My 2 year old Working type ESS swallowed a whole sweetcorn husk last night. I've been watching her since and she doesnt' appear to be suffering any ill effects, but I realise it's early days :-( Is there anything I can do, like dose her with cod liver oil, to easy the passage? She's eaten her supper last night, and been full of beans and bugnuts today - will soaking her Burns dog food tonight help?
Thanks

Digger (sleepless in Bletchley!)

Dogs seem to be able to hold items in their stomach for several days, I've had a pair of socks 'returned' after 4 days and a whole Kinder Egg after 5, so it may well return. Think I would have induced vomiting when it happened, but it's too late now. Sit tight and hope it returns one way or the other but I would contact the vet if you are at all worried. JH

I did query the idea of inducing vomiting when I spoke to the vet, but she said, bearing in mind the size and shape, it could do more damamge on the way up again.......

I would have been wrong then. JH

Hi

Keep a close eye on your springer, although the kernels etc, will be digestable the cob itself is not.

I nearly lost one of my BT's 2 years ago, he had swallowed part of a corn on the cob, which had stayed in his stomach, till it digested enough to pass into the intestine, where it caused a total blockage.

Watch for continuous vomiting and pain in the stomach, the vomiting tends to be projectile and is usually after eating or drinking. The dog can dehydrate very quickly at this stage and it is imperative that you seek immediateveterinary advice if vomiting starts.

We had not had corn on the cob in this house for at least 3 weeks when my dog started vomiting, so keep a close eye on your springer for quite a few weeks.

Regards
Daz

THEY DONT ABSORBE-I JUST WATCHED A PROGRAM A WEEK OR SO AGO WHERE THE DOG HAD EATEN A COB, IT WAS CRITICALLY ILL, THEY NEARLY LOST IT, THE COB HAD BEEN THERE QUITE A WHILE BEFORE THE DOG SHOWED ANY ILL SIGNS- BY THEN IT HAD THE START OF PERONITISE, IT WAS TOUCH AND GO FOR A WHILE, IF IT WHERE MINE AND I NEW FOR SURE IT HAD SWALLOWED IT I WOULD BE TAKING IT FOR AN XRAY TO SEE WHATS GOING ON IN THERE.

Sorry to disagree Dizzy but you watched a programme, I experienced it first hand and as I have a very good relationship with my vet, actually saw the partly digested cob when it was removed.

As I said previously the kernels were digested by the stomach acids but the cob woiuld not digest hence when it was small enough to pass into the intestine it did. What you have to remember is that dogs will eat raw vegetable and therefore their stomach acids are very capable of digesting roughage. Oh, and by the way not sure if an x-ray would show up, my dog had to have an ultra sound to discover what was there.

Hence the fact that my dog became critically ill from the intestine being blocked and his whole system shutting down. He was on a drip for 24 hours before they could even operate.

The owner of this springer has contacted her vet so they are aware of the situation.

I was just warning her of the symptoms to look out for if the dog has not regurgated the cob without her knowing.

Looking back I should have seen that my dog had been having occasional stomach pains and vomiting in the weeks before he became ill, but with BT's this is not that unusual as they tend to eat anything and everything they can, but normally bring it back themselves. I still feel guilty about not noticing.

Regards

Daz

I had the same hound opened up twice for corn on the cob blockage!!!! It did show up on the x-ray!

Dizzy, take your CAPS LOCK off at once :D it makes your posting very hard to read. Thanx :-) Leigh

Dizzy, I saw that programme too and the cob was removed from the dog's intestines so what Daz has experienced probably happened to that dog too.

I have had to induce vomiting a couple of times as my naughty pup has a fettish for socks and basically anything he shouldn't have. It's not nice inducing vomiting and I felt terrible for him watching him retch but things like socks can cause so much damage and they rarely show up on x-rays. Of course it was my fault he had access to the socks in the first place but god he is so fast and just stuffs things into his mouth. All doors are kept shut now, washing basket is locked away and my house is very very tidy ;-)

HI Fran

So sorry to hear of your worries with Missy - I think the best you can do is just heed the advice given and watch her very carefully.....hope she'll just pass it.....I will keep my fingers crossed for you.

I'm always having to watch Banya for eating stuff - she started with gravel and graduated to socks, wallpaper, bannisters, but thankfully doesn't swallow much...she was off colour a while ago after nibbling at, we suspect, a mushroom which had emerged in the garden and did I feel bad!!! :(

Did your vet make any particular suggestions, or just to "wait and see"?

Lindsay

Hi all,

Update on Missy - she's still full of beans (and one must assume sweetcorn :-() there was a bowel movement this morning but it was small (for her). I am still debating wether to get her xrayed I must admit, whilst I don't want her undergoing an unecesary op ofcourse, the thought of living for three weeks (or perhaps more) waiting for this wretched thing to reappear is not pleasant.

Glad to hear Banya is doing OK - think yourself lucky she sticks to sock! Bonnie once took off round the garden with one of my bras!! Luckily it was wayyyyyyyyy to big for her to swallow <G> Unluckily a couple of friends of mine were walking down the footpath that runs alongside the garden as I was chasing her............... :-{

Claire,

If your lucky Harris may grew out of it.

My Labrador at 2 and a half is a devil for getting hold of things she shouldn't and then eating them tissues and toilet roll carboard being her favorites.

I to try to keep things out of her reach but with a 3 year old child it is not always so easy you should see the amount of cuddly toys of my Daughters that have ears missing lol.

Karen

I remember a friend of mine dog eating a hare skin which she had hung up to dry. Fortunately it didn't do her dog any harm.

Talking about swallowing things, how can I stop my dog swallowing elastic bands??

Apart from keeeping them out of the way , I don't think you can. JH

By getting your fingers down their throat before the band goes down :D

Seriously - I have had my fingers right down my dogs throats before. They will eat anything given half the chance so thats what you have to avoid, give them no chance at all. If you succeed - you are truly wonder woman :). Dogs have the most amazing knack of finding stuff where you see nothing!!

Good luck

Pam n the boys

Years ago I went round to a friend's house just before Christmas. They had a spaniel. They had been to work that day and left aforementioned spaniel and a14lb thawing turkey on the side. Came home to find dog about 10lbs heavier and turkey nowhere in sight (not even the carcass). Wrote it down to experience. After I had left that night they found the large carcass under the cushion of the chair which I had been sitting:-) I am obviously not a princess. (you know the fairy story about the Princess and the Pea?) The dog suffered no ill effects !!
PS I'm so pleased I manaced to do a smiley face I'm going to do another one:-)

Update on Missy - still no visible signs of anything - pain and discomfort, or the offending corn husk. I did think this morning she may have 'produced' something - but it was the pizza crust she'd theived - will this dog never learn (but then if I can't, how can I expect her to huh?)
I loved the story about the turkey though - has any one heard the 'dogs in elk story'? It's hillarious, I can post it here if you'd like, be warned it's long, but V V funny <G>

Digger, post it in Foo :-) We could all do with a laugh ! Leigh

Posted on Foo as requested <G>

I got a Turkey story. Way back when I had only one Elkhound, she was boarding with my friend and her Welsh Springers.

Her grandchild was being Christened and turkey was on the menu. the turkey had been put on top of the cooker to thaw, as that was just out of reach of the dogs (well th springers anyway!)

While the dogs were shut in the kitchen,so she could get things ready in the dining and sitting room for the visitors, my Elkhound lifted the Turkey off the cooker, and my firend came in to find the four dogs very quietly and agreeably chomping on the Turkeys backside!

They had managed to remove all of one leg and the second drumstick, this was a 20lb Bird.

She took the Turkey, washed it thoroughly, did a bit of trimming, and roasted the remains. Needless to say it was carved out of view of the guests!!!

LOL - oh help!!! This is getting silly - I read that last message as 'daughters who have ears missing!' WOT???????