Sorry, this question is kind of strange, but urgent.?

Question

Ok, so, this is going to sound kind of strange, but yesterday morning my horse accidently ate a tampon. Its a long story involving a younger sister, a bathroom, and a barn. I'll let you figure out the rest. Anyway, its been more than 24 hours and he's still acting normal. I stayed up all night monitoring him and he still ate his normal feed, is drinking normally, etc. He isn't showing any signs of colic yet, so I was just wondering how long it takes something (such as a tampon) to pass through a horses digestive system.

Answer 1

Wow, how odd!  Wonder what on earth made him eat that?  

Anyway, he should be OK.  He didn't eat the plastic applicator, did he?  That might pose some problems, but so far as the tampon itself goes, it should break down somewhat and pass on through.

Answer 2

Sorry everybody..don't mean to make light of the issue but I cannot help myself so......

Did he get cotton mouth??

I know..Bad Hudson..Bad Bad Hudson. :-)

PS~ Isn't it amazing how things all happen at the same time..a mini eats a  heart sticker..now we have a tampon eater...what next???

Answer 3

I won't ask how that happened but I am amazed that the horse swallowed it without choking. Even beet pulp will swell up in a horse's throat and choke the horse if the dry pulp is not thoroughly soaked so it seems a dry tampon would certainly swell up and choke him. But anyway, since he did manage to swallow it without choking, I would try to get at least a quart of mineral oil in him to help it pass. It will be hard to get that much oil in him without the help of a vet and tube but maybe you can try making a wheat bran mash with the mineral oil and sweeten it with molasses to get him to eat it. The bran will speed movement and the mineral oil will lubricate it. That will purge and flush his bowels real quick but then you should probably follow up with probiotics to help restore the beneficial bacteria that was flushed out. Good luck helping him pass that tampon!

Answer 4

keep a watch on your horse but it should pass fine.if it hasnt passed by now it wont be long till it does.

Answer 5

It may not pass through at all...it can lodge in a pocket in the intestine and turn into a major stone as it traps intestinal content.  This should be looked at as an emergency and the vet should be contacted.  Don't feed him anything...just water.

Answer 6

Thats a first. I'm surprised your horse ate it. I mean, wouldn't taste weird? Because, you know,...ANYWAY I would call your vet and talk to him/her. But it sounds like after 24 hours with no reaction he would be OK but better safe then sorry...so call the vet.

Answer 7

If I were you I would just wait it out since he is showing no signs of colic. If your kid swallows a penny and you take him to the doctor he will just tell you to let it pass unless it was causing problems (I know it sounds weird for a dr to say that but it happened to my son).  Hope this helps & good luck!

Answer 8

Lol - I bet that was a surprise !

yes I can understand you worrying but they don't swell that much. Should turn up soon.

Edit> never thought about the plastic thing ! He didn't did he ?

Answer 9

I think it will pass through if he hasn't showed any signs of colic after 24 hours. We had a pony eat a hay string one time and it came out the other end just fine (It was long too, like 6 feet!)

Answer 10

yOu should call a vet, just to make sure,hes okay and everything

Answer 11

as she said if he has not shown sighns of colic in the past 24 hours he should be fine. i think as horse people we tend to make things to complicated than the really are and worry more than we need to- but i woood feel the same way if it was my horse. i know i used to worry all the time that my horse wood get colic-- then the realization came to me that they may have more sensitive stomachs but there not so fragile that they are going to break lol... but he shood be just fine. good luck hope i helped

Answer 12

i think your horse will be just fine...even though some horses are really weird about a simple change in his food but as long as the horse has been acting normal and doesn't have a history of having colic a lot and doesnt get colic when you change his feed or somethin then he should be just fine

Answer 13

Did he eat the applicator or just the actual tampon, and if he did, was it plastic? If it was one of the biodegradable ones, I don't think you should worry, but plastic may be a bit harder on his stomach.

Either way I wouldn't worry too much, the string on tampons isn't very long, anyway. Just keep your eye on him.

Answer 14

I would call the vet , just to make sure he can digest it because when a tampon is in a girl, it should not fall apart... but at the same time since its in the horses stomach the acid might break it down... just call a vet to make sure it cannot hurt and maybe one day you will look back and laugh!

Answer 15

Due to the absorption of the ingested item, it will take longer to digest. However, it is in the stomach already, and if there was going to be a colic issue, it would have already occurred.

Answer 16

LOL - I'm thinking he'll be fine...you should see the "output" within the next few hours.

Answer 17

it's a small enough item even when it.... expands with water or whatnot in his system that i wouldn't worry.  plus... they are flushable =D so i would think it would break down somewhat.

if you're really concerned, when he poos break it apart some to see if you can see anything... and if he shows any signs of colic, or not feeling well then call the vet, but as you said he seems to be eating/drinking fine so i wouldn't worry too much.

i would expect 24 hours or less... if he's eating hay and roughage it'll push it through.