# Goat ate plastic sandwich bag



## Mike (Dec 10, 2008)

I'll spare everyone the saga of how this happened, but yesterday one of my goats devoured a small ziplock type sandwich bag. I dosed him immediately with mineral oil twice two hours apart.

It's now been 32 hours and he's acting fine. Normal activity, normal eating, drinking and pooping. There has been no sign of the bag passing in stool. I would have thought if there was a possibility of serious issues due to blockage etc. that it would have occurred by now.

Do you think the small bag will just ball up and stay in the reticulum or might it eventually pass ? 

I feel terrible about this, I watch everything they eat, don't let them near poisonous plants and generally baby them. Who'd have thought that a bit of litter like that could be snatched up so fast.

Mike


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## Mike (Dec 10, 2008)

Still no problems.... still eating, drinking etc. just fine after 48 hours. 

I spoke to our farm Vet this morning and he said this is pretty common with animals like cows and goats. He said I should just watch him, apparently for an indeterminate amount of time. If he goes off his feed or gets otherwise distressed it may have caused a blockage and surgery would be necessary to remove it. 

The vet said the culprit around here is usually the plastic wrap on round hay bales or wire that causes the surgical cases. A small item like a flimsy plastic sandwich bag was a new one for the clinic.

He felt the bag will likely ball up and lie in the reticulum or omasum possibly for the goats life. He said they'd do nothing unless it cdauses a problem later on. 


Mike


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## Rex (Nov 30, 2008)

I've had strips of plastic, tree tinsel and bailing twin pass through goats with no problem. Nothing as festive as goats droppings on a string. 

Is it possible that it came back up in the cud and he spit it out?


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## Mike (Dec 10, 2008)

Hi Rex,

Maybe... although I haven't found any evidence it was eliminated at either end  

He's still doing fine and has had no issues. The vet had suggested perhaps he might burp it up with cud and grind it up small enough to pass normally. 

I guess there isn't much else that can be done but watch him for blockages. It's been about 3 weeks now,,, and no issues.


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## sweetgoatmama (Dec 10, 2008)

My border collie steals my husband's dayglo ear plugs and eats them. Now there is some festive poo.


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## jross (Dec 20, 2008)

I'm pretty sure one of my goats ate a plastic bag once. I neglected to zip the food pannier and he got into it and found my bag of apples. When I realized what he had done he was munching on the last apple, and the bag was nowhere to be found. He never showed any sign of it bothering him tho.


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