Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

My puppy ate a pen. What if she swallowed plastic or ink?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Labrador Retriever | Female | 4 months and 9 days old

I have a labradoodle puppy about 4 months old and she got into a pen while I was gone. I think I got most of the pieces but I'm not sure. I know a lot of ink was on my carpet. Should I be concerned?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on November 4th, 2019

These little pieces of plastic should pass without problem, but they may cause some damage to the GI tract if they are sharp. If you see blood in the poop, diarrhea, or a loss of appetite, have Nila seen by a vet.

Vote icon

3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What should I do if my dog ate parts of a pen including some ink?
Hello, and thanks for your question about Willow. From your picture, it looks like she probably ingested very little if at all. She will most likely do just fine. Small pieces of plastic will typically pass without incident. If she's acting totally normal, you can monitor her for symptoms of GI upset (vomiting, decreased appetite, diarrhea, lethargy) - or to be on the safe side have her seen by your vet to get abdominal x-rays and make sure everything looks ok. Of course, if you're already seeing symptoms then send her in to be examined. But if she's acting fine, I suspect she'll be fine. :-) Hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Grooming
Hi, Cashew chewed a pen and there were small shards of the plastic everywhere on my bed. Also, I saw ink on his back teeth, which I cleaned up with his toothbrush and toothpaste. What should I do regarding the fact that he may have ingested a piece o
Hi, I think if the pieces of plastic are quite small, they are likely to pass through his tummy without causing any issues. At this point in time, you can keep an eye for any signs relating to gastro-intestinal problems. Is Cashew eating well and passing normal faeces ? Is any sickness occurring ? If you haven't noticed any abnormal signs, you just ned to keep an eye on his faeces over the next few days, and make sure he is not straining nor in any pain. Hopefully Cashew is like my dog and destroys things without swallowing them ! Thank you for using Boop by Petco !
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My pup chew into a pen he got ink in his mouth he about 4 months old what should i do
Writing ink is generally not toxic, and must be consumed in large quantities before medical attention is needed. The amount of ink contained in a pen is unlikely to cause toxicity in Pancho, but I would be more concerned if he ate the pen portion itself. If he hasn't, gently flush out his mouth with warm water, and clean any ink in his mouth. You can monitor him for signs of ink toxicity (vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy, mouth irritation), and if you see any of those signs, take him into the vet right away. Otherwise, I think he will be ok :-)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 2yr old 65lb goldendoodle chewed a pen. It seems like she hasn’t swallowed any plastic by looking at the remains but she bursted the ink. She’s eating and seems ok. She only ate it about an hour ago though. What should I do?
Ink in a pen is generally non-toxic, and she would have needed to consume a lot of it for medical attention to be required. The amount of ink contained in this pen is unlikely to cause her any problems, and if she didn't eat any part of the pen itself, she should be fine. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 10 week old pupp just chewed up and ate a whole pencil.... what do I do?!
IT could definitely cause him some problems, especially if he ingested some pieces of pencil before chewing them properly. you will have to monitor him closely in the next 2-3 days, make sure he is not vomiting, not constipated and eating well. if you start seeing any of those signs- you should take him to the vet ASAP.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog ate plastic. What do I do? It was a mechanical pencil and we think he coughed up some. There’s some here, we don’t think metal was eaten. But he’s small. Only 20 lbs.
If Rocket chewed the pencil he may not have any problems. If he ingested a larger piece or the whole pencil then there might be risk for intestinal obstruction. You should monitor him closely and contact your vet if you see any vomiting, decreased appetite or diarrhea.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 2 yr old shitzu ate the tip of a plastic pen and most of a sandwich size ziploc. What should I do?
If Mary ate these items within the past 2 hours, then you should take her to a pet ER right away, where she can receive an injection to make her vomit. that way the plastic does not enter the intestines and cause an obstruction. Please take her to a pet ER now.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My ten pound toy poodle MAY agave ingested a tiny piece or two of plastic from a zip lock bag that containers treats. She tries to rip open the bag, the holes look more like rips than bites, but I'm worried she ingested a piece or two? Will she be ok
A tiny piece of plastic like this is unlikely to cause any problems with Ella. You can monitor her for signs of GI obstruction which would include vomiting, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, and lethargy. If these occur, then she should see her vet right away, but I don't expect that to occur with the small amounts she may have ingested, they will likely just pass through her GI tract. You can feed her something high in fiber to help the passing, such as a piece of whole wheat bread or a teaspoon or two of canned pumpkin.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
my dog ate an expo marker. will she be okay???
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! The ink or color in these markers now is usually non toxic. The main concern is the possibility of an intestinal obstruction. If she swallowed the marker whole then the main concern would a possible obstruction that may require therapy via endoscopy or most likely surgery. If this is the case, I recommend that you have her evaluated by your local emergency clinic tonight for further assessment and possible treatment. It is possible that this could pass but seems less likely given its size even if she is a larger dog. Best of luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My dog who is 3 years old, about 15 pounds, he swallowed a colored pencil and I don't know what to do.
That was naughty of Kobe! At this point in time, there is nothing you can do but monitor him. It is not recommended to include vomiting, as it may do damage to his esophagus on the way out. This pencil may or may not pass, and you should monitor him for the next 72 hours for signs of obstruction. They include vomiting, diarrhea, blood in the feces (trauma to the GI tract from the pencil), anorexia, lethargy, and constipation. Should Kobe show any of those signs, I would take him into a vet immediately. You can give him a slice of whole wheat bread now, and one with every meal to try to form a ball of ingesta around the pencil to cushion it as it passes through the GI tract, Keep an eye on his feces for the pencil, and if it doesn't appear in 72 hours, I would take him into the vet for an exam.
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Dog Toys Dog Food Dog Supplies Plastic Dog Pens Dog Health & Wellness Plush Dog Toys Dog Stool Eating Deterrent Puppy Food Small Animal Supplies Dog Gates & Pens MyPet Plastic Dog Pens Iris Plastic Dog Pens EveryYay Plastic Dog Pens Puppy Go Potty Richell Plastic Dog Pens Nylabone Puppy Go Potty Dog Supplies Puppy Dog Food Greenies Puppy Food Pet Life Pop Up Dog Pens
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored