What if he swallowed glass?
 

I'm freaking out. My puppy 11 mos may have swallowed glass. But I don't know for sure. I found glass on the floor and the kids informed me they broke one but thought it was all up. We have tile floors so glass shatters everywhere. I swept really good and found some shards. But then I heard him drop something that reminded me of glass hitting tile, I went quickly to get a treat for him to drop what was in his mouth but he had swallowed it.

I then decided to clean more and vacuumed the rug close to the kitchen and found more glass. Confident it was all up, I started working again but then it seemed he had something in his mouth. This time he dropped it and it was 2 pieces (dime size) of glass!! His mouth is not bloody. He is eating treats and water and acting fine.

Hubby says vet can't do anything if he swallowed glass. Please help is this true? It's 9:43pm vet closed should I call animal hospital?

I'd call the ER Vet right away...

Well, I'd have to recommend calling the ER to check with them. But honestly I agree with your husband. They can't induce vomiting for sharp things. Some vets will have owners feed something soft like bread to try and engulf the sharp object. This may not be helpful though, esp. because everything churns in the stomach anyway. Some vets may also suggest feeding small meals every four to six hours to get it to move through quickly.

One of my sogs has severe pica and found glass on the floor. Even he did not swallow it. It was a tiny piece and he spit it out.

I just searched the internet and found this. What to do if your dog eats glass - snopes.com There were a few websites that recommend dipping a cottonball in half & half and feeding it to your dog; however, I think I would go directly to the emergency vet because I am extremely paranoid. I hope someone can give you good advice. Best of wishes!

I called the ER and she said with no blood we need to watch him. Watch for his stool, urine and if he vomits. Acting fine and barking at the frogs. I will keep you posted. I guess I will no more by next stool right? I will call my vet in the morn when they open to just be sure.

I think a ER visit and x-rays to be totally sure is best !

One of mine ate a small glass Christmas ornament....I was hysterical...the ER vet told me to take a piece of bread, put a moderate amount of mayonaise on the slice of bread, spread out evenly about 4-5 cotton balls, and then take scissors and cut that slice of bread/cotton, into 1"squares and feed it to the dog...the cotton will snag around any sharp glass, the mayonaise will lubricate it going down as well as facillitate bowel movment. It worked....I found little pieces of red glass Christmas ornament encased safely in wads of cotton....

OK folks...as for that cotton ball treatment...this came up once before on YT and I begged to differ with people then and will again.

IF any of my pups ate any kind of glass I would be out of the house immediately and on my way to the vet....if day time the regular vet; weekends and nights...Emergency Clinic. Period. I would not ask anyone online what to do...I would not even stop to log in to ask. That's just me. Some things just worry me and ingestion of glass would be high on my list of a reason to consult with a vet.

What I WILL say is this: that "treatment" is all over the internet and it proves one thing to me: People believe everything they read. Not one of those sites was one I would consider reputable...ie: not from a vet school or a site like Merck or PubMed

I have asked multiple vets including emergency vets about that cotton ball and milk "treatment' and each one of them has looked at me like I had rocks in my head.
I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest it is NOT a good thing to do....but, if any of you believe it might work, the ONLY thing I can suggest is to ask a vet yourself.

I am happy to see that you called the EC! More than likely she did not really eat glass....I surely hope not. :) I will look for an update tomorrow.

Haha! I thought it sounded weird but I also thought it was interesting that there were a lot people believing in it. Personally, I would react like you would if I was is that situation.

One of my Boxer's had demodex (sp?) mange and there were so many people that told me to put motor oil on it!!!! :eek::eek::eek: Of course I took him to the vet.

OMG motor oil??!?! I just laughed out loud on that one....my pups are looking at me like I am strange. :D

It really is amazing the things people can come up with and/or believe.

This was given to me by an emergency vet when I rushed the dog to the ER. People can do whatever they choose to do...bottom line, it worked! It isnt voo-doo medicine....it was given to me by an ER vet...I would certainly hope the person whose dog swallows glass has enough sense to rush to a vet or an ER if their vet is closed....if that vet tells them to do what this vet told ME to do, they can either follow the directions or not, their choice...but it isnt a myth...it works. hahahahahahahahah.....

Don't feel like you need to justify your actions. I was a tech for many yrs & the cotton is what we used for most sharp objects. Also when my cousin was little he swallowed a screw & my Aunt took him to the ER & YES they fed him cotton rite there at the ER & sent my aunt home with some to continue to feed him for the next 2 days. BUT it has to be real cotton, not the imitation.

This is an example of a more natural approach, lol.

I had fed my 4 pups coconut chips during a group training session one day. They all appeared to chew the chips, but to be on the safe side I broke many chips into smaller pieces, thinking, too, that the stomach acids would be able to break them down even if they were swallowed.

Well, two days later, Sapphire is acting a bit uncomfortable, but otherwise fine, just changing positions alot. This continued the next day, and I was getting ready to take her to the vet, when I found a hairball on the floor. I have cats too, so I don't know where this came from, or who it came from. I thought a cat produced it, and Sapphire ate it then pooped it out. She was definitely acting better now.

Upon closer inspection, this was not from any color of cat that I own. I thought I saw something white at the very end of it, so I touched it with a toothpick and it was as hard as a rock. So I decided to dissect it. The hairs were intertwined so tight I had to cut it apart using sharp scissors. I got the white thing out, thinking gosh that looks familiar but I couldn't place it.

Then it came apart a little bit and I helped it apart the rest of the way. It was the coconut chips she had eaten, but they had been packed together like the chips you get in a can of Pringles, lol. I had given her the chips one by one, maybe 10 in all, over the space of 45 minutes or so.

She must have pulled some of her hair out and ate it, which very effectively surrounded the chips and kept them from doing any damage to her intestines. None of the other pups had any problem with the coconut chips... even my 15 year old Peek a Boo had eaten some.

The hairball was about 2-3 inches long and the size around of what her normal stool looks like. No more coconut chips for my pups!

I do know that hair can cause a blockage in dogs, especially small dogs, as can cotton, stuffing from toys, etc. I think it's more important to cut the cotton into very small sections, almost shredded, and be sure to lubricate it well, as dry cotton will absorb moisture from the gut and will get stuck if too dry. Sapphire's hair at the time was maybe 1-1.5 inches long... so more short than long, and I've always fed her canned food mixed with dry, so that may have helped to keep things lubricated enough to pass on it's own. She also gets coconut oil on her food. Looking back on this now, I think she was very lucky....

What vet? I have wanted to hear this from a professional ever since the first time I saw it posted. I have honestly asked so many and have yet to find one.
I am not saying you are not telling the truth...just asking for proof from a professional. I asked another person who posted it and she did not want to provide a vet's name.

I don't know why someone would not want to justify something that sounds a bit off.
No one should do something for/to their pet or to themselves without knowing it is a professional who recommended it. At least that is my personal opinion and I will continue to say that and recommend a vet for emergency situations such as the ingestion of glass.

OP how's your sweet boy doing?

I , too, have seen this treatment of cotton balls for swallowing glass / sharp objects. It seems so strange to me because if one of my babies ate a cotton ball, I think I'd be taking them to the vet for fear of an intestional blockage! I did decide to ask my daughter, an ER physician at one of the busiest trauma centers in the country, if they ever treat patients, children or adults, with cotton for swallowing glass or sharp objects. Her response to me was "We don't routinely stock cotton balls for human consumption." She then asked me how the cotton would surround the glass? Her next response was "Your esophagus and stomach constantly peristalses. The patient would need to be observed / imaged to see where the object was." She then said she was scared to ask me where I had heard of this "remedy". She also has two yorkies and said she would immediately take them to the vet or emergency clinic if she suspected they had swallowed glass or any sharp object. Just another opinion on the cotton ball treatment. I hope your little guy is OK this morning!

1) This may sound "a bit off" to some, but it is a treatment that has been used for YEARS in human medicine as well as vet medicine. I was a "vet tech" before such a profession existed, from 1966-1970, and this was something that was done on numerous occasions. New graduate vets may not be familiar with this particular practice, but it is NOT something that was dreamed up or invented by people hell bent on killing pets on YorkieTalk!

2) I have NEVER submitted ANYTHING to ANYONE on this forum, under the pretense or the insinuation that I am a vet. Everything I have ever passed on to anyone with issues or questions, has been information I have either garnered from first hand experience or from incidences related to me from professional sources. TO IMPLY THAT I NEED TO JUSTIFY, WITH A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF ATTENDING PHYSICIANS, VETERNARIANS, OR VET SURGEONS, SO CONFRONTATIONAL, OVER ZEALOUS PEOPLE ON THIS FORUM CAN THEN CONTACT THESE PROFESSIONALS IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISCREDIT THEM OR ME, IS ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS!

3) When I come on this forum and offer to share experiences that I personally have had and ANY treatments I have used because of these experiences, the implication that I would intentionally advise anyone on here to do something that would cause harm to their pet out of sheer ignorance or based on some kind of "a bit off" voo-doo medical practice, is offensive, mean spirited, overtly aggressive and confrontational. JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH A PARTICULAR TREATMENT, OR JUST BECAUSE YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH SOMETHING ANYONE ELSE OFFERS AS A SOLUTION THAT WAS SHARED BECAUSE IT CAME FROM QUALIFIED VET COUNCEL, DOES NOT MEAN IT IS STUPID OR "A BIT OFF" or invalid.

4) I am in no way trying to make YOU look like an idiot or question everything you contribute to any conversation on this forum. You have a following on here which is wonderful....it is not anything I feel I need, or am striving to acquire. I certainly did not join this forum to establish a "following". If anyone reads anything I post, and it helps them in their quandry, or helps their pet, then I am thrilled for them. I can guarantee you NOTHING I ever post will do harm to their pet. They may not agree with my advice or recommendation, and that is fine. I do not have any intention of providing you or anyone else, with a list of ANY professionals I have gained an effective working knowledge base from OVER MANY YEARS, not because, as implied, they simply do not exist, but because there actually are zealots on this forum that have the unmittigated gall to think they can then attack these professional people personally, simply because THEY have the pompous attitude that THEY are are know all - be all - do all- authorities on everything, and they offer the only valid solution to any problem presented! Just because THEY are not familiar with, or just because the vets THEY use, do not do it, are not familiar with it, or choose to apply another methodology of treatment, does not make any and all other solutions offered, invalid, ridiculous, or unheard of.

My participation on this forum is becoming more of a situation where I am being asked to "justify" my positions or my solutions or my recommedations. It is then backe up with a challenge to not do so, automatically makes me and the suggestion, "a bit off" or invalid. I no longer have the time or the interest in having my suggestions or my input on this forum, being challenged and me being put in a position of providing justification for my entries, backed by a bibliography of "qualified" professionals, so that those professionals can then be publically discredited or humiliated. I leave it to you ladyjane, to supply ANY and ALL the information anyone going on this site for help, ever needs to know or hear....just YOUR angle, YOUR information, YOUR infallible methods...you have the best vets, the best information, the best solutions for everyone that comes on here for help. God forbid, someone with any other ideas or solutions should offer any other ideas, without first clearing that information and the sources of that information, with "ladyjane" for validity, usefullness, or safety.....because if SHE has not approved it, or seen it, or heard of it, or if HER circle of professionals do not do it, then it most certainly is not accurate or a valid method of treatment. I never got on here to become involved in contests with other members of who knows the most about everything. I have no intention of getting into a pizzing contest with other members about help I offer. I am done with this. I am outta here with my "bit off" suggestions, even if they do come from professional sources that are NOT quacks in professional circles.

I hope you continue to help others. No one on here is superior to anyone else when it comes to knowlege although sometimes it comes accross That someone is. You just have to ignore those posts and post your advice. I know if admin saw this thread theY would say the same or similar.

As someone who works in an EC- please always seek medical treatment in an emergency. If you choose to provide medical advice or suggestions- I find it absolutely imperative to provide evidence based medicine. No reason to be defensive. Provide your evidence or don't suggest options that people might follow. There's liability in that. Granted we are talking about dogs, not humans, but there is an ethical and moral responsilibity in suggesting treatment options. Please take that into consideration. I do see some defensive responses in here who are still offering suggestions without being about to support it. Please read skepticism in that from my response. It took an entire 30 seconds to google this answer. Michigan Veterinary Specialists - Gastrointestinal Foreign Body
I am not a vet. I was not trained in veterinary medicine. I would offer this- if you present to the ED with a complaint would you rather a physician willing to explain his/her reasoning or one that dismisses concern without explanation? I know where I stand, and will back up my medical suggestions with evidence. I have to. I will repeat- please seek treatment if you find yourself in a medical emergency. Or your dogs. That's why people go to school for this. Also, if newer MD's don't know about a treatment or therapy, it's likely not because they missed that day of class- it's likely because it is an outdated practice and no longer recognized as standard of care. For example- shoving a garden size tube down someone's throat to pump a stomach. Medicine is constantly evolving and changing and certain practices fall in and out of favor. No need to respond to this with inflammatory capital letters- just my 2 cents, for what they are worth. If it were either of my two guys- I'd be sitting in the EC with them. To who started this post, I hope your baby is doing well.

Also, of note, cotton balls can, in themselves, provide problems if ingested in animals this small. Proceed with caution.

No one told her to use the cotton ball method. No one told her not to go to a vet. Someone just relayed her own experience on here and what the ER vet told her to do. I dont understand why feathers were ruffled on here. There is room on here for someone to post their own experience

My original response is pending approval. Please review once posted- not sure why on hold.

That happens when you dont have many posts they review the posts as a means to control spam from getting on here. Keep posting because It will stop happening when you have so many posts. I dont know the number of how many though

I think it's 15...

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Yorkiemom1 I am not going to quote your personal attack post....yes, it IS a personal attack. I am simply going to call it as I see it. I dare to ask where you got your information? There are plenty of posts on this forum of people asking for supportive information when someone posts something. I have seen many of those lately....and people simply answered. They did not come back and attack the person who asked.

I stand by what I said....until I find a professional in veterinary medicine who can back up this cotton ball "treatment" I will not do it and will continue to question it. Of course, I would not really do what a person online told me to do anyway but many would. I have seen this stuff come up before and rather than ignore it, I post advice suggesting that IF people want to follow this advice, they should consult with their vet. That's ALL. Not sure why you have chosen to attack me personally because I asked you for supportive documentation. I "do" think it sounds a bit off...so what?????

And since many vets I have spoken with felt it was not a reasonable thing to do, I posted saying JUST THAT. I asked for supportive documentation...instead I got lamblasted for daring to question something. :rolleyes: I really WOULD like to find a vet who could tell me this is a treatment used....also now that someone is suggesting it is useful in human medicine I would also like to have that information.

I don't understand how people get so upset...why so defensive? Simply state where you got the information. How hard is that? sheesh

You did demandl her to justify it and no one has to justify anything to anyone on here but admin and mods. There is no one else on here superior to them to
ask someone to justify something