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Question

my dog got into the trash and ate a bunch of crab leg shells last night. She is throwing up, (mostly bile, some shells), this morning. Is there anything I can do to help these work through her system, or to help her feel better? Is this a real danger to her health?

Submitted: 16 days and 19 hours ago.
Category: Pet
Value: $9
Status: CLOSED
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Optional Information

Pet's Gender: Female
Pet's Age: 12
Type of Animal: golden retriever

Already Tried:
just tried to get her to eat some bread to soften the shells as they work through her system, and trying to get her to drink water.....

Accepted Answer

Hello, and thanks for writing in.

The shells can cause a foreign body obstruction in the intestines, and can be sharp enough to cause a lot of pain. I would recommend having X-rays taken of her to see how many shell pieces are visible, and where they are. I know veterinarians who live on the coasts who do exploratory surgeries to remove shell pieces that are stuck or causing problems while going through the intestines, especially if the symptoms continue after 24 hours of ingesting the shells. At home, you can try feeding bland food, such as boiled hamburger and rice or cooked chicken and rice. Pepto-Bismol can sometimes be used to soothe a dog's stomach, but I would not recommend using it in this case, especially if X-rays are going to be taken, because Pepto can give the false appearance of something abnormal in the digestive tract.

I hope this helps.

 

Dr. Dave

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Expert: Dr. Dave
Pos. Feedback: 100.0 %
Accepts: 
Answered: 11/5/2009

Veterinarian

15 years experience - General Practice, Emergency/Cricital Care, small animal medicine & surgery

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