What should I do about a dog that's eaten a turkey bone (drumstick)?

by Symptom Advice on January 21, 2011

I assumed that a cooked turkey bone would be safer than a chicken bone. so far the dog is okay but it's only been about 4 hours since she consumed the bone. What symptoms should I look for in the meantime? Should I proactively take her to the vet? please advise – I really feel bad for allowing this to happen so please don't be too hard on me. :-(

No cooked poultry bones are safe for any dog nor is giving then bread. it wont help a bit!
Yes i'd give your vet a call. the reason is that when the poultry bones are cooked they become very brittle and shards happen. That's what you have to be concerned about. Bread will not bond with the bones already consumed and it wont help pass anything either. If a shard rips the stomach lining or gets lodged in the stomach or intestines it can cause serious damage, internal bleeding too.

Yup I'd be concerned and it takes longer then a few hours to know if your dogs is going to be alright or not.
Symptoms can be not being able to poop, bleeding from the rectum, vomiting with blood or with out blood. the dogs stomach bloating, the dog just acting not him/her self.

Good luck!

ADD: dogs in the wild do not eat cooked bones they are raw! Hugh difference!!!

I would suggest that you consult with your local emergency clinic. Poultry bones are very brittle when cooked and usually break into very sharp pieces. I have induced vomiting in some of these dogs IN THE CLINIC, after I know on xray how much and where the bones are. If they are past the stomach, you pretty much have to wait and watch.

The other concern is that it may not cause an obstruction, but could cause pancreatitis as well. this might take a day or two to show up, but can be pretty painful, and the dog gets very ill.

I would suggest calling the local e-clinic, and asking them what to do. you aren't going to know tonight if she is ok, and sometimes it can be as long as 4-5 days, before they get sick. be proactive. hopefully, she will be just fine. but I would still take her in.

Give the dog a few pieces of bread right now to create some mass to cushion the bones. the next few days I would bulk up the diet w/ overcooked rice. this will create mass to help push those bones through. you will need to monitor the dog for the next few days for vomiting, constipation, bloody stool, etc. A lot of this is a waiting game. you can call an ER vet to see what they recommend, but honestly at this point there isnt a whole lot they can do besides take Xrays to see where the bones are. Whether or not they cause a problem, you will know w/in the next few days.

If this dog were a wolf in the wild do you think he would have a problem? If your dog is still breathing don't worry about it. I have had a dog that ate entire birds, he lived to the ripe old age of 20.

Start off by giving her a slice or two of bread. it can help cushion the shards of the bone inside her.

If she's acting ill at all, you're going to want to take her to the vet.

Go to the vet.
My neighbors dog got a hold of one and the vet spent the day pulling fragments out of its rectum with forcepts );

I think that if the dog were able to get the bone down without choking on it, that he will be OK.

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