Q: We’re pretty sure our dog, Holly, ate a remote control with its batteries, because we can’t find it anywhere. She seems normal. What should we do? A: Take Holly to her veterinarian immediately for a physical exam and radiographs, often called X-rays. If Holly did eat the remote, or even just a battery, she could develop severe medical problems. Treatment is most successful if begun early. Once swallowed, a nonfood item becomes what veterinarians call a gastrointestinal foreign body. The stomach can’t digest it, and if it’s relatively large, it can block the gastrointestinal, or GI, tract. Battery ingestion is especially harmful, regardless of whether it’s an alkaline or a lithium battery. Alkaline batteries are the more common household batteries, available in AAA, AA, and other sizes. Lithium batteries are usually small, round discs. If you see black powdery material in Holly’s mouth, it’s likely she punctured an alkaline …