Dogs love playing with balls. However, they also tend to chew them and bring out the leather covering. If you see your dog doing that, the next action probably would be to eat the covering.
If you play baseball or have kids in your house going for practice, this is mostly a common occurrence. So, what to do when your dog eats a baseball leather? When to contact a vet? What are the problems associated with dogs eating baseball leather? Let’s try answering these and more questions for you in this guide!
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What Should You Do If Your Dog Ate Baseball Leather?
Dogs eat all unusual objects around the house. You can do little to stop them. While most of them do not cause any immediate threats, many objects are borderline fatal in many ways. Similarly, dogs do not harm themselves too much when they swallow leather except for a few medical concerns.
Let’s have a quick look at steps you could follow when you know know that your dog ate a baseball leather:
1. Determine the Amount
The first step to note when your dog meddles with baseball leather is to see how much they have eaten? If the amount is less, it will probably pass through without any obstruction or other medical issues.
However, if it goes in as a whole, you have to take your pet to the vet at once. Otherwise, things can go out of hand. Hence, have a look around your house to determine the amount your dog could have eaten.
2. Make the Dog Vomit
You can make your dog vomit to bring out the pieces of leather instantly. However, the vomiting method is useless when the ingestion is beyond two hours. Hence, react at the earliest and administer vomit-inducing substances as per the vet’s advice. Always talk to your vet before giving chemicals in such cases.
Also, your dog should be in the best of health to induce vomiting. Else, it can cause further problems as the vomit can reach their inside. Hydrogen Peroxide is the safest home remedy that pet owners can use in this situation.
However, you have to be careful about the amount you give. Otherwise, excessive hydrogen peroxide can cause bloody vomiting and damage to internal organs.
It is safe to give around 1ml per one pound of weight in dogs. Also, confirm this with your vet before administering.
3. Give High-Fiber Food
Pet owners should help their dogs to pass the leather pieces through poop. Since dogs cannot break down baseball leather, giving external foods to help them pass is the best solution. As per experts, you can try giving foods like:
- Canned pumpkin
- Sweet potato
- Cabbage
- Kale
- Carrot
You can also talk to your vet about giving fiber supplements to your dog in the place of direct fiber foods. Moreover, keep them hydrated enough to help the bowel movements. If your dog is not worn out, try taking a 20-minute brisk walk. Physical activities also help in relieving the dog of unusual objects.
Also, when they are trying to pass out the leather, your dogs might find it difficult. You can see some pieces of baseball leather sticking out of their bums. However, do not attempt to pull it out yourself. Else, you might create problems in their intestine lining.
4. Look For Symptoms
Dogs try to pass out the ingested objects. However, if they don’t, you can have a close watch on your dog to see if they show any symptoms.
Mostly, due to intestinal obstruction that can take place, dogs show problems like lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting, etc. Once you see any of the discomforts or others, take them to a vet immediately.
5. Contact Your Vet
If you do not see any signs but still know that the leather is inside your dog, it is better to take your dog for a check-up anyway. Also, it helps in relieving the dog of any pain or discomfort in the future.
Never leave anything to chance and delay the visit to the pet doctor when you see symptoms. Also, the non-visibility of symptoms coupled with no bowel movements is another thing to worry about.
Can Dogs Digest Leather?
No, dogs cannot digest leather. It is not soft for the stomach to break down like other foods or objects. Hence, the only way for the leather pieces to pass out through the dog is through feces.
Usually, dogs start passing the leather within 24 hours. However, for some other dogs, it can take weeks. Although, you can do your part by keeping them hydrated and feeding them high-fiber foods to fasten the process.
Dogs have strong acids in the stomach that get activated when they begin to digest. However, the leather material is not compatible for the dogs to disintegrate and pass normally. The danger of such cases is an intestinal obstruction that needs immediate emergency care.
Is Baseball Leather Poisonous To Dogs?
Baseball leather has no materials to create toxicity in dogs. But, there are reports of rare cases of leather poisoning in dogs. It happens due to the presence of certain dyes and metallic substances in leather. In the case of baseball leather, the white dye can be harmful if not of the best quality.
You can see a variety of chew toys made from leather just for the use of dogs. Although, those are made from the highest quality and remain non-poisonous. Hence, always have superior quality leather baseballs in the house.
While these are rare cases, it is still not safe for dogs to ingest baseball leather as the primary problem associated is choking/gagging. If the piece of baseball leather dogs ate is big, the chances of the piece getting stuck in the throat are high.
Hence, it can cause difficulty in breathing and create further troubles. Hence, it is better for dogs to stay away from non-toxic substances as well.
Can It Cause Blockage in The Dog’s Gastrointestinal Tract?
One of the fatal dangers involving baseball leather ingestion in dogs is gastrointestinal blockage. Since the dogs cannot digest the leather pieces, they will get stuck in the stomach/intestine. Once the gastrointestinal blockage begins, your dog might have trouble eating or drinking anything.
The first symptom to show when this problem starts, your dog might start vomiting incessantly. Also, they might have trouble passing stools. If this situation persists, you will see a big lack of energy in your dog with sudden weight loss.
Such cases need immediate care by visiting a vet. Doctors will find out the object with the help of x-rays or ultrasound. Upon finding the foreign object, vets may suggest ways to remove them at once to make the situation better. Surgery might be the first option feasible when the leather piece is causing too much trouble.
Hence, with the threat of GI tract blockage, do not allow your dogs to chew on baseball leather pieces ever. Also, have a close watch on what they put inside their mouth at all times. Else, take them to a vet for a thorough evaluation once this incident happens.
Symptoms To Look For After Your Dog Eats a Baseball Leather?
Symptoms begin to show within 12 to 16 hours of baseball leather ingestion in dogs. Hence, you have to see if your dog begins to show any restlessness. Moreover, they show signs only when they have any intestinal blockage.
Here’s a list of common symptoms you see due to baseball ingestion:
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Choking/gagging
- Pain in the abdomen
- Sluggishness
- Lethargy
- Whining
- Swelling in the stomach
- Bloating
All these signs appear together or alone. You can take the dog to your vet when either of these symptoms gets worse. Also, remember to keep your canine comfortable in the event of vomiting or diarrhea. Give a lot of fluids to keep them from getting dehydrated. Otherwise, your dog could become sicker.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating a Baseball Leather Again?
You can use these tips to prevent your dog from eating baseball leather again:
- Do not leave the leather items on the floor where the dog keeps roaming around.
- Also, give many chew toys to distract your dog from munching on these leather baseballs.
- Avoid leaving your dog alone in the house for a long time during the day. They try to cope with their boredom by eating or chewing on unusual stuff.
- Also, give certain commands to keep your dog from putting banned objects in their mouth. You can achieve this relationship through consistent practice.
- Keep your closets or cabinets locked that store these leather baseballs at home.
It is safer to go with these when you have a furry pal at home. Your precautionary methods save the dogs from eating bad items.
Conclusion: Can a Dog Eat Baseball Leather?
Baseball leather is not toxic to dogs but still poses a threat of creating other health problems in dogs. They can be the cause of choking/gagging and create an intestinal blockage.
You can feed them high-fiber foods to bring the leather pieces out through bowel movements. Keep them hydrated with a lot of fluids to help them pass easily.
Also, try inducing vomiting within the first few hours to get leather out. Look for symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, pain, whining, etc while suffering from intestinal blockage. It is best to keep your dogs from leather baseballs to keep them healthy and safe always.
