Dog ate chocolate?

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Chihuahua ate tennis ball.

Species: Dog
Breed: chihauha
Age: 6-12 months
My small, 5lb baby girl chihauha (sp?) was outside playing with our two other dogs. My husband found her eating the outside of a tennis ball (about a 3 or 4 inch stip of the green matter on the outside of the ball). She just ate the whole thing, never even chewing it up. Can i give her something to throw it up? Will that cause more damage. Its been about an hour.


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It always amazes me that dogs want to eat things like this.

If it is just the green fuzz that she ate then it's very unlikely that it's going to cause a problem. But, if she also ate the rubber part of the ball then this could cause an obstruction.

I don't usually recommend inducing vomiting...mostly because there are things that can happen if we do this. (For example, a dog could aspirate the vomit into their lungs).

What you may want to do though is feed Olive something that will help bulk up her stools to help this to move along in her intestinal tract. You can do so by adding an 1/8 tsp of bran to her food, or by feeding her 1/4 bran muffin.

If you think she ate a large amount of the rubber then it is a good idea to have your vet examine her tomorrow. But again, if it's just the green fuzz then don't be too worried. However, in the next few days if she is vomiting or not wanting to eat then she should see her doctor!

I will be online for just a few more minutes tonight. (You caught me just as I was turning off my online status). So, feel free to respond...if it's within in the next few minutes I can write back. Otherwise I'll check in on you in the morning.

Hope all is well!

Dr. Marie


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Customer reply:

it was the rubber part also... how can such a little bitty dog even think she can consume something like that? And for goodness sakes.. it cant taste good!

im so worried. Thank you for your response. I will take her to the vet in the morning, its just a bad time for money and I hate that it is even an issue. I love Olive.

How long would it take for a dog to have a normal "movement"?


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

It can take anywhere from 12 hours to 3 days for this to move through her system.

When you do go to the vet, take the rest of the tennis ball with you. That way when they take an xray, they can put the ball next to her on the xray plate. Some tennis balls show up really well on xrays and others don't. So, by doing this they should be able to tell if they can identify where the tennis ball is.

If it is still in the stomach they may try inducing vomiting. (It is safer to have your vet do it).

If it is moving along in her intestines then they will likely do some things to help her intestines move.

Again, it won't hurt to try the bran/bran muffins to see if that helps her get this through.



Customer reply:

it was the rubber part also... how can such a little bitty dog even think she can consume something like that? And for goodness sakes.. it cant taste good!

im so worried. Thank you for your response. I will take her to the vet in the morning, its just a bad time for money and I hate that it is even an issue. I love Olive.

How long would it take for a dog to have a normal "movement"?


Customer reply:

Thank you. I will do what you've recommended.




Customer reply:

Thank you. I will do what you've recommended.




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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.