This may seem like a surprising or odd question on the surface, but it’s a question that I get asked a lot nonetheless. Believe it or not, for pet parents this seems to be a very common problem. Puppies and adult dogs like to get into things that they shouldn’t be touching and occasionally they end up swallowing a condom. This is not an embarrassing situation by any means so don’t be embarrassed because it happens to more people than you’d think.
If you missed our prior updates, we covered some topics such as what to do when your dog eats glass, as well as what to do when your dog eats a cigarette.
We have no idea why your pooch chose to swallow this type of an object, but dogs tend to do it fairly regularly whether you know it or not. And they like to eat things of all kinds for many reasons, or they are suffering from a condition known as pica.
The medical condition known as pica is when humans or dogs or other animals eat things that aren’t technically classified as food. And it can happen for a wide range of reasons. Some of those reasons include:
- they feel bored or stressed out
- curiosity gets the better of them
- nutritional deficiencies
- lack of food
- looking for attention by misbehaving
The best way to cope with this situation is to provide your pup with lots of love, attention, exercise, and healthy and nutritious food. Make sure to always feed your dog the right amount of food that he or she requires based on the dog’s weight and height.
It’s possible your dog doesn’t have a pica. It may have dug through the trash, gotten curious, and ate the condom. It could have eaten a condom for no reason whatsoever!
How to Handle Your Dog Eating a Condom
Has your pooch swallowed a condom? Has it vomited it up yet? Or is it still in your dog’s body? If it’s still inside of your dog, it is likely moving through the intestinal tract. If this is the case, you have to keep a close eye on your pup in case it develops an intestinal blockage. The symptoms of an intestinal blockage include:
- stomach pains
- constipation – (avoid this with probiotic rich dog kibble.)
- appetite loss
- exhaustion
- nausea and heaving
An intestinal blockage can lead to a life-threatening situation. So, if you recognize any of these symptoms in your dog, you need to contact your veterinarian right away.
If your dog seems perfectly fine and doesn’t show any of the symptoms mentioned above, it’s very possible that your pup will be absolutely fine without the need for any veterinarian intervention whatsoever. Just keep an eye on your dog until the condom passes through its system. During bathroom breaks, make sure your dog doesn’t appear constipated and make sure it passes stools without any problems.
The condom may not pass through your dog’s digestive tract for a few days or it can last anywhere up to a week. So, you should keep a close eye on your dog throughout this time until the condom finally passes. Once the condom is in your dog’s poop, you’ll know that it’s safe and healthy.