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My dog ate a cooked chicken carcass. What symptoms should I watch for?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 85 lbs

My dog got a hold of and swallowed a cooked chicken carcass. Is he gonna be ok? What should I watch for?

4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Jenny, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on February 17th, 2018

The bones typically pass but depending on how well they were chewed and broken. The larger pieces may cause an obstruction while the smaller ones can cause inflammation and bloody diarrhea. You should watch for vomiting and diarrhea, with blood. if that is noted, then I would have your vet check him to make sure things are passing normally and he doesn't require hospitalization or assists.

2Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on September 23rd, 2019
Hello. If the bones were not too big, Melo should be able to digest them. But if not, you should watch for signs of prolonged lethargy ( sleepiness ), vomiting, groaning or a swollen painful abdomen, loss of appetite, diarrhea or constipation/straining to defecate. If he is experiencing any of these symptoms over the next couple of days, please have Melo evaluated by your veterinarian. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on May 6th, 2017
Oh no, that was naughty of Cruz! Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do for him now. It's never recommended to induce vomiting in a dog who has eaten bones because they can easily become lodged in the esophagus or could cause perforation of it. As I'm sure you aware, cooked bones should never be fed to dogs because they splinter easily in the GI tract, causing perforation and obstruction. You will need to monitor him. If you see any vomiting, blood in the vomit, diarrhea, bloody feces, anorexia, lethargy, or constipation, Cruz will have to see a vet immediately. Should the bones cause an obstruction or perforate the intestinal tract, he will need surgery to repair it.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS
Veterinarian
Published on May 5th, 2019
Do not induce vomiting. You will have to keep an eye on Mack for then next couple of days. This may pass without a problem, but if you see vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his feces, lethargy, or anorexia, have him seen by a vet right away. I hope this helps!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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My dog ate a cooked chicken bone. What symptoms should I watch for?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! The shards from chicken bones can cause intestinal tears and can form blockages. If Jackson is eating and having normal bowel movements, he may have passed the fragments without your noticing. If Jaxson is. It acting like himself or is having diarrhea or vomiting, especially with blood, he should be seen by a vet right away. I hope this helps and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

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My dog ate a chicken bone. What symptoms mean I need to call a vet?

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.

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My dog ate bones. What should I do and what symptoms to watch for?

Bones can cause dental problems like broken teeth, and GI problems like obstruction and perforation. I would watch Babu for now. If you see a loss of appetite, him chewing on only one side of mouth or refusing to eat hard food, vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his poop, or lethargy, have him seen by a vet immediately. It can take a couple of days to see signs, or you may see signs within 24 hours. I hope this helps.

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For the most part I recommend monitoring after chicken bone ingestion - while sometimes they can become lodged in the esophagus or the intestines, and they can also cause stomach upset, the majority of the time they don't cause any symptoms at all. Most dogs chew them into small pieces before ingesting them. If Neveah vomits, has a decrease in appetite, or develops diarrhea contact your vet right away.

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My dog ate rotisserie chicken and rib bones. What should I do?

Poor dog. Unfortunately bones have the potential to cause intestinal obstruction in pets, so you want to monitor him/her for he next 24-48 hrs for signs of trouble. The rotisserie chicken can also cause an acute inflammatory response of the pancreas (pancreatitis), so monitoring for that is also advised. Watch out for signs that include: excessive vomiting (even water), lack of appetite, and abdominal pain. If you see these symptoms then your pet should seek medical attention by your local vet immediately for a proper care. In the meantime you should feed your pet a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice or cottage cheese to help the stomach settle. You can also offer your pet 1/2-1 slice of bread (depending on the size of your pet) twice a day to help bind the bones and encourage passage through the gut. Also taking your pet on 20-30 minute brisk walks twice a day can help promote GI (gastrointestinal) motility and encourage passage of the bones as wel. I hope this helps and I hope that your furry friend turns out ok. Best of luck!

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Dog ate chicken bones, acting normal. What signs should I watch for?

The normal gastric transit cycle is about three days (can be more or less), so I would just monitor him for a couple of more days before worrying about the bones getting stuck or causing a problem. While bones have the potential to get stuck in the stomach or intestines, they usually pass through just fine. While I don't advise feeding bones, the truth is that many dogs eat bones (chicken, lamb, beef, goat, fish) on a daily basis for their whole lives and don't ever have any complications from it. I just mention this to help ease any big concern, because more than likely, Ace will be just fine. If they did get stuck, then it would be apparent. A bowel obstruction or damage, would cause vomiting and pain. Ace would not be active and would likely not want to do anything. If you do happen to notice this, then it's best to take him to the vet as soon as possible. Again, it would be quite rare for it to cause a severe complication, so wait it out and I'm sure all will be OK. I hope that helps and all is well with Ace.

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My dog ate chicken bones, now has diarrhea and vomiting. What to do?

Keep an eye on Dobby. As long as he's keeping his food down, keep feeding him and offering him plenty of water. Give him half a slice of whole wheat bread with each meal. This may form a ball of ingesta around the bones, and cushion them as they pass through the GI tract. If he continues vomiting, there is blood in his vomit or feces, he becomes lethargic, and/or he stops eating, he needs to see a vet immediately. In that case, find an ER vet or a vet on call. The information to reach that vet is found on a clinic's answering machine or website. Best of luck.

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

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