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As pet owners, one of our greatest fears is losing our furry companions too early, especially when we feel like it could have been prevented. But for all the care and watchful eyes in the world, they can still put themselves in danger, as any dog owner will tell you.
For example, one of the most common ways dogs end up in the veterinary ER is after having swallowed something. One woman on TikTok had this unfortunate experience after her pup ingested razor blades. But her quick thinking and swift action may have just saved her dog’s life.
TikToker Samantha (@miss_samantha_b) shares how she learned an “absolutely terrifying lesson” when she caught her dogs chewing on one of her five-blade razors. Panicking, she pulled it away and noticed three of the five blades were missing. She didn’t know which of her two dogs had swallowed it, so she hopped onto Google to find a solution.
After the obligatory “call your vet” advice, Samantha stumbled upon one dog owner’s recommendation to feed the dogs bread. Acting fast, Samantha started stuffing both dogs with bread. She ends up taking them to the vet, where they X-ray one of her dogs, Moose, and find he has no obstruction.
Her other dog, Alfredo, however, had not only the blades but also an entire binder clip inside him. Alfredo is then prepped for surgery, which Samantha revealed cost just shy of $2,000.
Did It Work?
“They call me, and they tell me the fact that I fed him bread more than likely saved his life,” Samantha says.
She explains how the bread stopped the digestion process and “encased the blades perfectly so it didn’t cut him or perforate his stomach lining.”
Samantha concludes her TikTok by sharing a PSA: “If your dog is chewing on something sharp or you think maybe they swallowed something sharp, give that [dog] bread.”
She adds a short clip of Alfredo, a husky and golden retriever mix, at the end.
What Should You Do If Your Dog Swallows A Foreign Object?
You’d think dogs swallowing foreign objects is part of their job description due to how many of them do it. According to Spruce Pets, the “most common objects dogs eat include socks, underwear, pantyhose, rocks, balls, chew toys, corn cobs, bones, hair ties/ribbons, and sticks.”
Of course, this is a non-exhaustive list. And while the first thing you should do is call your vet or take them in, there are still ways you can help your pup in the meantime.
- The Spruce Pets recommends inducing vomiting (after getting the OK from your vet) if the object was swallowed less than two hours ago.
- If it’s toxic, you may need to call an animal poison control hotline.
- Feed them bread or dry food. “This may cushion stones or other heavy objects and help them move on out. Food also activates digestive juices, which can help soften wads of rawhide so they pass more readily.”
- Feed them a Vaseline sandwich. In a Just Answer post, a pet owner asked for advice after their dog also swallowed razor blades. A vet recommended taking “a slice of whole wheat bread, slather it with vaseline, and then cover it with another piece. Feed it to him bite by bite, as it can be quite messy.”
- That vet also suggested “incorporating 1 tablespoon of Metamucil or canned pumpkin (not pie filling, just pumpkin) to each meal to help pad the sharp pieces and assist in pushing them through.”
The Tiktoker Is Not Alone In Her Scare
Samantha’s TikTok, which reached 235,000 viewers, invited several pet owners to share their own close calls in the comments section.
“Bread and mashed potatoes, you wanna give the sharp stuff soft bedding that isnt intestines. our pup ate glass,” one shared.
Another wrote, “That’s what the vet told me to do when our bloodhound gulped an entire chicken leg. She also enjoyed the bread. That was around 7 years ago. She never had 1 problem or got sick at all.”
Yet another viewer shared how their dog ate glass and had to give her bread before rushing her to the vet. “They said that because of all of the food in her stomach there was no damage to her organs,” they wrote.
How Is Alfredo Doing Now?
In a previous video, Samantha shared a comment, writing, “Update: Alfredo is doing well! They were able to remove these items and told me again how giving him bread slowed down the digestion process and could’ve saved his life.”
She shares a follow-up post of Alfredo stretching, showing off his “battle wound,” aka his surgery scar, which was healing up nicely.
UPDATE: In an email to Brobible, Samantha shared how Alfredo is “doing amazing.” The first few days were challenging, she says, as they had to keep Alfredo from jumping and running around.
She continues that this is the first time her pup had swallowed anything. As for the attention her TikTok received, Samantha is grateful folks found value in her PSA.
“A few people have commented letting me know that they (unfortunately) have had to use the advice since seeing my video because their pet got into something they shouldn’t have,” she wrote. “So that makes me feel good, to help other pet owners, you know? “
One advice of note that Samantha shared is how feeding the dogs bread only slows down the digestion.
“It is NOT a solution, and you should still bring your pet to their vet,” she wrote. “If I hadn’t brought Alfredo, I can’t even imagine the damage the blades would’ve done to his intestines while they passed through.”