Dog ate whole chicken!

Oryx

As the title says I got up this morning to discover my dog, a golden retriever, got into the kitchen during the night and stole a whole cooked chicken off the counter. (He is usually secure in the utility room I have no idea how he got the door open!)

The whole carcass is gone so hes eaten the lot. He is looking very sorry for himself but not sick. How much trouble am I in with him? Should I try and get him straight to an out of hours vet or is choking the biggest hazard?

plasteritup

My choc lab has eaten s whole tub of butter and a full lasagne before,he should be fine probs will stink later on tho

plasteritup

Sorry didn't see the bit about choking,I would just keep an eye on him,cooked bones are more dangerous than raw AFAIK,I would have thought once there broke up and swallowed the danger is over,it must have been absolute heaven for him,was it seasoned or free range or stuffed lol.

ButtersSuki

One of my Westies once swallowed a chicken bone that got lodged in his stomach. He couldn't pass it and couldn't eat and got very sick as a result. He spent a few days and nights in the vets and we had just signed consent forms to have him operated on when he finally passed it thankfully (he must have sensed the alterbative!). The operation would have involved quite a large incision (essentially from neck to penis) and cutting of the lining of his stomach which tbh we were petrified at the thought of and so relieved in the end when he didn't have to go through it. The vet told us we should essentially avoid giving them ANY bones ever again to avoid a repetition of the scare we got, but certainly no snall bones like those of a chicken. Might be no harm in having him checked out just in case if he doesn't eat or is not himself/not eating later? A quick x ray will show if anything is trapped.

plasteritup

Ok,so I've learned something bout the bones,my dog had that op after swallowing a stone,really nasty,didn't realise a chicken bone would cause that,never give her bones because of the choking but I though once the broke it up and swallowed they would pass it.

snoman

plasteritup wrote: »

Ok,so I've learned something bout the bones,my dog had that op after swallowing a stone,really nasty,didn't realise a chicken bone would cause that,never give her bones because of the choking but I though once the broke it up and swallowed they would pass it.

The problem is that the bones splinter inside the stomach and then catch as they are moving through the intestines. You may be fine but I would definitely cal the vet for advice, better that then a whole heap of trouble later on!! And I suspect that doing it ASAP would be best, good luck.

mymo

My dog has also done this, best advice is to keep an eye on the poop, watch for any signs of discomfort, or going off his food, vomiting etc.

48hrs should be time enough to pass it.
My dog was fine, but I'm more careful since then. He still gets raw bones, but never cooked.

Knowing retrievers he probably swallowed it nearly whole, just keep a close eye and make sure you have the vets number to hand.

Oryx

Thanks. I know the danger of bones. I freaked when I realised he had eaten every scrap of the chicken. Greedy gut is lethargic at the best of times but moreso now. Hopefully its just indigestion!

Dodd

I wouldn't let the dog run around or jump about for a day or two in case it causes a bone to rupture the dogs insides.

Best to play it safe.

Oryx

Dodd wrote: »

I wouldn't let the dog run around or jump about for a day or two in case it causes a bone to rupture the dogs insides.

Best to play it safe.

This dog wouldn't run or jump if you paid him in doggy biscuits. Lowest energy dog I've ever had. Hes been quiet but seems alright so far. Very worried about him still though.

Dodd

You will know soon enough how things are if you just check the poo and the dog is back to eating its usual food and does its usual poo.

Make sure it has water all the time as digesting that chicken will dehydrate the dog.

The other fella

He''l be fine! If i was to make a list of all the crazy things my Lab eat over the years id be here for a while, and hes still going strong.

Also, the people that used live next door to me had a Boxer that used to regularly eat mouth fulls of stones from the gravel in their drive way and shes still going strong too

Dodd

The difference is round stones are not likely to rupture the dogs insides where splintered cooked bones are a real danger of doing so.

The other fella

They were not round, they were rough gravel stones.

Dodd

The other fella wrote: »

They were not round, they were rough gravel stones.

I'll just say I would much rather be poked in the eye with a rough gravel stone than a splintered chicken bone and leave it at that.

The other fella

And ill say i have eaten plenty chicken bones in my life and never tried a rough sharp stone....and ill leave it at that.

abutler101

Was the chicken raw or cooked? Many people feed dogs raw chickens, bones and all (no feathers usually) as their entire diet. I wouldn't be worried at all if it was raw, probably better for him than the dog food. The only danger with eating bones is if they are cooked, then they can splinter inside his body. If it was cooked I would just keep an eye on him and if he looks to be in any pain bring him to the vet.

tk123

I'd say he'd be fine but keep an eye on him. My retriever has gotten hold of cooked bones in the park a few times and no probs. The only thing I'd be worried about is the wings - I don't feed (raw) wings to my two because I find they don't chew the bones at all and they come out in one piece. Hopefully your guy savoured his midnight snack and chewed it well!

Oryx

abutler101 wrote: »

Was the chicken raw or cooked? Many people feed dogs raw chickens, bones and all (no feathers usually) as their entire diet. I wouldn't be worried at all if it was raw, probably better for him than the dog food. The only danger with eating bones is if they are cooked, then they can splinter inside his body. If it was cooked I would just keep an eye on him and if he looks to be in any pain bring him to the vet.

It was cooked. I have been checking his tum for discomfort, he rolls over to have it scratched. Fingers crossed he gets through this.

tk123

I think if it was my guy I'd maybe feed him less of his normal food until the chicken has passed thru. Just on the off chance he was to get impacted?

Oryx

tk123 wrote: »

I think if it was my guy I'd maybe feed him less of his normal food until the chicken has passed thru. Just on the off chance he was to get impacted?

I havent fed him at all today. I thought it was best.

Dodd

The other fella wrote: »

And ill say i have eaten plenty chicken bones in my life and never tried a rough sharp stone....and ill leave it at that.

Have you only used your four canine teeth (the eye teeth) that people have to chew those bones or did you us your molars to crush them first so they are not splintered going down.

If the later then dogs don't have molars and can't crush food.
Unless you eat food that was chewed by a dog you can't compare it.

Okie dokie,we'll leave it there so.:)

The other fella

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/teeth.html

Ok then.

DBB

Sigh.
Dodd and The other fella, give it a rest both of you.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

Dodd

DBB wrote: »

Sigh.
Dodd and The other fella, give it a rest both of you.
Do not reply to this post on thread.
Thanks,
DBB

I will reply because we did not fight or argue we just had a difference of opinion,that was all.

Why would you tell us off for no reason.?

I know I have a past record but was fine.

I will be closing my Boards account soon so I don't care much but a bit over board.

DBB

Dodd wrote: »

I will reply because we did not fight or argue we just had a difference of opinion,that was all.

Why would you tell us off for no reason.?

I know I have a past record but was fine.

I will be closing my Boards account soon so I don't care much but a bit over board.

No reason?
I'm afraid I don't agree that it was not argumentative, and despite having said you'd leave it at that, you continued the argument, dragging the thread further off-topic. And now you've continued to be argumentative with me.
You are well aware, I'm sure, that arguing a mod-decision on-thread results in an automatic warning
I am not aware of your record, I haven't looked it up. I am reacting only to the diatribe between you both and your consequent breach of the charter.
It is entirely your own decision to close your account, if that's what you wish to do.
Thanks,
DBB

kylith

Oryx wrote: »

It was cooked. I have been checking his tum for discomfort, he rolls over to have it scratched. Fingers crossed he gets through this.

Chances are he'll be grand. We used to give our terrier whole cooked chicken carcasses back when I was a kid and in 10 years she had no problems. There's a chance that they could splinter and cause a problem, but they almost certainly won't. I'd be more worried about the fat giving him the runs.

Just keep an eye on him, but he'll most likely be fine.

bmc58

Cooked chicken bones are dangerous to dogs as the splinters can do damage to their intestines.I was always told to never give chicken bones to my dog.
Watch his poo for the next day or two and if there is no blood in it he will probably be ok.If there is blood in his poo then you better get him to the vet

tk123

OP how is he getting on?

ZiabR

Any update OP, how is he?

Oryx

Right now he is lying outside in the shade, still very lethargic. But I didn't feed him yesterday, maybe he is hungry. Hes a quiet dog anyway so there's not much difference to normal!

He has pooped, its loose but no blood. So far so good.

ZiabR

Oryx wrote: »

Right now he is lying outside in the shade, still very lethargic. But I didn't feed him yesterday, maybe he is hungry. Hes a quiet dog anyway so there's not much difference to normal!

He has pooped, its loose but no blood. So far so good.

Thats good to hear, another 24 hours and you should be in the clear!

marklazarcovic

any update?

Oryx

I was going to update today.

The dog is fine. Still his sloppy, lazy old self! He had a few days of an upset tum, but no other effects. I can hardly believe we got away with it, I have always been taught never to let a dog get a single chicken bone, let alone a whole bird.

Ive been told the saving grace was that he ate the whole thing including all the meat. That will have helped it pass through. Its the last time the big fool will get even a sniff of chicken though!