Waiting to hear back from vet (that I don't have a lot of confidence in as my own is on holiday atm), but wondered what others thought.  My young lab managed to get into the garage where the food bin is and and eat her fill.  Her tummy is llike a drum and she's looking sorry for herself.  has anyone else had this happen?  What was the action - should I take her to the vet to make her sick?  Knowing my vets, they will want to do everything and more.  Not that I'd have itany other way if it was necessary, it's just that they tend to over do everything and charge a fortune).

Year ago we had a lurcher. collie/whippet cross..she came from a gipsy camp at aprox 9 weeks old and would scavenge anything...one day she climbed on top of the cupboards and ate 8lb of frozed tripe plus plastic bags..she was like a drum and the vet said wait and see..we did, not a hint of a problem..she just walked round like a drum for a few hours and then came looking for her tea!!! I will add we watched her very very closly for signs of trouble but dogs tummys are good at sorting out this kind of overeating they are built to eat what is available at the time and in the wild will gorge themselves one day and starve for the next couple till another meal comes along...ever the oportuists! Just keep avery close eye on her and don't go out and leave her in case of problems but she will probably be OK. Sam I hasten to add did not even have a squishy tum...never one for letting a meal go once she had got it in her tum....
Aileen
I will just add that this was tripe. and that doesn't swell so may be different for you if it was dried food she ate?

Thanks Merlot - I feel somewhat relieved.  My only worry is that as it was dried food it will expand in her stomach.

JenP - were this my dog I'd definitely get her to the vet asap. 

Other folks experiences are personal to their individual dogs and while some may have needed do little or nothing that's not necessarily applicable to your girl.  Especially since it appears this was dry (kibble) food she's gorged on.

JG posted a few months back of a pup which need emergency surgery having gorged on more than it's weight of dry food.  That ref may have no relevance here,  but IMO it takes a professionally trained adviser who has the opportunity to examine the individual concerned to be sure of a safe outcome.

For me cost wouldn't come into it.

Good luck, Teri

I saw an operation on a dog that had eaten a bag of dried food (Animal Cops, Animal Planet) and it was touch and go.  I think the concern was that the food was dried and so will expand inside the dog which can cause the stomach to rupture.

Thanks for the replies - Teri, it's not so much the cost as the unnecessary treatment.

The vet has just called to say she doesn't think there should be a problem, but is going to check with the senior partner.

If it weren't for the fact that it is dried food, I wouldn't worry so much.

I think it this sort of situation I would rather have a vet that will over do things rather than under do them.  It sounds like she is in the safest hands :-)

Well, just had a call back from the vet who had spoken to the senior partner, and it wasn't what I was expecting.

They said they wouldn't induce vomitting unless it was poisonous or the dog was in obvious distress.  They said that as it was purely from overeating, if it was too much for the stomach to cope with she would vomit anyway.  And didn't seem bothered that it was dried food.  I am to restrict water and no exercise, but other than that, just keep an eye on her.  Fortunately, there is a 24 hour vet about 15 minutes away.

Can see as sleepless night ahead.

Obviously you are going to keep a close eye on her, but if it's any reassurance, my 6.5 kg terrier once ate around a kilo of dried food. She looked like a barrel, and obviously had a bit of a tummy ache, but was right as rain by the next morning, and a little put out when she didn't get her usual breakfast :)

my pup managed to eat a half loaf of bread and several flour tortillas when he was 5months old and his tummy was big, so i rushed him straight to vet (although im a vet nurse, it all goes out window when its my own animal) they werent too worried but opted to keep him in for several hours to monitor girth size and keep a close eye on him, after 4 hours they called me to say he was fine, had toileted and his tummy was right down and i could get him home. best to be safe than sorry. wasnt my own practice as they are 45mins away and this was the small local one 10mins away.

As Teri mentioned, I posted a few months back of a pup which need emergency surgery having gorged on more than its weight of dry food. It wasn't possible to make it vomit, and it certainly would have died if the vet hadn't operated (2kg+ of food removed from an 8-week terrier puppy!). Luckily the pup had been insured and so the owner only had to pay the excess from a £900 bill.

So I'd say take the dog to the vet asap.

Thanks Jeangenie.
Mine is also insured, so money isn't what was concerning me, but doing unnecessary treatments (which they have a bit of a reputation for).

Having said that, they said not to bring her in and just keep an eye on her. 

She's been sick a couple of times this evening, although only a little.  Has also passed a couple of largish stools.

A child visitng my home with my small neice opened and left open the door to my animal food store area.My puppy german sh pointer  ate so much  dried food it was a touch and go. I did not realise what was going on, at first  he was a bit off, then suddenly he just went flat.I felt his stomach and OMG. It was a Sunday Lunchtime so only emergency vet cover. I  ended up  in the surgery with a nurse and a vet trying to get the stuff out of his stomach. I had the lovely job of emptying the buckets.
I am under no illusion we could well have lost him. I am absolutley paranoid about fat or hard bellies now.
And the shed is now padlocked !

My friends dog did this just as we were all going on a camping trip with the dogs. She went straight to the vets, can't recall what they did but he wasn't well, though she came along later with the dog who was feeling rather sorry for himself. He also was a lab with a huge appetite. This was dry complete food as well. She was told to go straight to the vets.

How is he this morning?

What a little scamp. Hows he doing this morning?!

Lol, my poodle Jack got into the bin and gorged on an unfinished Chicken Chowmein!  This is the dog with the "sensitive" stomach.  He's normally pretty bony so when I walked into the flat to see him waddling and wagging his tail, looking pleased with himself I was so upset, thinking he was going to get bloat and die.  Needless to say I stayed up with him as he slept like a baby, his stomach full of gas.  In the morning he was right as rain.  I think if it was dried dog food it would have been a different kettle of fish.  I normally always put the bin in a different room as they like to "play" with it, but this time I forgot.  My colleague was looking after another colleague's lab for the weekend, went out for a bit then came back to find the dog dead in the kitchen, the bag of cereal still on it's head. 

Thanks all for your thoughts.

She's fine now (thankfully).  I kept her water intake to a minimum, and aside from a few very large poos, appears fine, apart from the and confusion and upset on her face when she had to watch my other one have breakfast while her bowl was empty.

Not an experience I want to repeat though, and will definately get a food bin with catches. 

I'd just add, that although she looked uncomfortable, she was never distressed.  Judging by what was left in the bag, I don't think it was nearly as much  as those mentioned in previous threads.

[quote]apart from the and confusion and upset on her face when she had to watch my other one have breakfast while her bowl was empty.[quote]

Glad shes okay, that bit above was so sad though!

GREAT NEWS :) :) :)

Thanks for the update!
Teri