My Dog Ate The Absorbent Meat Pad: What Should I Do?
What to do if my Dog Ate The Absorbent Meat Pad? In my early days, I was told that dogs are carnivorous animals. This could be because dogs are known to have evolved from the wolf family which are purely carnivorous.
Carnivorous animals are those that feed on flesh or meat from other animals.
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No doubt, this is the reason dogs are fed with meat. But the question is: do dogs feed on meat stuff alone? Your guess is as good as mine.
Dogs are fed with both meat and non-meat materials just as humans. This clearly suggests that dogs are also omnivorous by lifestyle adaptation because they have over time develop the ability or capacity to eat from a wide range of foodstuffs ranging from meat, grains and vegetables as well as materials associated with its food packaging such as the absorbent meat pad.
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Oftentimes dogs have been found to have eaten or swallowed absorbent meat pads either as a whole or the content of the pad. This has become almost a regular occurrence with many dogs. Research has shown that the consumption of absorbent meat or bottom chicken pad by dogs is one of the main reasons why dog owners call the Pet Poison Helpdesk.
Dog owners with first time experience have been so frightened to the point of looking helpless especially if there are obvious signs of gastrointestinal obstruction. If your dog has accidentally eaten an absorbent meat pad, fret not, I am here to tell you what to do. Just make sure you read this article to the end. It is a simple thing to handle if you will follow through on the steps that are highlighted in this article.
Sometimes the cause of dog eating absorbent pad could be a little carelessness from the owner. This is possible when you do not properly dispose of the pad or your dog is the type that constantly explores its surroundings and will possibly stumble on the pads in the trash. In any case, care is needed from the owner to keep absorbent pads from the reach of the dogs.
Why Dogs Eat Absorbent Meat Pad?
It is very easy for dogs to figure out odorous or aromatic items introduced into their surroundings because of their deepened sense of smell and the natural tendency to scout out for such things that stimulate their sense of smell (olfactory nerves). This simply suggests the reason why dogs will grab some items that may not even be edible or safe for them. In this case, the absorbent meat pads that always mimic the odour of the meat it is packaged with will usually be such items that may attract the attention of your dog.
This explains the reason why your dog is a victim of eating the absorbent meat pad or chicken breast pad. Some other times, your dog may not have any cogent reason to eat the absorbent meat pad. The absorbent pad is not something strange to you, however, in the next few seconds, I will tell you what you do not know about this absorbent meat pad.
The Absorbent Meat Pad
Most of the times we go to grocery stores where we buy raw chicken or meat stacked in the freezer for our dogs. They are properly packaged. One glaringly noticeable or obvious item you will find in the package is the absorbent pad. At times it may look like a sponge or paper. The majority of the times, we seem not to bother to know why it is enclosed inside the package alongside the meat.
Oh! You do not need to break your head over that. I am going to be telling you all that in this article. But wait! When you see the absorbent pad how do you handle it? Are you one that will just fling it at one corner or cast it into any nearby trash wondering why it was included in the package? This article will help you to have an idea of why the absorbent pad is always included in your chicken package.
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What Is This Absorbent Pad All About?
The absorbent pads are materials made up of a white perforated water-absorbing plastic wrapping filled with silica gel or cellulose. The silica gel and cellulose are all absorptive or absorbent materials that are capable of soaking or absorbing and holding water dripping or leaking out from the meat. The fluid or purge from the meat is absorbed via the perforations or holes on the pads and is held by the silica gel or cellulose.
They are non-toxic materials altogether, meaning that they do not have any harmful effect. Common sense should teach us that if they are toxic or harmful, regulating agencies such as FDA (Food & Drug Administration) would not approve them for use. You get that right? So next time your dog eats the chicken breast pad, no need for fear except for one thing.
You are wondering why ‘except for one thing?’ keep reading as you will find that out in this article. I promise you that. The absorbent meat pad looks like a sponge or paper. The absorbent pad can be called an absorbent packet as well as a moisture absorber.
Function Of The Absorbent Meat Pad
Do you remember I did promise to tell you the function of the absorbent meat pad? Now follow me closely as I will be opening your eyes to see why the absorbent meat pads are always enclosed in the meat pack you buy at the grocery. I am sure you will be happy you read to this point. From the phrase: ‘absorbent meat pad’, it easy to decipher the function of the pad.
Well, if think faster, you should know its function by now. Never mind, I will still go ahead to tell you as promised. The raw meat you bought comes with heavy water contained in it. This is so because of the cells of the meat. They contain majorly water. So in the process of handling this meat either by freezing, thawing, cutting, packaging or moving from one place to the other, there is a high tendency of the water content oozing or dripping off.
That water which comes out of the meat is red or pink in colour. Did you notice it? That water is called ‘purge’ and it contains myoglobin (a protein in the muscle that is akin to haemoglobin in the blood). The absorbent meat pads help to absorb or soak the purge. The absorbent meat pad helps to prevent the purge (red water) from pooling in the package. Just imagine, there is no absorbent meat pad in the meat package. What it implies is that fluid from the meat will leak out into the meat package making it look messy. I bet you will not be interested in buying such meat.
I am sure it is becoming clearer to you as regards the function of the absorbent meat pad. So those who put it there are not stupid or you think they are? However, the function of the absorbent meat pad is not in any way limited to the one discussed above. So what else does it do?
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The absorbent meat pad or moisture absorber plays a significant role in your kitchen. When you have brought the meat or chicken package to your kitchen, the absorbent meat pad will also help to ensure the purge is not spilt on your kitchen surface. If this meat water or fluid were allowed to drip on your kitchen surface, this I am sure will be irritating.
There is yet another awesome importance of this absorbent pad. It prevents virulent bacteria such as Salmonella from growing in the meat. It also guards against bacterial contamination of your kitchen surfaces.
The Danger Of Eating The Absorbent Meat Pad
While it is obvious and true that the absorbent packet is not toxic, it can be dangerous if swallowed by your dog. You remember I told you that there is one thing you need to be stuck afraid of if your dog ate the broken absorbent meat pad. Yes! Truly there is cause for fear or anxiety if your dog ate the absorbent meat or chicken breast pad.
However, your fear has been taken care of in this article as you will see later. While swallowing the absorbent meat pad can be gravely dangerous in some dogs, other dogs may just have the absorbent pad pass through their digestive or gastrointestinal tract (DT or GIT) without causing any single harm or problem to the dogs.
The danger of eating the absorbent meat pad is that it possesses the ability to stick in the dogs’ intestines and causes an obstruction or a blockage along the intestinal tract. This obstruction is called gastrointestinal blockage. This can be a dangerous or grave medical condition in your dogs and will require prompt attention otherwise the life of the dog may be at risk.
The rationale behind the intestinal blockage is the fact that as a moisture absorber, the pad tends to absorb the fluid around the gastrointestinal region hence becoming heavily swollen thereby causing a blockage of the intestine. When this happened, it becomes difficult for the dog to poop.
It makes the dog uncomfortable as a result of stomach ache and swollen stomach. Your dog may appear sluggish or lazy and may lose appetite. Summarily, the following symptoms may be obvious if your dog has gastrointestinal obstruction as a result of eating absorbent meat or chicken pad:
- Constipation
- Diarrhoea
- Lethargy
- Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Stomach ache
So, if you notice any of the above symptoms, you will be required to take immediate action. The action to take is what I will be discussing next, so following down.
The Remedy If Your Dog Ate The Absorbent Meat Pad
So the question is: What should I do if my dog accidentally consumed the absorbent meat pad as a whole or as a broken pad? First, you do not need to panic as this will never solve the problem. Rather, it can possibly compound the problem for you especially if you become confused and do not know what to do.
In this section, I will hold your hand and walk you through the stepwise action to be taken to save your dog from the danger of swallowing the absorbent meat pad. I am sure you still with me. Ok, here we dive into details of the action to be taken. First, you can call the attention of a Vet doctor or expert immediately.
Second, you can choose to apply first aid by inducing your dog to throw up or vomit the swallowed absorbent meat pad. Yes! You heard me very clear. You can induce your dog to throw up what it swallowed. This is what I will be teaching you the how-to-do-it.
How To Make Your Dog Throw Up After Eating The Absorbent Pad
If your dog swallowed the absorbent pad from a package of raw meat or chicken, then there is a call for serious concern. However, the concern is how to get your dog to vomit the absorbent meat pad. In some cases, as earlier mentioned, the dog may pass the absorbent chicken pad through defecation. But where it cannot do that and it is less than 3hours after ingestion, here is what to do to induce vomiting:
- Give your dog 5ml of 3% hydrogen peroxide per 10 pounds of body weight. This can be given orally or you soak it up with a piece of bread as well as mix it with ice cream or a small quantity of food.
- After administering the hydrogen peroxide, take your dog outside for a run around to get the peroxide mixed with stomach acid to bubble and as a result, induce your dog to throw up or vomit.
NOTE: If there is no obvious vomiting within 10 minutes after administration, repeat the 3% hydrogen peroxide dosage. There is the likelihood of vomiting.
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Should your vomits and appears to clear its stomach, kindly check to find if the absorbent pad is in the vomit. If the pad is confirmed, here is what to do next: give Omeprazole at a dosage of 1/2 of a 20mg tablet per 20 to 40 pounds body weight every day. This is to reduce the stomach acid thereby getting the stomach to be comfortable. Thereafter, feed your dog with a homemade diet consisting of meat, carbohydrate, vegetable and fibre. This is to help clear the bowel.
In the event that you don’t have the hydrogen peroxide or your dog could not throw up, then you can take your dog to an emergency Vet clinic to induce vomiting. However, if it is too late or vomiting could not be induced, then surgery may be the next option.
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In conclusion, care must be taken to keep absorbent meat pad from the reach of dogs as the possibility of ingesting them is significantly high. Dog owners must as a matter of importance keep a first aid box to enhance swift saving actions.
Gastrointestinal obstruction occasioned by ingestion of absorbent meat or chicken pad is a grave medical condition you will not wish your dog to go through as it can be life-threatening. Prevention, they say, is better than cure.
FAQ My Dog Ate The Absorbent Meat Pad
Are meat absorbent pads poisonous?
No. As long as the absorbent pad is not melted, torn apart, or broken open after the meat has been cooked, your dish is safe to eat. The USDA Food Safety and Information Services states that
What is the absorbent material in meat packages?
The majority of these pads are constructed of one of two absorbent materials: silica gel (purified sand) or cellulose (purified plant fiber), which are then wrapped in a non-toxic plastic covering that is perforated to allow liquid to soak in and stay there.
Is the pad under raw chicken toxic?
No. Don't be concerned; the components used in those pads are non-toxic. Silica (purified sand) or plant cellulose is used as the absorbent material, and the plastic is thin and non-digestible.