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My dog swallowed a necklace. Should I wait to call the emergency vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Male | neutered | 80 lbs

Hi! I have a 1 year old golden retriever who is around 80 pounds. About an hour ago, he got ahold of and swallowed a necklace whole. It's a rope style necklace made out of similar material as a hair tie and had a metal charm on it. I'm nervous that it will wrap around his intestines and hurt him. It is 12am and my vet is closed. Do you think it would be okay to wait until morning to call my vet? He has swallowed a lot of crazy things and has been fine, but never a necklace before

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 16th, 2017

It will be OK for you to wait until the morning and see how Charlie does overnight. Watch him closely for any vomiting and diarrhea. These are two symptoms of an intestinal blockage. Based on Charlie's size and the photo of the necklace you provided, I think that may pass without incident. Feed him as usual in the morning and see if he can keep the food down. If he does not want to eat then I would be concerned. If you end up taking him to the vet, x-rays can be performed to find the location of the necklace. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.

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    Answered By Ricardo Fernandez, DVM

    Veterinarian, Veterinary Oncology Resident

    Published on

    Hi there! Thanks for letting us take care of your concerns today! Foreign bodies can cause gastrointestinal obstruction sometimes requiring surgery. If it is within 2 hours of the incident, inducing him to vomit may still be a good idea as we may be able to retrieve it that way. Unfortunately, after about 2 hours, typically it is too late to induce vomiting as it tends to be further down the gastrointestinal tract. Sometimes it can even be retrieved endoscopically on an emergency basis to try to prevent an obstruction. Aside from that, you are left out with having to wait to see if he will pass it which is a possibility but it is not guaranteed. Best of luck!

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