Swallowed a cocktail stick - help!!

[stuffster]

I was handing my son a chicken satay on a cocktail stick (about 2-3inches long) and he dropped in on the floor and before I could reach it, Alfie grabbed it and swallowed it whole.

I've rung the vet and she has said there is nothing she can do, and that making him sick may be worse for him. She said it will come out one end or the other or possible perforate his bowel, in which case we will know about it and to call her immediately if we think that this has happened! 

Has anyone had anything similar happen? What did you do and how did the dog fare?

Im worried sick - I think I'll sleep on the sofa tonight so I can keep an eye on him. Should I try feeding him something bulky like mashed potato or something to pad out his bowels to help its journey through.

[Clover]

Did the vet not recommend anything ?  I'm not sure what would be the best thing, hope things pass uneventful.  I think I would ring the vets again, if they didn't give any advice originally.

[bluegirl]

Poor thing.

I'd be tempted to fed more in an attempt for it to have something to wrap round the stick and so it passes quicker. I'd be checking poops to to see if a stick is in it.

[Helen]

Poor thing.

I'd be tempted to fed more in an attempt for it to have something to wrap round the stick and so it passes quicker. I'd be checking poops to to see if a stick is in it.

me too 

[spanielcrazy]

was it wood or plastic? If it was wood the stomach juices should soften it and help it pass

Hope everything goes allright   

[Joules]

Poor thing.

I'd be tempted to fed more in an attempt for it to have something to wrap round the stick and so it passes quicker. I'd be checking poops to to see if a stick is in it.

me too 

Me three - maybe some bread/mashed potato or something stodgy like that  

Hope he's OK  

[stuffster]

was it wood or plastic? If it was wood the stomach juices should soften it and help it pass

Hope everything goes allright   

It was wood. My little 'un snapped one with his fingers easily so hopefully they are pretty soft already. OH thinks we should wait a while for the stomach acid to do its stuff before feeding him.

Bread is a good idea thanks.

[Joules]

Hopefully the stomach acid will do its stuff then - better have the rubber gloves and magnifying glass ready to inspect the poo   

[silly milly]

i hope every thing passes smoothly . sending our love x

[bibathediva]

That must have been painful going down  and might be doubly painful coming out  ...hope he is ok 

[tillyson]

hope Alfie is ok today

[stuffster]

Alfie seems fine so far - playing happily with Purdey etc, but despite all my best efforts to fill him out with bulky stuff - brown bread and well-soaked warm kibble, he still hasnt been for a poo since the incident - and normally he is as regular as clockwork - he should have done 2 by now!

Ive steeled myself for some poo investigations when the time comes (I was hoping it would be in the garden rather than when I take him out for a walk - I can picture me standing in the woods rifling through his steaming pile looking for a cocktail stick - how attractive!) Ive just given him some more wet kibble with a handful of bran flakes thrown in, so hopefully it will hurry him along!

[BabyB]

If you don't want to inspect it when you're out you could always bag it up and inspect it at home.

Katie is forever eating things that are bad for her - this morning it was the lid off my Royal Doulton trinket box  - everything comes out the other end, and if Alfie's not feeling off colour, it may be that the stick will have disintergrated and you'll never find it - I hope he liked the satay too

[elaine.e]

Ive steeled myself for some poo investigations when the time comes (I was hoping it would be in the garden rather than when I take him out for a walk - I can picture me standing in the woods rifling through his steaming pile looking for a cocktail stick - how attractive!) Ive just given him some more wet kibble with a handful of bran flakes thrown in, so hopefully it will hurry him along!

After William swallowed a peach stone a few months ago I was on poo watch for days. Goodness knows what my neighbours must have thought, but it was even worse out on walks in the New Forest. Every time William pood, it seemed like dozens of people would suddenly appear from behind gorse bushes, out of rabbit holes, even thin air maybe!

But the worst humiliation was reserved for my good friend Maria, on poo watch when she walked William for me. She was all alone in the New Forest, poking at a pile of poo with a stick, then turned round to see she had an audience of students out on some kind of field trip .

[stuffster]

Wow - that is a good friend you have there! Is she still speaking to you?

Well Im having a nightmare 24 hours! On top of the worry about Alfie, and having to go digging through his poo (not found anything yet!), our washing machine got blocked so I had to help OH pull loads of stinking grot out of the pump which was blocked with limescale and DD's hairbands!! While I was doing that, I discovered that mice had built a nest in BOTH of my inline skates - one was full of Arden Grange and the other was full of Chudleys!! They had chewed up the inners and leaves and papers etc to make a nest in there.

THEN while I was freaking out about that I realised that it was 1.30pm and my son finishes school at 1pm and Id forgotten to pick him up. Which is the second time in 2 weeks Ive done it, so now his teachers probably think Im a complete headcase!!