Dog Ate Wrapping Paper, Tape or a Bow: What to Do

Ribbon, tape, foil and whatever was inside the gift decide how urgent it is. What to do now, when to go in, and which signs to watch.

Quick answer: A few scraps of plain wrapping or tissue paper may pass in a bright dog, but there is no safe home waiting period, so call a vet. A swallowed ribbon, bow or battery, or toxic gift contents, means an emergency vet now. A large wad of paper or tape, or any foil, needs an in-person vet today; any vomiting, not eating, belly pain or straining means the ER now.

This article is general information, not a diagnosis. If you think your pet is in danger, go to the nearest emergency animal hospital.

What should I do right now if my dog ate wrapping paper?

If a dog ate wrapping paper, pick up the rest of the paper, check what the gift held and what it was tied with, and do not open the dog's mouth to look or pull any strand from the mouth or bottom. VCA Animal Hospitals tells owners to call their veterinarian if they suspect a dog ate ribbon or wrapping paper.

1. Bag the torn paper, ribbon, tape and packaging to show the vet what is missing.
2. Check the gift for food, candy, a battery, a toy or a freshness packet. If you don't know what a present held, Pet Poison Helpline says to find out and call the helpline.
3. Count the ribbons and bows. Treat a missing piece as swallowed.
4. Leave any strand at the mouth or bottom and go to an emergency vet now. The Merck Veterinary Manual says a string-type object seen in the mouth must never be pulled, because it may be embedded.
5. If you can't tell which dog ate it, treat each dog as exposed.

Then match what you found to the right level of care:

• Emergency vet now, even if your dog seems fine: swallowed or missing ribbon, a bow, string, tinsel or a gift-bag cord; a long strip of packing tape; any battery; sugar-free candy or gum (call a poison line on the way); or any vomiting, retching, not eating, belly pain, straining, weakness or trouble breathing.
• Poison line or emergency vet now: the gift held chocolate, raisins or a packet that could be an iron oxygen absorber.
• In-person vet now: swallowed toy parts, stuffing or a squeaker from a gift.
• In-person vet today: a large wad of paper or tape, whatever your dog's size, or any foil, glitter, metallic or plastic-coated paper or cellophane.
• Call a vet before you watch at home: a few scraps of plain paper, with everything else accounted for, in a bright dog that is eating and pooping normally.

Is wrapping paper toxic to dogs?

The main risk from wrapping paper for a dog is a blockage: VCA Animal Hospitals says wrapping paper can cause an intestinal obstruction, especially if it is made of foil or other indigestible material.

• Plain wrapping and tissue paper: VCA says dogs often swallow paper and tissues, and some of it passes without problem, but not all does.
• Foil and metallic paper: an in-person vet today, or the emergency vet now with any vomiting, not eating or belly pain.
• Glitter paper, plastic-coated paper and cellophane: treat them the same way as foil.
• Greasy paper from a food gift: an in-person vet today, or the emergency vet now with any vomiting, not eating or belly pain; a poison line or emergency vet now if the food was toxic.

Will a dog pass wrapping paper on its own?

A dog may pass a few scraps of plain wrapping paper, but VCA Animal Hospitals says not all swallowed paper passes, so call a vet before deciding to watch at home. There is no reliable home timetable for how long paper takes to pass, and there is no safe home waiting period.

A large wad of paper or tape needs an in-person vet today, whatever your dog's size or age. Bits of paper in the stool do not prove that all of it has passed.

Ribbon, bows, tape and gift-bag cords: the bigger risks

A dog that swallowed, or may have swallowed, ribbon, curling ribbon, a bow or a gift-bag cord needs an emergency vet now, even if the dog seems fine, because ribbon can act like string in the gut. VCA Animal Hospitals says ribbons and strings used to wrap gifts can be hazardous, especially to young puppies, and can tangle in the intestine as a string-type, or linear, foreign body.

The Merck Veterinary Manual says string-type obstructions carry a higher risk of perforating the intestine. There is no safe waiting time. Never pull or cut a strand, do not make your dog vomit, and count a missing ribbon as swallowed. See what to do if a dog ate string, tinsel or ribbon.

• Bows: a bow is ribbon, so the same emergency rule applies. Pet Poison Helpline advises against long or wire-edged ribbons around pets.
• Look-alikes: raffia, yarn pom-poms, garland and gift-bag cords follow the string rule.
• Tape: a small bit stuck to paper follows the paper rules (an in-person vet today if part of a large wad, the ER now with any warning sign). A long strip of packing tape, or tape stuck to ribbon, means an emergency vet now. Pet Poison Helpline warns that swallowed ribbon and packing tape can cause a string-type blockage, mainly in cats.

What was inside the gift matters

For a dog that tore open a present, the gift inside can be the bigger danger: a battery or sugar-free candy means an emergency vet now, and chocolate, raisins or an iron oxygen absorber packet means a poison line or emergency vet now. The ASPCA says pets might smell wrapped food or candy even though you can't see what is inside a present.

Found inside	Risk	Do this
Chocolate	Poison	Poison line
Batteries	Burns	ER now
Raisins	Kidneys	ER now
Sugar-free candy	Xylitol	ER now
Jerky packet	Iron	Poison line
Silica packet	Usually mild	Check packet
Toy parts	Blockage	In person now

If a packet may be an iron oxygen absorber (jerky, pepperoni or treat bags; rust-colored contents that stick to a magnet), or you can't tell, call a poison line or go to an emergency vet now; do not make your dog vomit. The poison lines are ASPCA Animal Poison Control at (888) 426-4435 (a consultation fee may apply) and Pet Poison Helpline at (855) 764-7661 (a per-incident fee applies).

• Batteries: AAHA NEWStat quotes Renee Schmid, DVM, a senior veterinary toxicologist at Pet Poison Helpline, calling gifts packed with batteries a first red flag: button batteries cause thermal burns, and AA or AAA cells are corrosive. Go to an emergency vet now, even with no signs; call a poison line on the way, not instead of going. A missing battery counts as swallowed. See what to do if a dog ate a battery.
• Chocolate: after any chocolate, call an emergency vet or a pet poison-control line now, before symptoms appear.
• Raisins: after even one raisin, including in baked gifts, go to an emergency vet now, even if your dog seems fine; call a poison line on the way.
• Sugar-free candy and gum: the FDA says xylitol often sweetens sugar-free candy, gum and mints, and that a dog that may have eaten xylitol should go to a vet or an emergency animal hospital immediately. Treat unknown candy as xylitol.
• Packets: Pet Poison Helpline calls silica gel "virtually non-toxic," but it says the iron in oxygen absorbers can cause severe poisoning, even from the small amount in one packet.
• Toys: swallowed toy parts, stuffing or a squeaker means an in-person vet now. See what to do if a dog ate toy stuffing or a squeaker.

Signs of a blockage after a dog eats paper

A dog with a blockage after eating paper often vomits or stops eating, and any vomiting, retching, not eating, a swollen or painful belly, straining or weakness means an emergency vet now. The Merck Veterinary Manual lists vomiting and not eating as common blockage signs, but vomiting may be less common when the blockage sits lower in the gut. VCA Animal Hospitals says gut tissue may die if its blood supply is cut off for more than a few hours.

Also go to an emergency vet now for retching with nothing coming up, especially with a swollen belly (possible bloat), choking or pawing at the mouth, gagging that won't stop, trouble breathing, pale, gray or blue gums, collapse, tremors or seizures, blood in the vomit (red or like coffee grounds), black tarry stool, a fever or a body that feels cold.

When	Watch for	ER now if
First hours	Breathing, drool	Gagging, pawing
Next day	Eating, vomit	Any vomit or won't eat
Later days	Stool, belly	Straining or no stool

Use this only after a vet has agreed to a home watch plan. Normal stool does not rule out a blockage: the Merck Veterinary Manual says string-type and small objects more often cause a partial blockage. Signs of a partial blockage can come and go for days. A suspected blockage needs X-rays or ultrasound in person; Merck lists treatment as supportive care or removal with an endoscope or surgery. Read more about intestinal blockage in dogs, the signs and the timeline.

Should I make my dog throw up or give bread?

No: do not make a dog vomit at home after eating wrapping paper, tape, ribbon or a bow, and do not give bread, pumpkin, oil, fiber or laxatives to push it through; call a vet or a poison line, and for ribbon, a bow or a battery, go to an emergency vet now. A ribbon strand may be anchored inside, and Pet Poison Helpline says a dog that ate a battery should not be made to vomit. See when making a dog throw up helps and when it harms.

A Christmas-morning plan to keep paper away from your dog

On Christmas morning, keep puppies and paper-chewing dogs in a crate or another room while gifts are opened, bag paper and ribbon as you go, and put batteries and packets straight into a lidded bin. Clear ribbon and wrap before letting the dog back in.

• Keep wrapped food gifts off the floor.
• Dr. Schmid suggests wide ribbon instead of bite-sized bows because it is harder to swallow. Any ribbon a dog swallows still means an emergency vet now.
• Count ribbons, bows, batteries and packets before and after.
• Check under the tree: the ASPCA says swallowed tinsel can cause vomiting, a blocked gut and dehydration, and may need surgery. For the tree itself, see whether Christmas trees are toxic to dogs.

When a video visit helps

A live video visit with RexVet, a nonprofit online vet service for pets located in Florida, New York and Virginia, fits a dog that ate only a few scraps of plain wrapping or tissue paper and is bright, eating, drinking and pooping normally, with every ribbon, battery, packet and gift item accounted for. RexVet serves pets in those three states by video visit, and your dog must be in one of them during the visit.

On a $64.99 live video visit, a licensed RexVet vet (a veterinarian licensed in your pet's state) can look at the torn paper and packaging with you on camera, go over how much is missing, check your dog's breathing, gum color, energy and belly shape, and agree on a watch plan, including which signs mean going in. A video visit cannot take X-rays, feel the belly or remove anything, and it cannot rule out a blockage; the veterinarian may tell you to take your dog in for X-rays.

Skip the video visit and go to an emergency vet now for ribbon, a bow, a long strip of tape, a battery, toxic gift contents, or any vomiting, not eating, belly pain or straining. A large wad of paper or tape, or any foil, glitter, metallic or plastic-coated paper or cellophane, needs an in-person vet today, whatever your dog's size.

Book when a slot is open (usually about 8 AM to 11 PM ET; holiday hours, including Christmas Day, are not confirmed, and a same-day slot is not guaranteed). If no slot is open, or anything is getting worse, go to an emergency vet.

No prescription is promised; any medicine is the veterinarian's decision within state rules (Florida s.474.2021 limits telehealth-only prescribing). If a prescription is sent to an outside pharmacy, a pharmacy transfer fee applies; RexVet is not a pharmacy.

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Frequently Asked Questions

My dog ate wrapping paper but seems fine. Do I still need to call a vet?

Yes, call a vet: a few scraps of plain paper may pass, but swallowed ribbon, foil, tape or gift contents change the plan. Any swallowed or missing ribbon, bow or battery means an emergency vet now, even with no signs, and a large wad of paper or tape, or any foil, needs an in-person vet today. Watch at home only when a veterinarian agrees.

Is tissue paper safe for dogs to eat?

No source rates tissue paper safe for dogs: a few scraps of tissue paper may pass, but not all swallowed paper does, so call a vet before you wait. Tissue paper in a gift bag can also hide ribbon, a battery, candy or a jerky packet, so check the bag first. A large wad of tissue paper needs an in-person vet today.

Can a dog die from eating wrapping paper?

Yes, it can: VCA Animal Hospitals says wrapping paper can cause an intestinal obstruction, and VCA calls an obstruction a life-threatening emergency. Ribbon, batteries and toxic gift contents mean an emergency vet now, even before any signs, and so does any vomiting, not eating, belly pain or straining after eating paper.

My dog ate a gift bow. What should I do?

Go to an emergency vet now, even if your dog seems fine: a bow is ribbon, which can act like string in the gut. Do not open your dog's mouth to look, do not pull or cut any strand at the mouth or bottom, and do not make your dog vomit. A missing bow counts as swallowed. Bring a matching bow or the packaging.

How long does it take a dog to pass wrapping paper?

There is no reliable home timetable for paper to pass, and pieces in the stool do not prove it has all passed. Blockage signs can start soon after swallowing or come and go for days, and some stool can still pass with a partial blockage. If your dog vomits, stops eating, has belly pain or strains at any point, go to an emergency vet now.

My puppy ate wrapping paper. Will it pass on its own?

A few scraps of plain paper may pass, but call a vet before you wait: not all swallowed paper does, and there is no reliable home timetable. VCA Animal Hospitals says ribbons and strings used to wrap gifts can be hazardous, especially to young puppies, so any swallowed or missing ribbon or bow means an emergency vet now. A large wad of paper or tape, or any foil, needs an in-person vet today; any vomiting, not eating or belly pain means an emergency vet now.

My cat ate ribbon or tape from a present. Is that an emergency?

Yes, go to an emergency vet now: Pet Poison Helpline warns that swallowed ribbon and packing tape can cause a string-type blockage in cats. The Merck Veterinary Manual says string can anchor under a cat's tongue. Never pull a strand, never make a cat vomit at home, and bring the rest of the ribbon or tape with you.

Can an online vet help if my dog ate wrapping paper and we are in Florida, New York or Virginia?

Yes, for a bright dog located in Florida, New York or Virginia that ate only a few scraps of plain paper and nothing else. On camera, a veterinarian licensed in your pet's state can look at the torn paper and packaging with you and agree on a watch plan. X-rays, feeling the belly and removing anything need an in-person visit, and video cannot rule out a blockage. Ribbon, a bow, a battery, toxic gift contents, or any vomiting, not eating, belly pain or straining means an emergency vet now. Your pet must be in the state during the visit, and no prescription is promised. If medicine comes up for another problem: Florida limits telehealth-only prescriptions to FDA-approved animal drugs used as labeled, for up to 14 days (1 month for products labeled only for flea and tick control), with no renewal without an in-person exam, and no human-labeled, controlled or compounded anti-infective drugs without an in-person exam. Federal rules (21 CFR 530.3) require an in-person exam for off-label or human-drug use. Virginia allows the exam to be electronic, but the veterinarian still decides whether video is enough. New York's telehealth prescribing rules are not settled.