Help! My dog ate chicken wings. What are the risks and next steps?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

• Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

  Veterinarian

  I'm not sure how big Charlie is (weight) and how many wings he ate, so I'm going to play it safe with my advice. The bones in the chicken wings do have the potential to get caught in his GI tract, so I recommend taking him into your vet now to have your vet induce vomiting to get them out. If the bones get stuck in his GI tract, he will become very ill and will need surgery to fix it.

  

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• Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on December 3rd, 2017

  There is a concern that the bones can cause an obstruction, or can damage the lining of the stomach or intestines, but it's actually not that common; so I wouldn't worry too much right now. I know of dogs ate chicken bones regularly throughout their life and never had any complications.
  
  The vomiting is a bit concerning, but may just be due to the fact that her stomach isn't used to having that much chicken, or the spices on the chicken.
  
  Blockages and punctures tend to cause profuse vomiting and will cause the dog to act very depressed/painful. If you notice this, then I recommend taking him to the vet as soon as possible, because these are emergencies.
  
  Normal transit time is three days from when the food was eaten. If five days pass without issue, then you can be fairly sure that he will not have any complications due to the chicken wings. However, there's still a small possibility that a bone could be stuck somewhere and cause problems a couple of weeks later.
  
  I hope that helps and all is well with Oscar.

  

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• Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

  Veterinarian

  Published on June 25th, 2018

  Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Winston is cute!
  
  Usually the bones are degraded and broken down by the acids in the stomach and come out in the stool as very small bony powder. Sometimes you notice a change in stool color as the bone debris passes but you might not. By 4 days they should have long passed. Depending on a dogs stomach constitution the biggest side effect of eating chicken wings is from the sauce as GI and pancreatic upset (as vomiting and diarrhea). At day 4 if he is fine I wouldn't expect to see anything. But if you are worried you can make a Vet appointment for an X-ray.
  
  I wish you and Winston the best!

  

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