What To Do If Your Dog Ate Chicken Bones
It's a common scenario: you turn your back for a moment and your dog snatches a chicken bone from the table or trash. While it can be scary, knowing what to do next can make all the difference. Chicken bones—especially cooked ones—can pose serious risks to dogs due to their tendency to splinter and cause internal injuries.
Why Chicken Bones Are Dangerous
Chicken bones are brittle when cooked, making them likely to break into sharp fragments. These fragments can:
- Puncture or scratch the mouth, throat, stomach, or intestines, potentially causing internal bleeding or infection.
- Lodge in the throat, leading to choking, gagging, drooling, coughing, and difficulty breathing.
- Cause gastrointestinal blockage, resulting in vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, bloating, constipation, or straining to defecate.
- Pierce the digestive tract, which is life-threatening and requires immediate veterinary care.
- Transmit bacteria like Salmonella or E. coli if raw bones are ingested.
Immediate Steps To Take
- Assess For Choking Or Distress:
If your dog shows signs of choking (difficulty breathing, pawing at mouth), seek emergency veterinary care immediately. If you can see the bone in their mouth without pushing it further down, carefully try to remove it; otherwise get help fast. - Stay Calm:
Panic can make things worse. Gently try to take away any remaining bone if your dog hasn't swallowed it yet—but don't use force as this may cause your dog to gulp it down quickly. - Don't Induce Vomiting:
Never make your dog vomit unless specifically instructed by a veterinarian. Sharp bone fragments can do more damage on the way back up. - Monitor Closely:
Watch for symptoms over the next 24–72 hours: vomiting (with or without blood), diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy, bloating, abdominal pain, blood in stool, constipation or straining to defecate. Check stools for bone fragments passing through. - Bland Diet (If Vet Recommends):
If approved by your vet and your dog isn't choking, offer small amounts of soft food like white bread (to cushion sharp edges), canned food, boiled chicken with rice or a bland prescription diet. Make sure fresh water is always available. - Contact Your Veterinarian:
If you're unsure what to do next—especially if you have a small breed dog or puppy—or notice any concerning symptoms above, call your vet right away. They may recommend an exam or diagnostic imaging like X-rays to check for blockages or perforations. - No Over-the-Counter Medications:
Avoid giving antacids or other medications unless told by your vet; these can interfere with digestion and proper breakdown of the bone.
Symptoms That Require Immediate Veterinary Attention
- Trouble breathing or persistent choking/gagging
- Repeated vomiting (especially with blood)
- Lethargy or sudden collapse
- Painful/swollen abdomen or visible distress
- Black/tarry/bloody stool
- Refusal/inability to eat or drink
Prevention Tips For The Future
You can't always predict what dogs will get into! But you can reduce risk by:
- Nevr feeding cooked bones—of any kind—to your dog intentionally.
- Securing trash in pet-proof bins after meals.
- Keeping chicken bones and table scraps out of reach during meal prep and cleanup.
- Telling guests and children not to feed dogs table scraps with bones.
- Supervising pets around kitchens and outdoor cookouts where food is accessible.
- Providing safe chew toys as alternatives for gnawing urges.
The Bottom Line: Stay Alert And Seek Guidance
If your dog eats a chicken bone: don't panic. Most dogs pass small amounts of bone without issue—but there's always some risk. Monitor closely for symptoms listed above and consult with your veterinarian about the best course of action for your dog's size and situation. When in doubt—even if symptoms seem mild—it's safer to call your vet than wait until problems escalate. Acting quickly could save your dog's life!
