Not Sure If My Dog Ate A Tampon

This is a medical advice column for pet owners. Please provide your question and background information so that veterinarians can answer your question.

We have a 12 year old labradoodle who is in great health. She has never eaten anything she shouldn’t have, but last night I noticed that one of my tampons was gone.

You are a responsible dog owner, and your 12-year-old labradoodle is in great health. You have never seen her eat anything she shouldn’t have, so you’re not sure what to do.

Your dog is a Labradoodle—a cross between a Labrador Retriever and Poodle. She’s beautiful and smart, and has never eaten anything she shouldn’t have in her life (except for once when she ate your favorite pair of socks).

Last night, however, as you were getting ready for bed with one hand holding back the shower curtain while you washed your hair with the other hand (don’t judge me), you noticed that one of your tampons was gone!

I asked my husband if he had thrown it away, but he said he hadn’t noticed it or the wrapper & couldn’t see it in the trash.

I asked my husband if he had thrown it away, but he said he hadn’t noticed it or the wrapper & couldn’t see it in the trash. He then asked me to describe what a tampon looked like, which was incredibly frustrating because I’m not an idiot and even if I were an idiot who didn’t know what a tampon looks like (which I am not), that would be beside the point of this entire scenario.

I always keep my tampons in the top drawer of my bathroom vanity & have never found any wrappers or used tampons outside of the trash can.

• Always keep your tampons in a sealed container
• Keep tampons high on a bathroom cabinet or in an area that is off-limits to dogs (and children)
• Tampons are not food and should never be left out where they can be eaten by pets or children.
• If you have this type of problem with your dog, you should consult a veterinarian immediately, who will likely recommend that you get rid of the dog or have it put down.

I’ve looked all around for the missing tampon and can’t find it. Now that I think about it, our dog has been acting strangely today, refusing to eat her food and hanging around in odd places like under furniture and in closets, which is out of character for her.

I want to make sure we’re on the same page here. You’ve already checked your dog’s poop for signs of tampons, and you’ve also looked in all the places where tampons might be found (e.g., your trash can). Now I want you to take a few minutes and think about whether or not your dog has been acting strangely today. Is there anything unusual about how she’s been behaving? Has she been eating her food, or not eating it? Is she hiding under furniture or hanging out in closets and other weird places? If so, that could be a sign that something is amiss.

It’s possible that she ate it through the wrapper because when she eats things hastily, she has been known to eat wrappers before, so that wouldn’t be unusual.

It’s possible that she ate it through the wrapper because when she eats things hastily, she has been known to eat wrappers before, so that wouldn’t be unusual.

If you stuck a tampon in your mouth and started chewing on it, would you know what it was? I didn’t think so. Dogs are much less sophisticated than us; they don’t know what a tampon is or why we might want to put one in our bodies. Most importantly, dogs do not understand that tampons are meant for women’s vaginas and not for their mouths (and esophagi).

She has also been drinking a lot more water than normal today (about a gallon). She’s normally an 85 lb dog & drinks half a gallon most days without fail, so I’m very concerned by this.

Dogs can get dehydrated when they have eaten something that is causing them to have diarrhea. Dogs may also drink a lot of water if they are constipated and need to make themselves poop.

If your dog is drinking significantly more water than usual, it is important that you take her to a veterinarian right away so she can be examined and make sure nothing else is wrong with her.

Should I be worried? What do I do?

• Call the vet immediately. Tell them that your dog may have eaten a tampon, and ask what you should do.
• If you can’t get in touch with your vet and think your dog needs medical attention, take her to an emergency vet immediately.

There are several possible explanations for your dog’s behavior, but the most likely is that she has eaten a tampon or two. We know this can be a scary thing to hear, but you will want to keep her under close supervision and watch out for vomiting or diarrhea. If these symptoms persist over the next couple days, you should take her to see an emergency veterinarian. In addition, you should take note of her water intake and try to limit it by changing out old water bowls every few hours so that she does not become dehydrated (which can cause serious complications).