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Peggy Just Ate A Hair Scrunchie!!

55K views 99 replies 20 participants last post by  PeggyTheParti 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
My husband's on the phone trying to reach our vet (unlikely at this hour) and I'm scouring the internet with no luck. I see everything from induce vomiting to DON'T induce vomiting to wait and see to get to an emergency vet IMMEDIATELY.

Any advice? It's a fabric-covered hair elastic, about the size/weight of a toddler's sock.
 
#3 ·
Yes, she will most likely puke or poop it! And I speak from experience with a dog who had to have her stomach pumped for swallowing socks and underwear and having surgery to remove a huge toy from her belly. Scrunchies or a toddler size sock should be small enough to pass. Give her lots of fiber. Bread, pumpkin, etc. to try to get it moving. Monitor for signs of obstruction. Could take up to 5 days for it to pass. Keep us posted!
 
#4 ·
Thanks for the reassurance, MF! I've got a can of pumpkin right here.

She's been obsessed with my scrunchies since we brought her home, but usually just taunts me with them, hoping I'll chase her. (I always refuse.)

Well! Tonight she went through the motions of offering it to me, then abruptly appeared to change her mind, looked me right in the eye, and began gulping that thing down! I had to choose between launching myself at her (and probably sending her galloping away) or scrambling for something more exciting to tempt her with.

I chose option B, which I guess was the wrong choice! Because within seconds that scrunchie was g-o-n-e.

Really hoping we don't have to go the surgical route.

A Chesapeake Bay Retriever from our puppy class just had to have rocks removed from his intestines. Poor little guy.
 
#5 · (Edited)
#6 ·
Neo also has a thing for my sleep scrunchies. I'd be freaking out too but...see this thread. It might help reassure you, a bit.

https://www.poodleforum.com/5-poodl...re-you-thinking.html?highlight=lily+underwear

or most of these threads. The things these poos do!

View attachment 452909
Oh my goodness. That Lily thread was a wild ride!! I had a few good laughs, thank you ?

I'll dig into the other threads now. Should really have just done a search myself, but admittedly panicked a bit. I know the window for effectively inducing vomiting is not a big one, but didn't want to do it unnecessarily.
 
#7 ·
Okay, now I'm REALLY laughing reading the titles of these threads.

Of course Peggy is snoozing away through all my worry, occasionally smacking her lips as if remembering the joy of finally downing one of those very tasty scrunchies. She's lucky she was groomed today and is looking extra fluffy and wonderful at the moment. Much easier to forgive.
 
#8 · (Edited by Moderator)
Panicking is perfectly normal. I always will, at least at first.

It wasn't a scrunchie that took us to the ER vet earlier this year, it was something solid he picked up on a walk. I know because I had my hand on it in Neo's throat, yanked it out and the dratted boy caught it on the rebound and gulped it down. The x-ray showed nothing, hydrogen peroxide at home just made him burp and look at me sadly, the vomiting injection brought up nothing of concern. The ER vet said we had about an hour window for the hydrogen peroxide, fyi.

He'd be a great asset to a king or queen looking for a food taster, in fact, doesn't even have to be food lol.

MF and Maizie have definitely had their share of exotic cuisine adventures as well, so take your cue from her advice. It is likely to all come out in the end :).
 
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#14 ·
Panicking is perfectly normal. I always will, at least at first.

It wasn't a scrunchie that took us to the ER vet earlier this year, it was something solid he picked up on a walk. I know because I had my hand on it in Neo's throat, yanked it out and the dratted boy caught it on the rebound and gulped it down. The xray showed nothing, hydrogen peroxide at home just made him burp and look at me sadly, the vomiting injection brought up nothing of concern. The ER vet said we had about an hour window for the hydrogen peroxide, fyi.

He'd be a great asset to a king or queen looking for a food taster, in fact, doesn't even have to be food lol.

MF and Maizie have definitely had their share of exotic cuisine adventures as well, so take your cue from her advice. It is likely to all come out in the end
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That's the tricky bit, isn't it! Grabbing the item without triggering an excited "Well this must be REALLY good if she wants it so bad! I'm going to keep it forever. Gulp."

I'd happily offer Peggy up to the Queen today.
 
#9 ·
Yes, Maizie is the "star" of many of those threads! Oh my... But if it gives you some hope, she will now drop anything instantly when I say "drop it." But as a puppy, she was a real stinker like Peggy.

BTW, my vets do NOT approve of inducing vomiting at home. You can really damage the esophagus with hydrogen peroxide. Much better if you must induce vomiting to have the the vet give the apomorphine injection.
 
#19 ·
We'll keep working on it, with Maizie as inspiration!

As for inducing vomiting, yeah. That makes sense. It didn't feel right doing it here, especially on a Saturday night with no emergency vets in town. I didn't want to make the situation worse.

Just learned that Peggy's brother recently vomited up a tank top that his human hadn't even realized was missing. So I guess a big appetite runs in the family? Lord help me.....
 
#10 ·
Wishing you good luck! Misha is a panty and sock stealer as well! I'm sure if I used hair scrunchies he would be all over those. Thankfully socks and underwear aren't small enough for him to swallow. But he does carry around rocks in his mouth! And all manner of nuts and seeds. I regularly find pieces of sticks and plants in his poop. I'm sure one of these days he'll eat something that really worries me.
 
#17 ·
Ah yes! The rock carrying. Peggy does this, too, and it's nerve-wracking.

A woman who took home one of Peggy's littermates told me last month that he swallowed a sock. At the time, I couldn't imagine Peggy doing anything like that, but now I'm not so sure..,,.
 
#11 ·
Hoping Peggy passes it and everything goes back to normal very soon!

Jasper was so small when he was a puppy, anything he swallowed was life threatening. He got in trouble by chewing up one of my blankets and swallowing a large piece of it. He also used to chew up my nephew's pacifiers, but it was the piece of blanket that took days to pass and almost caused him to have surgery. Thankfully everything worked out with no surgery.
 
#16 ·
So happy Jasper made it through without surgery! I wonder what compels them to eat these things.

I had a dachshund mix that would chew holes out of the armpits of my t-shirts. He was also the type to dive face-first into any wild poops we found out on the trail. Such fun!
 
#12 ·
Yuppers! Lily has swallowed many crazy things including shredded items of clothing, weather stripping, little hair scrunchies, an Easter egg........and sometimes still does.



She's always been fine. I used to call the vet, but since the advice has always been the same, lots of water, small frequent meals to keep things moving and call us back if she shows any distress I wait now and have never had to call. She has never swallowed anything large that wasn't digestible though.
 
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#18 ·
Ahhh...this too shall pass. (probably, hopefully) Naughty Peggy.

Are you going to get your hair cut? LOL:act-up:
 
#21 ·
I am so glad it turned out well.

And am hesitating to say this, but people need to know that it can be so dangerous. I have a neighbor that had a wonderful spoo who loved to eat the laundry. Very sadly she ate a bra. They tried everything, including surgery, but she died.

Please try to train your dog not to eat things that are not food :(
 
#22 ·
I am so glad it turned out well.

And am hesitating to say this, but people need to know that it can be so dangerous. I have a neighbor that had a wonderful spoo who loved to eat the laundry. Very sadly she ate a bra. They tried everything, including surgery, but she died.

Please try to train your dog not to eat things that are not food :(
That is so sad :( But I have to say, some dogs are just about impossible to train not to eat objects. Maizie was one of them. No matter how hard I tried to control her environment, she would always find something to get into (she is a high drive, 3s Volhard dog). Most of us can't watch our dogs 24/7. It's just not possible. But thank God she survived puppyhood, and I'm sure Peggy will too.
 
#26 ·
I might add Renn will eat socks. If one gets on the floor its grab and gulp. I didn't even realize this was happening at first until I found two socks in his crate that he threw up. Then it happened a few more times and each time he would throw it up days later. I got very vigilant everyone int his house must put socks into a mesh laundry bag otherwise he will grab them as fast s you may drop one putting it into the dryer. Its gone well since I did that b ut I'm pretty sure a few weeks ago he grabbed one it was missing but he never threw it up, so not sure what happened to it or if it came out and I didn't ee or if the dryer just ate it. But he is fine. I am vigilant about not leaving anything that he can swallow and I hope one day he won't do this. Time will tell an he will be two next month.
 
#27 ·
These nutty creatures!! What are they thinking? I'd understand more if it was only the most delectably smelly items, but Peggy will grab freshly cleaned socks, too. At least those (so far!) she only proudly trots around with. Perhaps I could try teaching her to put them in a basket or something.
 
#31 ·
Yay for throwing up a scrunchie! I am so happy for the both of you it turned out well.

My little Stella will shred a plushie (well part of it), and is never find the missing pieces. For a little while she had the most colorful poop I’d ever seen lol. Bright blue, hot pink, yellow... you name it. Thankfully she doesn’t do that too often, and luckily for her, it was always small pieces.
 
#35 ·
So....you know how it's really easy to judge others for their stupidity?

Well. Go ahead and judge away, because Peggy just swallowed a scrunchie.

ANOTHER scrunchie???

No. The same scrunchie. And while I am indeed feeling pretty stupid, it was mostly just stupid bad luck.

I turkey basted some 3% hydrogen peroxide past her back teeth, down her throat. But no vomiting so far. It's been 15 minutes and I'm about ready to give up.

Anyone ever have their attempts to induce vomiting not work? I don't want to try again.
 
#36 ·
Well, as I've already said, my vet does NOT approve of using hydrogen peroxide. You can damage their esophagus. So I would either go to the vet to induce vomiting properly (with apomorphine injected) or try to let the scrunchie pass.

And no judgment on it happening again! Maizie swallowed socks and underwear at least 6 times, despite my helicopter parenting. :argh:
 
#37 ·
Well, as I've already said, my vet does NOT approve of using hydrogen peroxide. You can damage their esophagus. So I would either go to the vet to induce vomiting properly (with apomorphine injected) or try to let the scrunchie pass.

And no judgment on it happening again! Maizie swallowed socks and underwear at least 6 times, despite my helicopter parenting.
I appreciate that reminder. Gotta be gentle with myself.

I knew a Springer that ate everything he could get his mouth on, his entire life. And in the end it was an unlucky injury during an innocent game of fetch that ended his romp on this earth.

There was just *something* about watching that SAME scrunchie disappear down her throat, just beyond the reach of my fingertips, that made me want to shake my fist at the sky.

I only did the lowest recommended dose of hydrogen peroxide and won't repeat it. She's having the time of her life right now, prancing around the backyard, loving the worried attention.

What have I learned from this experience? Even when she's loose in the house, she needs to drag a leash. At least for now. A scrunchie is probably the least of our worries. The world's a dangerous place for curious puppies!
 
#39 ·
I'm surprised the scrunchie was still usable after being in her gut for 4 days


Okay, glad you're not repeating the hp and that Peggy is getting lots of love


These things just happen with certain dogs. Hope she will outgrow it like Maizie mostly has.
My husband washed it and thought it seemed fine, but I swore it had a weird smell. So I'd soaked it in bleach, washed it, and put it in the laundry basket to go through one more time with my next load.

Why I was going to so much trouble for an icky scrunchie, I shall never know. ? But the next time around, it's going straight into the trash bin. Just hope I'm around when she vomits so I can make sure she doesn't eat it AGAIN.
 
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