My dog has diarrhea after eating a steak bone. Vet or home care?

Hi! Dogs do sometimes get a little blood in their stool when they are having diarrhea. Sometimes this is just due to the straining (to produce the diarrhea!) But, we do usually recommend having a pet checked out when bleeding occurs, especially in Lucky's case, due to the history of eating a steak bone. Your vet could examine him, possibly take an Xray, and might be able to prescribe some medications to help ease the diarrhea! Best of luck!

Oh no, it's not good that David ate that bone! Diarrhea can be a sign of obstruction, and it is likely that the steak bone can lead to an obstruction. I would take him into a vet immediately for x-rays. There's nothing you can do at home from him, if he does have an obstruction from the bone, he needs surgery to remove it. Please take him into a vet right away.

There is nothing else I'd recommend for treating diarrhea at home. If the diarrhea continues for more than 3 days, if you see blood, if Sunni seems to be straining when defecating without producing much stool, or if she vomits or has a decrease in appetite I'd recommend seeing a veterinarian. Rib bones often cause constipation, but sometimes a dog can pass small amounts of watery stool while constipated so watch closely for straining.

Poor Devious! Many dogs will have an upset stomach after eating something like this. The biggest concern is that the rib bones can have sharp edges and may cause an intestinal perforation, or they could become stuck and cause a blockage in her intestines. Signs of these problems would include repeated episodes of vomiting, acting lethargic, and not wanting to eat - if she develops any of these symptoms, she needs to see a vet immediately as she may need emergency surgery to remove the bones. If she is acting normal right now apart from some runny stool, you can try feeding her a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next 2-3 days to help settle her stomach and get things back to normal. If this doesn't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as the ones I listed above, you will need to take her to the vet right away for an exam and treatment.

Cooked bones can cause a problem for dogs in a number of ways. If Chip broke the bone while eating it, it could splinter and cause problems in the GI tract. Bones can also get stuck in the GI tract. The fat can also cause vomiting and diarrhea. Diarrhea that continues for more than a few days, or is associated with blood in the stool, vomiting, lethargy or a poor appetite is a reason for a visit to your veterinarian. Since Chip has blood throughout his stool, I would recommend a visit to the vet. In the meantime, if he is eating and drinking normally, we will often recommend a bland easily digested diet consisting of ½ cooked white rice and ½ cooked white meat chicken (boiled without any skin or bones). If he does well with a bland diet and his diarrhea resolves, then you can slowly transition back to his normal diet over a few days. I have attached a couple of articles below that might be helpful for you. Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/most-common-causes-of-diarrhea-in-dogs/ Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea/ Good luck! I hope that was helpful and that he feels better soon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

If there is no blood in the diarrhea and as long as Fate is eating and drinking normally with no vomiting it is probably okay to monitor her. Ham bones can cause bloody diarrhea, constipation or intestinal obstruction so if you see her straining to defecate or you see the signs above you should see a vet right away. If she doesn’t have any dietary restrictions you could try feeding a bland diet of 25% boiled chicken and 75% plain white rice for the next couple of days to help with the diarrhea.

Since you're seeing bloody stool or bloody [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/dog/condition/diarrhea-1/), I recommend getting her in to see your vet as soon as possible. One of the sharp bone ends may have caused irritation or internal injury. Bright, red blood may indicate injury in the colon or lower intestine while dark, tarry stool may indicate bleeding in the stomach or upper intestine. If she is not passing the bones she needs to be seen right away. However, if she is behaving normally otherwise, you may be able to[ manage the bloody diarrhea at home](https://www.petcoach.co/article/6-things-you-can-do-at-home-if-your-pet-has-diarrhea). Help 'pad' the bones passing through by offering bulky meals for a few days and even consider adding some unflavored Metamucil to wet food for her. Monitor for the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, obvious abdominal pain, black tarry stools or blood in the stool, lethargy. If any of these occur, getting in to [see the vet](https://www.petcoach.co/article/diarrhea-vomiting-in-dogs-when-to-call-your-veterinarian/) is strongly recommended.