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My Dog Ate a Popsicle Stick – What Should I Do Next?

You are here: Home / Dog Food and Treats / My Dog Ate a Popsicle Stick – What Should I Do Next?

February 16, 2019 By //  by The Dogsnet Team 23 Comments

my dog ate a popsicle stick

Oh no, my dog ate a popsicle stick!

What now?

Our furry friends can get into all sorts of trouble.

Even when we think we’re keeping a close eye on them, they seem to find things to eat that they really shouldn’t be eating!

If your dog ate a popsicle stick, you are probably worried for your little companion’s safety.

This article will answer your questions and calm your nerves!

Is It Safe for My Dog to Eat a Popsicle Stick?

First off, we always recommend calling your veterinarian’s office if you have any concern over something that your dog ate.

We can give you general advice, but nobody can help as much as your vet, who already knows your dog’s health conditions and other factors that might contribute to the best plan of action.

So if your dog has eaten a popsicle stick, and you are concerned, go ahead and give your vet a a call to ask for advice!

With all that said, here’s our rundown of the risk of dogs eating popsicle sticks.

Generally speaking, a popsicle stick shouldn’t do much harm to your dog.

However, it really depends on a number of factors.

First is the size of your dog.

If you have a smaller breed, their throats and digestive systems are less likely to be able to handle the rough wood fragments.

Second is how much they chewed up the stick.

Dogs love to chew things up, which is probably why your pet got a hold of a popsicle stick in the first place!

If your dog thoroughly chewed up the popsicle stick, it’s likely to pass without much issue.

However, if it was swallowed in larger pieces (or whole), it could potentially get stuck somewhere it shouldn’t be.

Also keep in mind that popsicle sticks are made using treated wood, so they are unlikely to break down much or be fully digested.

This means that your dog will likely pass (or throw up) the stick in the same condition they swallowed it in.

You’ll want to check feces and/or vomit carefully to ensure the stick passes.

Again, we recommend calling a veterinarian if you have concerns.

my dog ate a popsicle stick

My Dog Ate a Popsicle Stick – What Should I Do??

Do you know for a fact that your dog ate a popsicle stick?

If so, here’s what to do:

  1. Call your veterinarian to ask their opinion.
  2. Monitor your dog’s behavior, and take note of anything abnormal.
  3. Monitor your dog’s feces, watching for signs of wood fragments or the whole stick (a good sign) or blood (a bad sign).
  4. Watch for any warning signs, like vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, lethargy, or disinterest in food.
  5. If your dog is behaving abnormally, call your vet immediately.
  6. Keep an eye on your dog for up to a week to ensure no adverse effects.

Most of the time, a dog should pass a swallowed object in 24–48 hours, but it could take up to several weeks.

Some veterinarians will recommend you feed your dog some white rice or white bread, which can bind around the object and help it pass.

This is not strictly necessary, but it’s something to discuss with your vet.

What Symptoms Will My Dog Show If They Have Eaten a Popsicle Stick?

Hopefully, your dog will show no symptoms at all.

Dogs can eat all sorts of stuff and come away with no ill effects.
With that said, it’s important to keep a close eye on your pet and watch for symptoms.

Some things to watch out for are:

  • vomiting
  • diarrhea
  • bloody stools
  • lethargy
  • abnormal eating behavior
  • other abnormal behavior

Basically, watch out for anything outside of your dog’s normal behavior.

If you see something off, call your vet immediately.

Why Would My Dog Want to Eat a Popsicle Stick?

Some dogs just like to eat everything!

Others love to chew on sticks and other objects and will occasionally swallow one on accident.

And, of course, if your dog found a popsicle, cake-pop, ice cream bar, etc., on a stick, there’s a good chance that they will eat the whole thing – stick and all!

In more serious cases, dogs can experience pica, a behavioral disorder.

Dogs with pica will continually crave non-food items and will wind up eating all sorts of potentially harmful objects.

If your dog eats a single popsicle stick or other non-food item, there’s no reason to fear a real issue.

However, if it becomes a habit, you should speak to your vet about pica.

How to Stop My Dog From Trying to Eat a Popsicle Stick

In general, you should strive to keep your dog away from objects that may harm them.

That means keeping things out of their reach.

And not allowing them to chew on items that could be harmful.

Training can also help.

Puppies will tend to eat anything they can – and if this behavior is not challenged early on, it can become a lifetime habit.

Ensure that your dog is properly trained, ideally from a young age.

This will help prevent all sorts of problem behaviors, including problem eating.

Lastly, if you give your dog treats or human food, ensure that it’s safe for your pup.

For instance, you might not think twice about giving your pup a lick of a popsicle.

But what happens if he swallows the whole thing, stick and all?

Remember that dogs don’t think about the potential consequences of what they eat, so it’s your job as a pet parent to keep harmful items away from them.

Dog Ate a Popsicle Stick – Wrapping Up

So your dog ate a popsicle stick.

Here’s what to do, summed up:

First, call your vet and ask if they have any recommendations.

It’s unlikely that they will advise coming in unless your dog is clearly uncomfortable, but it’s still good to check in.

Next, just keep a close eye on your furry friend.

Make sure they continue eating normally, and watch for vomiting, diarrhea, etc.

You should also check their poop for the popsicle stick (or fragments of it).

You might have to comb through it a bit – gross, we know!

If you observe abnormal behavior, it’s time to call your vet again, and this time, you may have to bring your pup in for a checkup.

If no abnormal behavior is observed, your dog will probably be just fine.

Just keep a close eye on them, and try to confirm that the stick has passed by finding it in their feces.

That’s all you need to know about dogs eating popsicle sticks!

If you have specific questions or concerns, we recommend calling your veterinarian.

References and Resources

Ingestion of Feces and Foreign Objects in Dogs, PetMD.

Landsberg, Gary, Wayne Hunthausen, and Lowell Ackerman. Behavior Problems of the Dog and Cat

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christine O'Shea

    July 24, 2023 at 2:37 pm

    My 80 lb lab ate a whole popsicle stick yesterday and has not passed it yet.
    He is behaving normal and eating normal. should i over feed him or let it pass
    on its own?

    Reply
  2. Victoria Wright

    August 11, 2022 at 6:46 pm

    I wish there were more follow ups on how the dogs are!

    Reply
  3. lisa

    July 8, 2022 at 6:08 pm

    On July 4, 2022 my dog ate my
    grandchild’s half eaten popsicle, stick and all, without chewing. He swallowed it whole. He had no
    vomiting, diarrhea or loss
    of appetite although he did look a bit uncomfortable. It took exactly 4 days for him to poop it out
    hidden in a firm poop. Yes, I inspected every poop since the incident. He is 88lbs. Hope this helps.

    Reply
  4. brynnley

    July 21, 2021 at 1:22 am

    i know. mine at one too. has not done anything yet though. i hope he is ok

    Reply
  5. Maria A

    June 19, 2021 at 11:57 pm

    Hello, my cockapoo, Bella, 25 lb. just swallowed a 3 1/2 inch long flat popsicle stick. What should we do next.

    Reply
  6. tay

    March 5, 2021 at 5:25 am

    my golden retriever ate a whole stick of a icecream popcicle what should i feed him?
    do you thinkk it is safe?

    Reply
    • vicki

      April 3, 2021 at 5:32 am

      my dog did the same last night,can you give me an update on ur baby please.

      Reply
      • Kole

        April 30, 2021 at 7:07 am

        Any update on your dog? Worried about mine. Thanks! She did same thing tonight:/

        Reply
      • John seanez

        April 21, 2022 at 12:39 am

        My dog he’s 14 years old and he eat my popsicle I’m scared what do I do

        Reply
  7. Linda

    January 25, 2021 at 1:42 am

    My 15 lb small poodle cross just chewed up a small popsicle stick
    She is always chewing branches whatever I have given rice…. any thoughts?

    Reply
  8. Molly

    July 20, 2020 at 5:36 am

    My dog just ate a 1/2 a paddle pop stick what should. I do? I am a bit worried!

    Reply
  9. Erika E Parent

    June 11, 2020 at 9:53 pm

    My #65 lab just swallowed a popsicle stick whole. Was freaking out. Called vet, they said to overfeed her and wait for it to pass. Monitor for any signs of vomiting, lethargy, bloody stools, etc. I was afraid it might get stuck sideways in her stomach. Now I have to wait for it to pass.

    Reply
    • Tim Hayek

      June 27, 2020 at 11:16 am

      Curious how you guys made out with your popcicle stick episode. My Lab is about the same size and did the same thing roughly 2 days ago?

      Reply
      • vicki

        April 3, 2021 at 5:34 am

        my dog did the same last night,can u give me an update on ur pup ?

        Reply
  10. Jackie

    May 18, 2020 at 6:38 pm

    My dog ate a popsicle stick whole, un-chewed, on Friday about 3pm. I called the Vet immediately. They said overfeed her to encourage more bowel movement and watch for distress, blood, vomiting, and/or the stick. No distress. It came out today (Monday) at 4am, whole, 60 hours later. She’s a lab mix, 80lbs. I overfed her with extra food: rice, chicken and pumpkin.

    Reply
  11. Donna Whyte

    May 18, 2020 at 8:34 am

    My dog done same 2 days ago..no sickness..no passing stick and no other issues shes a large dog but also she has sensitive stomach..obviously not that sensitive! Behaviour is normal and not off her food..should we be worried?

    Reply
  12. Cindy Hull

    January 30, 2020 at 5:05 am

    It’s been about 3 weeks since my Dog ate a Ice Cream and accidentally swallowed the stick whole. She is a Medium Dog and seemed just fine but now has started vomiting I am wondering if this is the problem. don’t know what a Vet could do about it certainly not having surgery. A word of advice don’t let your dog eat ice cream off a stick it might not turn out good.

    Reply
    • Raelene

      March 28, 2020 at 10:23 am

      Hi, did your dog end up passing it. My dog just done the same thing ?

      Reply
      • Isaac

        April 7, 2020 at 11:53 pm

        Is your dog ok? Now mine did..

        Reply
        • Rebecca Horton

          August 26, 2023 at 1:44 am

          Mine too , any updates ?

          Reply
      • Cee

        July 27, 2020 at 2:32 pm

        Mine did the same. How did your dog passed the vomiting stage?

        Reply
    • Connie Campbell

      July 7, 2021 at 7:05 am

      Hi Cindy, how is your dog now? My neighbour accidentally let his little girl let my dog eat and popsicle stick. There was no chewing involved he ate it all my dogs about 95 pounds. Extremely worried as he is 11.

      Reply
    • Richard

      September 2, 2023 at 11:56 pm

      Any updates on popcycle stick

      Reply

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