Hair tie
Also called: hair ties · hair elastic · hair band · ponytail holder · scrunchie · rubber band · rubber bands · elastic band
Dog
Dangerous
Described signs
Repeated vomiting, loss of appetite, belly pain, diarrhea, dehydration and low energy. An elastic does not digest and does not break down: either it passes whole or it stays, and if it stays it plugs. Stretched out it behaves like a linear foreign body, the kind that does the most damage. The size of the animal decides: what a big dog may manage to pass will block a small one, and in a puppy it takes less. That many small elastics pass without trouble is not something you can count on. If you can see one end hanging from the mouth or the anus, do not pull on it.
Cat
Dangerous
Described signs
Repeated vomiting, refusing to eat, pain or discomfort when you touch the belly, straining to poop or producing very little, low energy and changes in behaviour. Rubber bands are among the things cats swallow most often, almost always while playing: an elastic does not digest, and stretched out it behaves like a linear foreign body, the kind most common in cats and the one that does the most damage. A cat's gut is narrow, so a small object is already enough. If something is showing at the mouth or the anus, do not pull it.
This is a compendium of public veterinary sources, not a diagnosis. The weight of your pet changes what a dose means.
Available for iPhone
Point your iPhone camera at the code, or tap the button.
