My dog ate a chicken bone! Is it dangerous? When should I see a vet?

Angel is so cute! I am very concerned that she ate chicken bones and is now having diarrhea with blood in it. This can be a sign of an obstruction and/or trauma to the GI tract, and I would have Angel seen by a vet right away. If these chicken bones have caused an obstruction, it will be fatal without treatment and she would need surgery to repair it. Please take her into an ER vet clinic; if there isn't one in your area, there will be a vet on call for emergencies. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. You should monitor your dog at home for signs of vomiting, diarrhea, muscle tremors, abdominal pain, lethargy. If you notice any of these symptoms you should take your dog to your local vets as an emergency. Typically, the symptoms of food intoxication commence within 2-6 hrs after ingestion. Inducing vomiting in dogs that ate bones is never recommended as it pose a risk of esophageal tear from the sharp bones. Salmonellosis is a potential risk after eating decomposing food, however, Salmonella infection is not common in dogs in general. Typically, the symptoms include vomiting, diarrhea and fever.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Briggs. I recommend that he sees his veterinarian for x-rays. This will tell you if he ingested the bone or not. If not, then you will not have to worry. If so, this is potentially a serious situation. The bone can splinter can harm the stomach or intestines. A blockage can also result. The veterinarian will guide you as far as treatment recommendations. I hope this information helps!

Monitor for vomiting, constipation, blood in the stools and lack of appetite, if any of them are showing these symptoms- take them to the vet ASAP in order to be checked and treated for a possible obstruction or foreign body ingestion.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can certainly be due to the chicken bones. It could be due to dietary indiscretion or even more concerning due to a gastrointestinal obstruction. The fact that Bailey ate dinner and did not vomit makes me think that it is less likely for this to be an obstruction though if the vomiting resumes or he stops eating, he should be evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!

If it's possible/likely that Duchess ate the bones, then she should go to the vet for x-rays. The problem with cooked bones is that they can easily splinter when chewed and puncture the stomach or intestines as they pass through, so you should always seek medical attention for ingestion of cooked bones. Good luck! I hope Duchess is OK. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If Stormy swallowed a piece of this non-digestible bone it has the potential to cause an obstruction, either in the stomach or in the GI tract. If this occurs you will notice Stormy not wanting to eat and vomiting and diarrhea. I think it should be safe to wait and see if she exhibits any of these symptoms before taking her to the vet. However, if it would give you some piece of mind you could have her checked out and have done X-rays performed.