Pet owners are being encouraged to keep masks and hand sanitisers out of reach of dogs
Since the pandemic began, there have been a number of reports of dogs needing surgery after eating discarded face masks or other PPE.
The UK's Animal PoisonLine, meanwhile, saw a rise in calls about hand sanitisers last year.
Pete the Vet told The Pat Kenny Show dogs will be naturally curious about any new items they stumble across.
He said: “Just like human toddlers pick things up with their hands, dogs pick things up with their mouth.
“If there’s a mask with a trace of human scent on it, for dogs that’s a really strong odour.
“Sometimes masks might have food traces on them, so for a dog that adores its food there’s another reason to chew this mask.
“The problem is they’re completely indigestible - so if a mask is swallowed, it’s very likely it is going to get stuck.”
Vets are used to seeing dogs who’ve swallowed things such as socks, so this is not an entirely new problem.
However, the key thing is to keep the items out of reach of dogs.
What to do
If a dog does swallow a mask, Pete said many pet owners will choose go to a vet straight away.
A vet will be able to give the dog an injection which will make them quickly regurgitate what they've just swallowed.
For those who want to take the chance the mask will 'pass through' the dog's digestive system, Pete recommended “giving the dog bulky food… you might even give them some liquid paraffin".
He said: “What you would also do is watch what they pass very carefully over the next few days.”
What's most important in that situation is to be aware of the signs there’s a problem.
Pete said a dog is likely to become dull and depressed it there’s a problem, and may start vomiting.
In extreme cases, the mask may get lodged in the intestine, something which might require a surgical operation to rectify.
Pete said: “That’s what you want to avoid - that’s a big deal, and there are serious health risks involved, not to mention the costs.”
In terms of hand sanitisers, Pete said those products usually "aren’t palatable or tasty" for dogs, but puppies in particular are curious and "like chewing things for the sake of it".
He said: “Some of the [products] are quite toxic if they’re ingested.
"So just again keep them out of reach and safe.”
