My dog is coughing after eating squirrel bones. What can I do?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Unfortunately, dead animals can transmit bacterial infections and various parasites. I recommend keeping a close eye on Buddy for vomiting, diarrhea, or loss of appetite. Pieces of bone or hair can cause intestinal blockages which result in similar signs. If Buddy exhibits any of the signs above, he should be seen by a vet right away. I hope all is well!

Hello there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Based on these symptoms, I would recommend having a veterinarian examine Millie so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. This could be due to an infection or a foreign object causing irritation in the airway. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further. An examination along with x-rays would be my recommendation to start with.

It is very unlikely that this will be a problem. She may vomit or have some diarrhea, as gastroenteritis (inflammation of the GI tract) may result. If she vomits more than once, or if the diarrhea lasts longer than a day, is very watery, or becomes bloody, or if she becomes lethargic, take her to your vet. Thank you for asking Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Besides being due to heartworms, coughing can be a sign of many conditions such as pneumonia, bronchitis, heart disease, among many other possibilities. I recommend that you have Scooby evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Likely diagnostics to be performed include thoracic radiographs and bloodwork. Treatment would be dependent on findings. Good luck and have a good night!

It sounds like she likely has some damage to her throat/esophagus from the bone. This sounds minor and will likely heal quickly, but I would have to examine her to know for sure. For now, it's fine to wait and feed soft food for the next couple of days. You can soften dry food by just adding a little water and waiting a couple of minutes. If she is not getting better, or is getting worse in the next 2-3 days, then it's best to have a vet evaluate her. I hope that helps and Stella gets better soon.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Rosie. Poor girl! If something was stuck in her throat, I would expect she wouldn’t be able to sleep. She would be too uncomfortable. Maybe something was stuck before but may have cleared by now. Since she is sleeping, just keep an eye on her for now. If this behavior continues or she develops other signs such as a loss of appetite or lethargy, have her seen by a vet. Best of luck and happy holidays!

I am so sorry about Zelda’s cough. It is possible a piece of bark has become lodged in her throat, or that the chewing merely inflamed her throat causing a cough. I would monitor her closely for the next few hours, offer her only water and keep her calm. If the cough worsens, she seems in pain or distressed I would take her to the vet immediately. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!