My girlfriends dog

[Earp407]

I gave him a half of a corn husk thinking hey would chew on it and he swallowed it. He is a small dog about 25 pounds and my girlfriend is going to kill me. How serious is this? Thank you, Wyatt.

[D Duck]

Speaking from what I have read, this could be major. I would keep a close eye on him and watch for signs of bloating. Make sure he is eating, drinking and going.

[g8rvet]

Do you mean husk (wrapper) or cob (the center) ? If it is a husk, no worries, should be okay. If it is a cob, then there could be a problem. It really all depends on how well he chewed it up. If he chewed it well, it may not be a problem, but if he gulped it down, it very likely could be a problem. I have had to surgically remove a corn cob 3 times in 20 years, so it happens.

Monitor him closely for loss of appetite or vomiting. Those are the earliest and most common sypmtoms of a blockage. I usually have the owners bulk up the patients diet (more dry food and bread) to try to get the offending material to pass, but in that small of a dog, I think it will only pass if he chewed it up. Good luck and if he loses his appetite for more than say 12 hours, time for him to see the doc.

Let us know.