# My dog swallowed a toothpick!!



## Rhu

Hello, I know I'm new here but this website has a wealth of information and I'm wondering if any of the users here could help me out...

My dog's name is Candy...she's a great dog and now I'm worried sick because she swallowed a toothpick!

Here's the story: (Bear with me on the bad grammar/sentence structure...been crying)
My dog swallowed a toothpick at 1 o' clock in the morning last night. Being a very, very concerned owner I rushed her to a 24 hour vet, and let her stay the night for the vets to see if everything will be okay.

I went to see her in the morning and the doctor that was working on her assured my family and I that our dog is fine. He went over the x-rays with us and told us that the wood could not be seen by x-rays so all he could do for suggestion is a endoscope, surgery, or wait and hopefully let the toothpick pass by. My father asked if her stomach and intestine looked fine and he replied with a yes.

So we chose to wait and brought our little doggie back home with us. What I'm worried about is that the toothpick was pretty big and my dog is just a 6lbs. I'm pretty scared, but my dog seems to be alright for now...it's been 4 hrs since she got home and she ate her food and drank plenty of water. I also gave her some medicine that the vet prescribed to us- Zantac I believe. Tomorrow we will be taking her to our family vet to get a second opinion/look.

I'm wondering if there's anything else to be worried about? I'm trying to make it very comfortable for her right now..she seems fine. She is sleeping right now with no signs of discomfort except maybe for a little bit of rapid/heavy breathing but that's been normal for her. I fed her some bread but this was about 12 hrs after she swallowed the toothpick so I really have no clue if it will help at all.

I'm so worried right now...I've read that dogs can pass a toothpick with no problems but my dog is a pretty small dog. Ugh, I also feel like beating myself up because we had an option for an endoscope when we first brought her in but the vet didn't guarantee that the toothpick would be removed since there was too much food in there, so we decided not to scope her yet...and after 10 hours pass by...i think it's too late for a scope. :smilie_tischkante:

I'm really concerned and I'm praying every moment for her that the toothpick will pass through no problems.

Thank you for reading..do any of you guys have any suggestions? It would be appreciated.


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## jmm

I surely hope it does. The thing it a toothpick is likely to perforate the stomach or intestines while trying to pass. This is a true emergency. If she seems uncomfortable in the least I would get her to the ER immediately.


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## Rhu

jmm said:


> I surely hope it does. The thing it a toothpick is likely to perforate the stomach or intestines while trying to pass. This is a true emergency. If she seems uncomfortable in the least I would get her to the ER immediately.


She seems fine as of this moment...she's running slower though but I think it's because of one of her legs was poked for an IV when she was at the vet.


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## bellaratamaltese

Oh no! Please keep us updated


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## k/c mom

Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!! JMM who answered you above ... she is an experienced vet tech so her advice is very valuable. What she says makes sense ... Please keep us updated!!

Is it possible that your little Malt chewed up the toothpick or did she swallow it whole?


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## Snowbody

OMG - Am praying that it passes and that Candy will be okay. Keep us posted. :grouphug:


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## susie and sadie

Oh, I'm so sorry! I will be praying for Candy. rayer:rayer:

Keep us updated. :grouphug:


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## Rhu

k/c mom said:


> Oh, gosh, I'm so sorry!! JMM who answered you above ... she is an experienced vet tech so her advice is very valuable. What she says makes sense ... Please keep us updated!!
> 
> Is it possible that your little Malt chewed up the toothpick or did she swallow it whole?


I really have no clue if Candy chewed it...the toothpick had a piece of chicken covering half of it so she gobbled it down pretty quickly. My mom tried to get it away from her but it was too late. My mom and dad says that Candy swallowed it with maybe some chewing for the chicken...maybe.


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## Rhu

jmm said:


> I surely hope it does. The thing it a toothpick is likely to perforate the stomach or intestines while trying to pass. This is a true emergency. If she seems uncomfortable in the least I would get her to the ER immediately.


I don't know what to believe anymore...='[. The vet tech i met in the morning said that Candy has a good chance to pass it. And the vet i met at midnight said that she had an 80% chance that she will be fine..but I'm pretty sure numbers don't mean anything right now.

When I saw her after she stayed for the night..she looked so happy to see us..tears just started rolling down my cheeks. 

She just pooped like 2 hrs ago..no toothpick yet but I'm pretty sure that batch was her dinner..so we may have to wait one more day/ tonight to see if she'll poop again, and HOPEFULLY - crosses fingers - there are some signs of the toothpick in it.


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## Kutsmail1

It sounds like you are doing a good job watching her closely. I hope she is able to pass it. 

There are a few possibilities for concern, and you will worry about all of them the longer you think on it. 

I think you are looking for specifics that you can watch for that might be helpful. I would also watch for excessive thirst, check the color of her gums, and monitor her body temperature. 

If her gums pale from the normal pinkish red, I would go on into the vet.

Excessive thirst (out of the ordinary at this time of the year), check her gums...if pale...see the vet.

If you feel her body temp has gone up, or she is very cold...go to the vet.

I think your regular vet can probably make you feel a lot more secure when you see them.

Let us know how it goes.


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## Cheri&Vi

Sounds like you did everything right! Hopefully she chewed it. She's pretty small to be swallowing it whole, so lets just hope she chewed it at least a little...
I agree with the above, watch her carefully (as you seem to be) and take her in at the slightest sign she's not doing well.

(((HUG)))
You seem like a good doggy mommy 
~~Cheri~~


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## poochie2

Oh no! 
You are doing everything you can and have gotten some good advice. I would continue to keep a real close eye on her. Good luck and pls. keep us posted !


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## Rhu

Cheri&Vi said:


> Sounds like you did everything right! Hopefully she chewed it. She's pretty small to be swallowing it whole, so lets just hope she chewed it at least a little...
> I agree with the above, watch her carefully (as you seem to be) and take her in at the slightest sign she's not doing well.
> 
> (((HUG)))
> You seem like a good doggy mommy
> ~~Cheri~~


Hahaha I just love my dog too much. I'm a guy btw..can guys still be mommys? :HistericalSmiley:

Anyways I just took her temp..it's at 99.3 F. I'll recheck it again in an hour.

Thanks for all your guy's/gal's concern...it's really helping me in a big way :]


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## kathym

Wow... I will say a prayer that she passes the toothpick that hopefully got chewed. You are doing everything that can be done. Please keep us Posted
Kathy


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## Rhu

What are some of the discomfort signs that I should keep an eye out for? I'm touching her tummy to see if she reacts to it but so far she isn't so that's a good sign i hope.

Edit: UPDATE: She just pooped a light brown poop...i shifted through it but couldn't find any wood...there was some mucus thing there or something weird..I don't know..=[.


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## Snowbody

Sorry we referred to you as a mommy. :brownbag: It's just that so many of us are women. So correction -- you're being a very good daddy!!!
I just read about the mucus. I think I would call the vet about what that stool sample was like. There wasn't blood was there? I always err on the side of caution.


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## susie and sadie

Just checking in on Candy. I hope she's doing okay this morning. :grouphug:


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## uniquelovdolce

sounds like u were a great daddy n u are watching her closely ... i hope she passes it or passed it already ... i would hope she chewed it at least a little .. how is the lil fluff doing today ?


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## Rhu

She's doing fine this morning. Woke up to check if everything was okay. No signs of discomfort or anything. Going to the vet after class! Hopefully he has something good to say...

And there was no blood in the stool so that's relieving.


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## drclee

I'm so sorry to hear this! I hope Candy chewed the toothpick and passes it today. Please continue to keep us posted.


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## Matilda's mommy

just saw your thread, I just said a prayer for you and Candy, I'll be watching updates


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## Rhu

Update:

Good news: Everything seems to be fine for Candy atm, no abdominal pain and x-rays showed nothing wrong in the stomach or the intestine.

Bad news: She has a fever at 103.4 F =[.

And as a regular poster posted, I felt really at ease at my regular vet =]. He gave us antibiotics for Candy's fever so now I'll have to wait and see if she passes anymore of the toothpick. *crosses fingers*


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## Ladysmom

Oh, dear. An infection isn't good news.


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## Rhu

Ladysmom said:


> Oh, dear. An infection isn't good news.


Yeah..I know. He gave us some antibiotics and he is also a doing a blood work. He said that there are no signs that the fever was/is triggered by the toothpick so we'll have to wait and see for the blood work.

All in all, he gave took some x-rays, some blood, and then sent us home with some antibiotics telling us he will call us tomorrow.

Edit: Err this post is scaring me and getting me worried...I don't want to lose her! ='[


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## Cheri

idk, it would seem directly related to me...but I'm not a vet lol
Hope all goes well. She should be passing it any time now!


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## susie and sadie

Thank you for updating us. I'm continuing to pray for Candy.


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## dr.jaimie

ive seen razor blades and staples pass so a good chance it will. the temp that was high...was that at home or at the vets office. dogs can get nervous at the vet and have a temp spike and that temp isnt scary high. will be hoping all passes in the end.


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## Rhu

She just threw up yellow bile. Gave her some medicine and she looks fine now.

Edit: If she throws up again I'll bring her to the emergency vet...I hope everything is alright =[. So worried...


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## poochie2

Rhu said:


> She just threw up yellow bile. Gave her some medicine and she looks fine now.
> 
> Edit: If she throws up again I'll bring her to the emergency vet...I hope everything is alright =[. So worried...


She threw up yellow bile? Is she eating and drinking okay? Sometimes IMO when they throw up yellow bile it could be because she's gone without food for a while and it could be her sugar levels.
I really hope she improves and she's okay !


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## Snowbody

I'm not sure what the yellow bile is about but is usually associated with an empty stomach. How old is Candy?


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## Rhu

A little bit of an update:

After she threw up yellow bile..I gave her some medicine and 20 mins after that she threw up white/yellowish foam with a smalllll dot of red(which i presumed was blood). In a panic, I called the emergency vet and told them what happened, and the person on the phone said that the doctor would call me back.

I cleaned up the vomit and I called my mom. She came rushing home and my dad called my auntie, she was the one who helped us find the dog when we were looking for a dog. So my cousins and aunt came over and my dog's face lit up right away..she was running, barking, jumping. It seemed like nothing happened at all. I gave her some moist chicken breast and she happily gobbled it down. 

The doctor finally called me like 30 minutes later and I told him what happened. He told me that since it was just a small dot of blood I shouldn't worry about it YET. He said that the second vomiting was probably triggered by my giving her the medicine way too fast, I was too stupid so I gave her the medicine FIVE minutes after she threw up the yellow bile...=[. The doctor told me that there's nothing to panic about yet since it was a small dot of blood and that if she vomits again with blood then I should call him or bring her in.

I'm currently cooking some white rice and boiling some chicken because I heard this meal could help an upset stomach. And for the yellow bile vomit..I think it was because she was hungry. She ate at 11:30 am this morning and then she didn't eat anything else and she threw up at around 7:11pm Pacific time. I feel so stupid because the vomiting could of probably not happened at all if I used my head a little bit =[.

I also took her temperature again..it's at 101.1 F with accuracy of +/- 0.2 F. Maybe her temperature did spike due to her being at the vet - she was shivering quite a bit..she hates the vet I guess =D.

Right now she seems fine, she's sleeping on my mom's lap as of this moment. Sorry that this update was long, but a lot happened in a course of 1-2 hrs.

Edit: Answering Snowbody she is 4 years old. She turned four only a few months ago. And yes her temperature was taken at the vet when it read 103.4 F


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## Kutsmail1

How is she doing today? I'm glad you are keeping in touch with the vet regardless of what time it is.


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## Snowbody

You are being extremely attentive to Candy. Please don't beat yourself up about when you fed her. You're getting medical advice and attention which is the most important...in addition to loving that little girl. May I ask how old you are? I know you keep talking about your mom and classes. Just wondering because you are indeed very responsible and I really have to commend you on that. :aktion033: So keep us up to date and we'll keep sending thoughts and prayers to you.:grouphug:


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## missiek

I just finished reading this thread, I hope Candy is doing better today! You are doing everything right!!! 

Kepp us informed!


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## Rhu

Candy's doing fine today. No abdominal pain, temperature looks fine :]. She's also not throwing up anymore so that's a good sign.

@Snowbody I'm only 19 and an only child so I look at Candy as if she's my littler sister hahaha.


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## Cosy

Yellow bile is a sign of an empty stomach. I'm glad to hear she is doing well and temp is normal.


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## Snowbody

Rhu said:


> Candy's doing fine today. No abdominal pain, temperature looks fine :]. She's also not throwing up anymore so that's a good sign.
> 
> @Snowbody I'm only 19 and an only child so I look at Candy as if she's my littler sister hahaha.


Wow - my 20 year old looks at my Malt as the little brother he never wanted. :w00t: Jealousy methinks He's really fine with him but wouldn't be as worried as you are. Your parents should be very proud and I'm happy you joined us.


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## uniquelovdolce

im glad she is doing better , n u r being a great big bro !! i tell my kids dolce is their brother ..lol


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## Rhu

Yeah, she's eating fine and drinking fine now. She hasn't pooped yet...I think it's because she basically threw up her meal yesterday.


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## edelweiss

partial quote by Dr. Jamie: "will be hoping all passes in the end." was this pun intended to give us a bit of comic relief? am I the only one who is laughing?:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley::


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## MORGANM

Praying that your baby is ok!


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## Orla

Hope that your malt will be okay!

My Roxy ate the whole handle of a plastic toilet brush when she was 11 months old! - she was fine!


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## dr.jaimie

edelweiss said:


> partial quote by Dr. Jamie: "will be hoping all passes in the end." was this pun intended to give us a bit of comic relief? am I the only one who is laughing?:HistericalSmiley::HistericalSmiley::


haha yes i was trying to bring a little humor to ease the stress


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## Matilda's mommy

checkin in


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## Rhu

Alright, my family vet just called me and told me that her blood work was fine. Totally normal. That's a good sign right? :]


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## poochie2

Blood work is a very good tool in determining health in general and if her blood work is fine that is GREAT news !:aktion033::aktion033::aktion033:


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## Rhu

Alright! It seems like Candy is a-okay now! Her poop is back to normal..maybe indicating that there is no longer a foreign object in her body. When she was still trying to pass the toothpick, her stool became a yellow color...I also found pieces of "wood" in her stool on Wednesday night,but I didn't mention it because i thought I was seeing things.

Now that she's acting normal, temperature is steady at 101.5F, stool is normal, no abdominal pain..I really believe she's fine now :]!

I thank all of the members of spoiled maltese-especially the one's that posted in this topic- for their prayers, input, and well wishes..it helped me a lot and I'm sure it helped Candy in passing her toothpick as well :]

Once again, Thank you all!


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