My dog ate gauze after surgery. When should I worry about blockage?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Male | neutered | 1 year old | 33 lbs
my dog is healing from a leg surgery and ate some gauze and plastic tape even with the e-collar on at all times. This occurred about 12-15 hours ago. This morning i went to check on him and he had vomited a whole 2x2 gauze pad up and also passed some when he had a bowel movement this morning. However his stool was slightly runny. He has been eating (lost some interest in dog food), drinking, pooping and acting normal. Should I just keep an eye on him to make sure he's gotten rid of it all?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on July 29th, 2017
How naughty of Charlie to do that. It sounds like he may have vomited it all up, which would be the best case scenario here. Since he is still passing stool and eating well, it is ok to monitor him for the next 24 hrs to see how things pan out. Try offering him a bland diet of boiled plain chicken and rice or cottage cheese for the next few days, then slowly introduce his regular kibble back. If he continues to vomit, becomes lethargic, or has a loss of appetite then I would be concerned about a possible blockages and recommend he be seen. I hope everything works out well for your pet Charlie. Best wishes and take care.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
-
Published on January 23rd, 2019
Hi there! Im so sorry to hear about Charlie's troubles. It sounds like Charlie is likely in the clear, but I often have clients just keep a close eye for 7 days to be safe. Based on how the gastrointestinal tract moves 3 days and seeing the material pass is a very good sign. It shows things are moving along. Things can always get stuck in different places though, depending on how big or long they are. I would just keep an eye on Charlie for a full week like I said, and if he has any diarrhea or vomiting, won't eat, or doesn't seem to feel well, I'd have him checked right away! I hope you find this answer helpful. Best of luck!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
How long do I have to monitor my dog for symptoms of Intestinal Obstruction? My dog ate material Sunday night (it is now wednesday). He was rushed to the vet where they had him barf up the material. I couldn't afford a follow up x-ray to confirm it w
I think My dog holly ate my bloody gauze pads I was packing in my mouth after my surgery. I came in my room and the trash can was tipped over and missing its contents. There were about 10 bloody pads in the trash. Can she pass those?
Yesterday night my pup ate a piece of thick cloth.Today morning she passed a little amount of stool.I observed her today, she is not playing as much as she usually do. Is there something I should be worrying about? Kindly suggest
My 1yo dalmatian stole and shredded 2 puppy pads off my counter yesterday while I was at work. I couldn't tell how much he had eaten because they were shredded into tiny pieces. This morning he started retching like he was going to throw up, but he b
My dog threw up on Friday with a feces smell and he hasn’t defecated since then but he’s acting normal and his abdomen is not distended. My concern in a blockage. Should we take him in if he’s eating and drinking normal and acting normal?
Hello. My puppy ate a large part of our rug when my mom and I were at the gym earlier. It’s been almost 4 hours and he’s been eating and drinking and playing just fine, but what should I look for in case of obstruction? He went to the bathroom about
My lab puppy swallowed a small (5*5inch) muslin cloth hanky about 5 hours back...He is active and playful as usual and has not vomited it out. What should I do? Will it past in his stools or will it need further intervention? Please guide, I'm quite
My dog ate a piece of blanket and has thrown it all up. Since this happened he's eaten and had normal bowel movements. Should I be worried?
My dog ate a few bites of a loaf of bread and got to the bag a bit as well. Caught him before there was too much damage but had three vowel movements on walk today and really struggled to go a fourth time. About an hour later he pooped in the house,
7 days ago lulu ate 1/6 of a paper towel. She popped it out. She has been eating normally and her energy levels are normal. She also has had regular bowel movements. She threw up today. Could it be a blockage? Trying to decide about taking her to th
Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.
