Hello,
It depends on a few things.. how much of the wrapper was swallowed. How much was chewed (for example did the wrapper get chewed into small pieces), and how big and healthy is your dog?
All of these influence the ability for it to be passed.
I wish I could help you more.

Hello,
I would find a vet who helps you and your pet. If you aren’t comfortable with the answer you are being given keep looking for a vet who helps you. There is no such thing as being too old to be helped.

Hello.

I haven’t. Nor do I have any patients at the clinic with the other doctors who do.

What are you considering it for?

Grinding the nail was a last resort for a difficult chronic case. It worked but it was a last resort treatment.

Hello,
There is a possibility that a food allergen can be the culprit. I was told by a dermatologist that it is about 8-12% of the dogs with allergies. The problem is that there are no commercially available over the counter foods that are truly hypoallergenic. You have to get a prescription diet which is either a novel protein (like kangaroo or venison) or a hydrolyzed diet where the proteins are broken down to be so small the body cannot recognize them. These are expensive and the pet cannot have anything else out in their mouths while on these foods. We feed for at least a month and then we challenge with the old food to see if the itching returns. It is difficult to do and expensive. In my opinion it is imperative to be on a good flea and tick prevention and on it year around. Then use apoquel and shampoos to help. If this works it is the best affordable option most of my patients are on. Occasionally I have to add a steroid for a small period of time or cytopoint. But most are managed well.

Find a vet who has an interest in dermatology or ask for a referral.

For cats with constipation issues I recommend a high quality canned food only diet and lots of exercise. If you are worried about pain please talk to your vet about safe options for cats. There are not a lot of them.

Hello,

First I will admit that I have had cases like this and they are frustrating. So I remind my clients this.
Next we take it in small steps. I do start with trimming the nail as much as able and start toe/foot soaks to keep the area clean and place an ecollar to stop the patient from licking and further traumatizing the nail and seeding infection from the mouth . I ask them to give it a week or two to heal.

If it doesn’t or other nails start cracking we talk about oncodystrophy. And start talking about what to do if that is the case. The treatment options are not great so the decision to treat needs to be made with a great deal of thought or referral to dermatologist is recommended.

In one case I had a dog who was placed under general anesthesia and the nail was ground to the base to allow a new nail to grow back.

Risk of anesthesia is something discussed on a case by case basis and usually has little definitive concrete information to allow predictive measures or reasoning. That would be a conversation for an anesthesiologist.

Also I have had some cases with underlying nail bed infections so antibiotic’s, foot wrap and medication or culture and sensitivity testing might be helpful.

Hello,
I think that I would ask for a second opinion from a different vet at another practice. I say this because I cannot interpret lab values without an examination. These go hand in hand to make an accurate assessment of a patient. Ask your friends and family who they use and trust and go there.

I also think you should bring all of the things that you mention above to your old vet.
Also I think it is important to talk to your vet about your financial abilities and ask for diagnostics you can afford. This is your right and the vet’s responsibility in my opinion. If they cannot help you find answers that are meaningful to your pet and their care go elsewhere.

Lastly I have been a vet for almost 20 years. I have not had many patients able to do an mri. And although I may offer we always (always!!!) tell about more affordable and readily accessible diagnostics like an ultrasound. I also ALWAYS talk about why I am asking questions them to do this. I fear very few vets do this. There is almost no point in asking you to do (and pay for) a diagnostic if we cannot do anything about the disease or problem from there. So what is an mri going to get you that is treatable? And Would you be able to afford that? If the answer is no why are we worried about the mri?

Hello,
If your cat is going to be on this long term then I recommend you ask your vet to give you tips and a demonstration on how to pull your cat like the pros do.
Otherwise you can try to crush and syringe it, but it still tastes bad and they are still going to hate it. I also fear that mixing it in food or food and syringing makes them adrift or adverse to their food which can make a sick cat even sicker.

There is just no getting around learning how to pull your cat. There is a learning curve but eventually they figure out that it isn’t so bad and allow it without prejudice.

Hello,
It could be a uti, cystitis or your cat being blocked (ie urinary bladder blockage), which is a medical emergency. Please go to the vet immediately.
Best of luck. Please keep us posted.