Even though you only briefly left the kitchen, it’s already too late when you get back. The chicken you just took out of the oven to roast is gone.
The only suspect is seated on the ground, panting, wagging his tail, and seeming quite pleased with himself, as if the cat is obviously at fault.
When you notice that your dog has also consumed the chicken bones, you become alarmed. Do you rush him to the vet immediately?.
What to do and what to look out for if your dog ate chicken bones are listed below.
Dog Bone-Eating Basics: Can Dogs Digest Bones?
Just to be clear, yes, dogs can digest some bones. This is not a great feat in the animal kingdom; bears and hyenas consume bones, as do tortoises and vultures. Even rabbits have also been observed to feed on them too. In fact, you can even digest some bones (if you really want to).
Because of how frequent the behavior occurs, biologists have given it a name: osteophagy or osteophagia.
While the specific reasons animals exhibit the bone-eating behavior may vary, most scientists suspect that munching on bones typically accompanies a shortage of essential nutrients from other available foods.
This is thought to explain the evolutionary development of how dogs have acquired this skill, in the broad sense, even though it does not imply that dogs who enjoy bones have nutritional deficiencies.
Signs Your Dog Could Be Choking
Although choking in dogs is not very common, all dog owners should be familiar with the signs in order to act quickly. A dog will choke if something gets stuck in their throat (bones, bone fragments, rawhide, small toys, etc.), and if it isn’t removed right away, it could be fatal.
Choking could result from a broken or splintered bone being chewed, but the main distinction between coughing and choking is the breathing-in component. Breathing in will be normal if your dog is coughing, but if your dog is choking, they will have difficulty breathing and frequently this will be accompanied by wheezing.
The initial symptoms will be easily noticeable:
Pacing: Your dog might become anxious, restless, and agitated. They might pace and paw at their mouth and neck.
Chewing – Even if your dog isn’t eating, they may exhibit pronounced swallowing motions.
Drooling – Your dog may begin drooling a lot, as well as gag and cough.
The main problem with this is that, even though the foreign body is still present and still inflicting damage, your dog will quickly stop experiencing these acute symptoms if the obstruction isn’t complete. Other symptoms of choking include:
When attempting to remove the obstruction, your dog might tilt their head. The most typical reaction to this is pawing at their mouth or digging
Your dog may whine to let you know that something is wrong.
Your dog may cower and display other signs of fear.
Your dog may begin to shake because choking can cause shock, especially if their air supply is restricted.
Weakness – If the obstruction is restricting your dog’s air supply, they may suddenly become very weak.
Your dog’s personality is important as well because different personality types respond differently. Some may become uncharacteristically vocal and begin to bark, whine, or howl, while others may attempt to endure it silently and cower.
If you notice that your dog is choking, you must act quickly by performing the Heimlich maneuver, pulling their tongue forward, or trying to locate and remove the obstruction. Call the vet if neither of these solutions is successful.
Always keep an eye on your dog when giving them bones to monitor their eating patterns. Although dogs can ingest bones thanks to their extra-wide and hard oesophagus, supervision is essential to prevent choking.
Here are a few indicators that your dog is choking:
If you think your dog is choking or has an obstruction, you should also look out for the following signs:
Here are the top reasons that bones are bad for dogs (according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration):
Broken teeth. Given how brittle and hard bones can be, it is simple for a dog to break one of its big chewing teeth. A broken tooth is painful and must be treated. This is an expensive result whether the tooth is removed or saved with a root canal.
Injuries to the mouth and tongue. The broken edges of bones can be razor sharp. Dogs are capable of breaking off sharp pieces of bone that could pierce the soft palate on the roof of the mouth, the cheek, or the tongue.
Bones can get looped around the lower jaw. Round bones may become wedged behind the lower canine teeth and around the lower jaw. The majority of dogs require sedation or anesthesia in order to cut the bone off because it is a very frightening experience for them.
Dogs can choke. On the way from the throat to the stomach, bone fragments may get stuck in the esophagus. Sharp bone fragments have the ability to pierce the esophagus or the soft tissues at the back of the throat. Additionally, a bone fragment could enter your dog’s trachea, obstructing their ability to breathe. Choking is an emergency!.
Injuries to the stomach and intestinal lining. Sharp bone fragments can harm the stomach and intestine walls in the same way that they can harm the mouth. The walls of the stomach or intestine may occasionally be completely penetrated by bone fragments, allowing food and intestinal contents to leak into the abdomen in some instances. Peritonitis is a condition brought on by this; it is an infection of the abdomen that, even with aggressive treatment, can be fatal.
Bones can get stuck in the stomach. Large bone fragments may not be able to exit the stomach if they are present. Chronic vomiting and stomach ache can result from bone fragments stuck in the stomach. Endoscopy or abdominal surgery must be performed to remove these stuck-on bone fragments.
A blockage in the colon or small intestine can be brought on by bones. The small intestines may become blocked completely by bone fragments that have become lodged there. This is an emergency, and the obstruction needs to be surgically removed. Bone fragments may accumulate and result in constipation if they pass through the GI tract and into the large bowel or colon. The dog suffers significant trauma as a result of the bone fragments scraping the lining of the colon and rectum. It might be necessary to use enemas and manipulation to get the large bowel out.
Contamination with pathogens on raw bones. Several pathogens, including E coli, can be present in raw meat and bones. coli, Salmonella species, and Listeria. Depending on the dog’s health, these pathogens may or may not make them sick, but they pose a serious health risk to the people living in the home. The most vulnerable are young children, the elderly, and people with compromised immune systems, and these organisms can be fatal.
FAQ
Will my dog poop out a bone?
Since dogs have been eating bones for thousands of years, they typically have no problems breaking them down. When chicken bones enter the stomach, they typically dissolve, preventing them from becoming dangerous. Most times, dogs are able to pass chicken bones uneventfully.
Will bones break down in a dog’s stomach?
Domestic dogs are unable to digest bone because their stomach acidity is insufficient to promote bone dissolution, unlike hyenas and some other wild dogs. Even raw bones can be problematic because small pieces of bone can obstruct the digestive tract in dogs or even worse.
How long does it take for a dog to poop out a bone?
Most of the time, it completes its passage through the system in eight to twelve hours. However, larger bones might take longer to break down. It’s best to keep an eye on your dog for two days if you’re concerned that it may have eaten a bone it shouldn’t have.
What happens if my dog eats a piece of bone?
Bone fragments can cause constipation. Internal bleeding if fragments pierce internal organs. When bone fragments pierce the stomach or intestines, peritonitis, a bacterial infection in the abdomen, can happen. Pancreatitis from the high fat content.