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My dog might have eaten concrete. Should I worry? What are the risks?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Male | neutered | 11 years and 6 months old | 76 lbs

Dog may have eaten a small rectangle shaped piece of loose concrete. I don’t know for sure. I saw him go over to it and I am not sure if he got all of it. I tried to get him away from it. He did crunch something but not sure if it was the dirt underneath it is not. I am worried.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Davis

Veterinarian

Published on March 11th, 2018

He should be fine. Many dogs eat rocks and other things they are not supposed to. They usually pass through into the poop without causing a problem. Go ahead and feed him his regular food to help it pass through quickly. I would watch him closely. If he starts vomiting it may be stuck in his stomach, or if he has trouble pooping or becomes lethargic it could be in his intestines. Then I would bring him in for an exam and X-rays. I don’t expect any problem though. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Riley.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Concrete is not toxic, but it's definitely a concern for causing an obstruction in the stomach if a big piece was eaten. If he ate it within the last three hours, then it's possible that it can be retrieved from the stomach if you take him to the vet. This will require x-rays to see how much was eaten and possibly anesthesia and special instrumentation. This would be expected to be somewhat costly though - especially at an emergency clinic. This is the best option. The other option is waiting to see if it passes OK. Many times these objects are passed with no problem, but there's no way to gauruntee that he will be OK. Normal GI transit time is 3-5 days for such things. During this time you would just be waiting to see if he has any signs of an obstruction. Signs of an obstructions are vomiting, not defecating, acting very painful/depressed and a decrease in appetite. If you notice these signs, then Riley would need to go to the vet immediately for emergency surgery. I hope that helps and all is well with Riley.

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