Uh Oh!! (clean, vet, shaking, stomach)

[proudvoterofObama]

My dog, Dusty, got in the trash and retrieved a bone-in checken breast. I found it semi-eaten on the couch which I guess he put it there to save for later. Who knows with that crazy dog, but should I be worried? I have always heard your not supposed to let dogs have chicken bones b/c they can spilt.

[sugarsugar]

Well, we have a 15 year old large dog, whom we used to refer to as a "garbage disposal unit with fur", who has IBD now and has to take meds and be fed carefully.

Recently, Max has been in such unexpected good condition for his age that dh decided to take him places - he calls it "checking off the items on Max's Bucket List" Max did great at the lake for a week, so they made a run for the beach and some cleanup at another place we have. But on that trip, dh left him in the truck to run an errand, and forgot about the bucket of KFC. No kidding. He called and told me Max "ate some chicken, what should I do"? I found out the dog ate the whole bucket, dh estimated at least 7 pieces.

I gave him the number of the vet we know in that town, who told dh that she was less worried about the chicken bones because KFC cooked bones tend to be softer than home cooked chicken bones. And if Max quit eating, had bloody stool, or vomited, to bring him in immediately.

In his case, she said she was more worried that he'd have a pancreatic attack from all that grease. Despite what she said, I was in tears that one of those damned cooked bones would splinter and poke a hole in his bowel or stomach and it would be all over for him; at his age/condition he isn't going to survive surgery. At least, I certainly have read about that happening online; my understanding is that cooked bones splinter easily and poke holes, whereas uncooked bones are softer and don't have the potential to cause as much trouble.

The vet said that if he was fine by day 5, then he was going to be okay. He did vomit one bone, but that is all dh saw (other than 2 earplugs and a round nylon hair band of mine in one of his stools). He was fine on day 5, and the he is still okay now, a couple weeks later. I am simply shaking head over the fact our boy survived consuming a whole bucket of chicken - when he was younger, dh used to feed him "road snacks" of little bits of KFC chicken flesh, but that was pre-IBD and certainly never bones. Maybe eating some KFC before he dies was also on Max's private bucket list, you never know

So those are some symptoms above that you can look for - but call your vet and see what he/she says just to be on the safe side.

[tookey]

Oh that rascal. I once had an Irish Setter whose main goal in life was to rifle through the neighbors garbage. It can be scary the vet I had at the time told me to get him to swallow a tablespoon of vasoline the vet told me that it would coat his stomach and prevent the bones from puncturing the stomach wall and he would pass the bones safely it worked thankfully. I have a friend that gives her dog chicken bones and i just hold my breath everytime she does.

[dee 42]

If it was raw, youre probably ok.

[LookinForMayberry]

It's definitely not a good idea. Probably everything will come out okay -- no pun intended. Watch him for a couple of days, just to be sure.

[Dashdog]

My dogs have all gotten hold of chicken bones at one time or another either a trash raid or more often on Walks because for some reason people that eat at the parks can't seem to toss chicken bones in the trash! Some times a Drop it command works and the spit iy out other times they look at me and do a quick chomp chomp swallow. So far we have not had any problems due to the bones. Yes they can cause problems but my bet is more often then not they do not. Just keep an eye on the dog for a few days.

I spent several months in Indonesia years ago and all the dogs got fed table scraps incuding cooked chicken bones. It was hard for me to finish a meal and toss the bones and other scarps to what ever dog had wandered in where I was eating but if I didn't the owners of the restuarant or the people that owned the home would take my plate and do it.

[proudvoterofObama]

Thanks for all the advice guys! Dusty is a mess! He's such a well behaved smart little guy and that's the problem. He's too smart! It was a whole chicken breast (bone-in) and I guess he had just been gnawing on it all morning while I was @ work. I went home for lunch, ate, let him outside, etc. I was telling him bye and noticed he was sitting on something trying to hide it from me... He had tried to bury it in my loveseat and when he couldn't get the pillows the way he needed them to be he just sat on it! He's such a little butt!!

[dmwlakewylie]

This is a little late, but in case anyone reads this afterwards and has the same problem, here is something the emergency vet told me when my puppy ate a plastic knife. She gave the pup a few slices of white bread, and not in very small pieces. I guess it helps insulate the bone/plastic... as it goes through the stomach. She said her moms dog has eaten 2 light bulbs and that is what she gives him. Now, always call your vet to get further instruction but the bread idea seems like a good idea to me.