Dogs, especially puppies, have a special talent to find things that they shouldn’t eat. Most adult dogs won’t eat inedible stuff like play-doh or your shoes, but when they’re young that might happen more often. It’s like having a small child at home that you always have to be watching out for. If you have play-doh, you’re likely to have an actual child as well, which can be more challenging to keep an eye on everyone.
So, if you’re going through something like “my dog ate play-doh, what to do now?” Play-doh is mainly made with salt. This is the main ingredient among other things, but this is the one you should worry about. Too much salt may be bad for dogs. It can overload their kidneys, which can cause pain, nausea, vomiting. Most of the time, you don’t need to worry. To be safe, you should induce vomiting.
Now, it’s important to keep in mind that the original play-doh has natural ingredients, which is great for you in this situation. It means that there’s a good chance that your dog’s organism will be able to handle it. Still, depending on a few variances, you may have to take your dog to the vet.
So, if you’re still worried about this, which you should, keep reading to find out. Below you can see how to make your dog throw up, what to do to help his body process this, and when to go to the vet.
Make Him Throw-up With Hydrogen Peroxide
Hydrogen peroxide is a great thing to have in your house when you have dogs. This is the quickest and sure-fire way to make sure that your dog will throw up when you need him to. This is, of course, supposed to be used when they eat something they shouldn’t, which is the case of the play-doh. As much as the danger is more in the quantity than the content of the play-doh, it’s a great idea to have hydrogen peroxide to save the day.
Now, you must wait for 15 minutes for the hydrogen peroxide to work. If this doesn’t happen, then maybe, you can give more to your dog. The important thing to remember is that you don’t need to use it if the quantity wasn’t too much for the size of your dog. Let his organism digest it and expel it through the excrement.
So, if you believe that the quantity digested is worrisome, you may want to consider giving hydrogen peroxide to make your dog throw up. If that’s not the case, then wait a few hours. The RC Pet Products Pet First Aid Kit is the best first-aid kit for dogs for these situations. Take a look here.
Make Him Drink Lots Of Water
The next thing that you should consider doing, it’s making your dog drink loads of water. The reason is that water not only helps the sodium be more easily absorbed by the body, but it also makes sure that the stomach is better equipped to handle the content. As you can see, play-doh is not the end of the world, but it can be dangerous under certain circumstances.
What you’re supposed to do is to make your dog drinks more water than normal. This is the best way to make sure that they don’t have kidney problems with an overload of sodium that comes from all the salt that is present in the play-doh. The best that you can do is make him drink more water.
So, take care of the water and keep an eye on him for the next hours. Nausea or vomits may be a good thing. Still, you have to stay alert in case you need to take your dog to the vet.
The Main Concern Is The Salt
The main ingredients in the making of the play-doh are water, salt, and flour. Your main concern should be with the salt. Not only because in great quantities is bad for dogs, but because it is very concentrated in the play-doh. This means that the smallest portion has high levels of salt in it. That’s why you should watch out for that.
The main problem is that salt overload may cause kidney problems in your dog. To avoid this, the best that you can do is concentrate on having your dog drink a lot of water and taking hydrogen peroxide in some cases. This will have him throwing up and feeling much better.
So, your main concern should be with the salt. Although the flour is not as healthy for dogs, the main problem would be if the sodium levels get too intense. Apart from that, you shouldn’t worry too much with play-doh. Just make sure to avoid it from happening again.
Is The Quantity Too Much For His Size
In plain English, you should only worry about how much play-doh your dog ate for his size. Smaller dogs will have a problem digesting all that sodium. Larger breeds are usually more resistant. Although, you should worry if the quantity is too great no matter the size of the dog. The point is that if your dog is small and the quantity consumed was rather high, watch him closely for the next hours. If anything out of the ordinary happens, take him to the vet immediately.
Now, as much as dogs are curious and do eat a lot of things, they shouldn’t overconsume constantly. This can also be a sign of worms. Dogs do tend to eat weird, inedible stuff when they’re hungry or have parasites. If your dog is well-fed, you should investigate the parasite possibility. If you haven’t dewormed your dog recently, consider deworming your dog.
So, make sure to give him the best dewormer of the market for his size. It’s important to know how many pounds he weights. The Bayer Quad Chewable Dewormer is the best dewormer that you can find. It keeps your four-legged friend safe for a long time. Take a look at this great item here.
Large Dogs Are Safer
Large dogs not only have more restricted access to certain parts of the house, most of the time, but their digestive system also has an easier time processing all that sodium they’ve just consumed. Due to their size, they can absorb the sodium faster without causing problems or even nausea. This doesn’t mean that eating play-doh is safe for them.
If it’s too much, even a large breed will feel the impact. The flour is not a concern like the salt, but it’s still a concern. You should worry about your dog consuming large quantities of flour because it’s bad for their health. That’s why it’s important to get them to drink water.
So, make sure to give a lot of water for your dog to drink, and if possible, give them some hydrogen peroxide to drink as well.
Watch Out In The First 24 Hours
The first 24 hours that your dog ate something that he shouldn’t have are the most important. This is when you’ll see if this is something more serious than you previously thought. This is when their digestive tract will respond to the attack of microorganisms or the ingestion of chemicals that are bad for it.
That’s why you must pay attention to how your dog is responding to play-doh ingestion. If they don’t eat or drink, you should worry. More importantly, you should pay attention to whether or not they’re walking or interacting with anyone.
So, make sure that you pay attention to your dog’s behavior. If they seem to be in pain or have diarrhea or vomit, you should seek help or give them medication.
If Your Dog Ate Too Much, Go To The Vet
Determining the quantity of play-doh that your dog ate and how much is too much can be hard, but you should know what a great quantity is. Anything that looks like too much for you, it probably is. That’s when you should go to the vet. Your dog may be needing medication immediately.
Now, pay attention to everything that your dog does. If he throws up, has diarrhea, or stays apathetic. Anything is relevant to the vet, and you need to know how to answer the most important questions. When in doubt, always take your dog to the vet. Better to be safe than sorry.
So, make sure to take your dog to the vet if he ate play-doh, and even having him drinking water isn’t making him better. If your dog starts to present serious symptoms, the best that you can do is to get him to the vet.
Final Thoughts
So, if your dog ate play-doh, you only need to worry in some cases. In the majority of the time, you don’t need to worry. Your dog will be fine. All you have to do is to watch him closely for the first few hours to make sure that he’s reacting okay.
