Species: Dog Breed: standard Poodle Age: 3-6 months
My 4 month old, 20 lb. standard poodle may have eaten very moldy creamed corn from a can in the garbage. Is she in danger? What should I do. It happened about one hour ago. I am not sure how much she ate, if any at all. She just had the can. If she did eat some it was a small amount, not more than an ounce or 2 at the very most.
Hi and thanks for your question. It always amazes me that dogs will eat stuff like this!
The vast majority of the time when a dog gets into a small amount of moldy food I don't get too worried. Most likely nothing will happen. Or, it is possible that there will be some mild stomach upset which results in a small amount of vomiting or diarrhea.
There are different types of molds and some can, however, cause some unusual symptoms.
Some dogs after ingesting mold can have neurological symptoms like tremors, shaking and vomiting. These tremors can last for a couple of days. They are usually treated with emergency vet care, although they are not usually life threatening.
Another concern is for pancreatitis or gastritis which can cause vomiting as well. This is a concern whenever a dog has eaten something unusual. If Josie vomits once or twice I am not concerned. But, if she is really depressed and vomiting a lot then she may need to see the vet.
Sometimes when a dog has ingested something that could be harmful I will advise to induce vomiting with hydrogen peroxide. However, there are risks associated with this as well (although rare). Seeing as Josie ate this an hour ago, likely most of the corn is digested by now.
It's not a bad idea to give her some Pepcid AC which you can buy at the pharmacy. The dose is .25mg per pound and it comes in a 10mg size. So, if Josie was 10 lbs she would have 1/4 tablet.
I would also advise no more food for tonight. If she seems lethargic or doesn't want to eat in the morning then I would take her in to see your vet. Or, if she does develop tremors (which is quite unlikely) then she may need an emergency visit tonight.
I 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:
Dr. Marie,
Thank you for the quick response and the information. I appreciate it. I will be watching Josie. I just wanted to know if I should locate an emergency vet service tonight, but for now I will just watch her.
Vicki
Dr. Marie replied:
You're very welcome! Tell Josie to stay out of trouble!!!
Dr. Marie.
Customer reply:
Dr. Marie,
Sorry, it's Vicki again. You suggested Pepsid. We had none and it is after 10 PM here. The only open store only had Pepsid Complete which has more drugs in it than plain Pepsid. Should I give her some or just go without?
So far she seems herself, it's been a couple of hours since she ate it.
Thanks again.
Dr. Marie replied:
Oh, I am sorry that I was not online when you replied.
It's likely too late now, but yes, the Pepcid complete is ok to give to dogs.
Hopefully she is feeling ok this morning!
Customer reply:
Dr. Marie,
I didn't give her the Pepsid Complete, but it's good to know I can if I ever ned to. Thank you. I did nothing and she has been fine, good appetite, normal stools this AM. So, I guess however much she ate of garbage, we are ok. I am so grateful that she seems ok.
Thanks again.
Vicki & Josie
Customer reply:
Dr. Marie,
I didn't give her the Pepsid Complete, but it's good to know I can if I ever ned to. Thank you. I did nothing and she has been fine, good appetite, normal stools this AM. So, I guess however much she ate of garbage, we are ok. I am so grateful that she seems ok.
Thanks again.
Vicki & Josie
Dr. Marie replied:
Yay! Thanks for the update. Glad to hear she is doing well.
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