Sick Dog.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Hey folks. So, our 9 yr old Yellow Lab got a hold of a wild hog leg bone about 6 inches long and about 1-1/2" dia on Monday evening. While I didn't see it, my girlfriend said he ate and swallowed half the bone almost instantly. She took the rest away from him. Today, he has been eating grass by the fistful, so to speak, and an hour ago he regurgitated two small-ish (about 1" long) pieces of the hog bone. I don't think he is having regular BM's today. (Besides, at this point, I'm actually wooried that, if he tries to pass a piece of that bone, it will just tear his bowels up going through. He is still eating, although we've cut his food ration in half. I figure he still has possible 1-2 more pieces of bone in there.

We're pretty worried and seriously thinking aobut taking him to our vet in the morning. Have you guys seen this before, where a dog eats a bone he couldn't pass? What are the probable outcomes? We're watching him tonight. He seems otherwise okay, but we're afraid he may need surgery to remove the bone pieces, and, if that happens, we're afraid that, at 9 years old, how well will he recover from that?

[mlshore]

A 9-year-old dog can recover from surgery very well, if it does come to that. There are two things to watch out for: 1) blockage, and 2) splinters. Palpate his abdomen and see if he's sensitive. If he's tender tomorrow morning I'd take him in for an x-ray. If there's blood in his poop and it's bright red, it means that there's an issue in his lower intestine or bowels, and that's much preferable to dark blood in his poop, which would suggest something going on in his upper GI tract. Also, if he develops a temperature he needs to go to the vet.

You cannot believe some of the things that dogs can poop out. I've seen rocks the size of fists come through without surgery and the dog was just fine (albeit uncomfortable).

Keeping my fingers crossed that it comes out okay, and keep us posted!

[JuliW]

You cannot believe some of the things that dogs can poop out.

true enough, my one yr old chessie ate a leather show lead...4 ft long, snap swivel was still attached to his collar...pooped it out the next day (or he would have gone to the vet)...

FL2AK - Prayers for your boy's speedy recovery! The chessie in the above story is now 8.5 and still will try to eat the weirdest things. Retrievers...they just can't resist... LOL

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Thanks folks. Well, looks like he is constipated (which has been happening about once a month lately anyway), but what small BM he had last night was relatively normal, and no blood, so that's good. He's acting a little more normal-hasn't eaten anymore grass. He stopped doing the strange stretching antics. (He was stopping every few minutes to curve his body downward-like doing Yoga-as thought maybe he was cramping.) No whining or wimpering. I was headed out of town today, but, with my gf headed to the slope, I'll wait a day or two more and just keep close.

[bkmail]

Feed it some pepto-bismal. Had the same scenario with our's. Vet says it coats the stomach to help it pass. Gave her a couple TBLS a few times a day. Had to hole her head up, force it in her mouth and massage her throat so she would spit it out.
Ours lived?!
BK

[FL2AK-Old Town]

Feed it some pepto-bismal. Had the same scenario with our's. Vet says it coats the stomach to help it pass. Gave her a couple TBLS a few times a day. Had to hole her head up, force it in her mouth and massage her throat so she would spit it out.
Ours lived?!
BK

That's a good idea. We also use canned pumpkin (actual pumpkin, not the pie filling) for the same purpose.

Had to hole her head up, force it in her mouth and massage her throat so she would spit it out.

Yeah...that's the only wayI can take pepto-bismal, too.

[FL2AK-Old Town]

So far so good. No more vomiting. More and more active/playful. Two "mostly normal" BM's today so far. Still wondering where the rest of that bone went. Don't feel anything poking from inside his stomach.

[mlshore]

So far so good. No more vomiting. More and more active/playful. Two "mostly normal" BM's today so far. Still wondering where the rest of that bone went. Don't feel anything poking from inside his stomach.

Fantastic! A good-looking poop is a great sign. (There's a reason most conversations in Two Rivers eventually get around to dog poop).

[Jim McCann]

Sounds like it has worked out okay for your dog...this time. I'd suggest no more such bones. The only bones I occasionally offer are large cow femur or "knuckles." I got this advice a long time ago from a world renown vet. No rawhide chews. Otherwise it's just their regular food and water.

If you suspect a blockage be very delicate when palpating (feeling around in the gut) the belly for signs of a blockage. If you're not careful you can cause damage to the intestine.

You dodged a bullet this time. One of my prized bird dogs has had three surgeries to remove stuff; wild, crazy stuff. He's 10 now and I still watch him like a hawk. When a dog shows these symptoms I'm on my way to the vet right away, although, like it has been said, some dogs could eventually pass a football and survive quite well.

Glad it worked out well for your pal!

Jim

[AZVince]

Good news I'm happy to hear.
One of my friends used to have a bull terrier that loved to eat beer cans. Watching him take a crap over the next three days was interesting, to say the least. We learned quickly to keep him away from aluminum beer cans but every now and then he'd still get one.

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