My Dog Ate Chicken Bones!

Wow this is a big one. So many things to consider.

In order, these are the chicken bone eatings from WORST prognosis to best. Item one is the worst prognosis.

1. Small dog, several cooked bones, rotten, just barely chewed and splintered. <= worst case
2. Small dog, several cooked bones, chewed up.
3. Small dog, several cooked bones, swallowed mostly whole.
4. Medium dog, lots of bones, rotten, barely chewed.
5. Medium dog, bones, barely chewed.
6. Medium dog, bones, chewed up
7. Large dog, lots of bones, rotten barely chewed
8. Large dog, lots of barely chewed bones
9. Large dog, a few uncooked bones
10. Large dog, a few uncooked bones chewed thoroughly. <= best case

Did you know that if the wings were raw, it would be better? Yes, the bones are less ‘splintery’ and would probably go down easier. Inducing vomiting within 2 hours would be a “good idea” as well because the uncooked bones would PROBABLY be unsplintered and less liable to cut the esophagus on the way back up.

If the wings were cooked, it matters WHEN the bones were available. What stage of decay. If the bones were rotten, the REAL problem might be the rotten / germs / poisoning that could present itself.

But cooked wings represent a choking / foreign body / GI laceration issue. Or not. Sometimes it’s NO PROBLEM and sometimes they DO get stuck, do damage, or cause even more serious problems.

In some cases it’s worth it to consider inducing vomiting, and hydrogen peroxide might be helpful with that. If a dog was MY DOG I would induce vomiting if there were several to many bones – and here is WHY:   The path to OUT OF MY DOG is less than 24 inches and from stomach to my yard might even be less. Letting the bones go through represents many feet of pathway. So despite some risk of damage running the bones back up my dog, possibly causing inhalation / reflux / aspiration pneumonia –  I believe it would be worth it # IF THE INGESTION WAS TWO HOURS OR LESS AGO #

Other professionals would let the bones go through, or even try to remove them manually endoscopically from the  stomach with more control.

If the bones were RAW and it was a large dog and it was reasonable to think your dog chewed the bones up well, I’d let them go through but be handy with diarrhea control medications in the upcoming days.

If it was just one bone, and the dog is anything larger than 10-15 pounds it will probably be better to observe VERY closely for symptoms of trouble. Observe VERY closely for symptoms of trouble. 

SYMPTOMS OF TROUBLE

1. Fever is the worst finding of all
2. Depression 
3. Vomiting blood. Vomiting at all.
4. Pooping black poop
5. Pooping bloody poop
6. Depression (Yes it’s on the list twice, it’s a BIG symptom)
7. Hunched back.
8. Drinking a TON of water.
9. Acting like something’s wrong.
10. Not eating anything else.

Dogs are okay until something gets stuck, lacerates the gut, or a germ gets cooking in the gut. Then the dog is NOT okay and you can tell. The ten signs listed above, become present.

How is the dog acting?

Answer:  FINE like nothing’s wrong.

Meaning: Then she’s fine and nothing’s wrong. Right now.

But at ANY MOMENT that worm could turn and she could be in trouble. So observe VERY closely for symptoms of trouble.

When is my dog “Out of the Woods?”

12 hours is a good rule of thumb but I’d say this: If she’s “just fine” at the 48 hours mark, then you’re out of the woods and everything’s fine, but meanwhile observe VERY closely for symptoms of trouble.