad any sharp pieces to help them pass easier.

Here's a relevant quote from the article below:

When dogs do swallow the pieces, your veterinarian may feel it’s safer to let the glass pass naturally instead of trying to bring it back up by inducing vomiting. I have heard of people who have induced vomiting in cases like this, but we usually don’t recommend it. The dog runs a greater risk of injury bringing back up sharp items such as glass or needles.

If you know that your dog has swallowed something dangerous such as glass, call your veterinarian immediately for advice. If your dog isn’t showing signs of choking — gagging or pawing at the throat, for instance — your veterinarian may suggest giving bread, pumpkin or mashed potatoes to help encase the glass as it passes through the intestinal tract.

Any signs such as straining to defecate, lethargy, blood in the stool, lack of appetite or abdominal pain call for an immediate trip to the veterinarian. These signs may indicate a blockage or damage to the intestinal tract that requires surgical repair.

What to do when your dog eats glass - Dr. Marty Becker

Dogs probably don’t eat glass by choice, but when it’s in the form of a ball, as it is with many Christmas ornaments, dogs may not be able to resist. What should you do if they ingest glass? That was the question a reader asked; here’s what I had to say. Q: My friend’s American […]

www.drmartybecker.com

I agree that lethargy, lack of appetite, especially for Charlie, and abdominal discomfort are great reasons to go right to the vet. The first two are changes in BEAM that are easy to see.

Pain of any kind can be difficult to discern, but any persistent or problematic pain will be reflected by BEAM.

Please keep us updated with any changes or vet exams.

 

[Dr. Christina]

When dogs eat anything sharp, feed them a lot of bread, and cotton. You can soak the cotton in milk or broth to make it tasty.

When I was in conventional practice, it was amazing how many dogs would scarf up the cotton, which then would help pad the sharp edges. Of, course, depending on the size of your dog, you do not want them to get obstructed with too much cotton.

One guideline from a humane society is:
Dogs less than 10 lbs should eat 2 balls which you have first torn into smaller pieces. Dogs 10-50 lbs should eat 3-5 balls and larger dogs should eat 5-7.

Do keep us posted, Kristen.

Dr. Christina

 

[kristen_acri]

Thank you @Dr. Christina and @Dr. Jeff -- Charlie seems fine this morning. He had more BMs yesterday after eating the casserole with no blood or pieces or the ceramic dish. This morning he did pass some white pieces of the dish, very small and no blood. No blood anywhere for that matter. His BEAM looks good and actually his energy and mood have been improving.

I found the same article by Dr. Marty Becker that Dr. Jeff linked to. I only had raisin bread and wasn't going to trust that he'd be okay with eating that. I feed him a ground lamb dinner and kept watching him. By the time I wanted to try bread stores were closed. Places are still closing earlier here. I made him a chickpea flour pancake which he ate, of course. It's kind of funny that the casserole was chickpeas and asparagus with mushrooms, onions, and garlic. He often eats what I eat but this was to the extreme!

The cotton ball idea is a good one. They are always on hand.

Bottom line -- Charlie and his BEAM seem good this morning. I made no other calls to his vet here and did not pursue the ER vet or x-rays.

I'll be sure to update any negative changes in BEAM.

Thanks again!

Kristen

 

[Dr. Jeff]

You're welcome, Kristen, and splendid news about Charlie's BEAM!

Thanks for sharing the info. about cotton Dr. Christina.