jack russell ate drumstick...

okay guys, im new to this. but let me start off with saying i need some help. My jack russell terrier ate most of a chicken leg (drum stick). He didnt choke and is acting normal right now. i called the vet, and they said nothing to do but wait... but im nervous. i dont want him to die from a punctured intestine or anything...


Any advice? it would be much appreciated.

anybody? please?

was it raw or cooked?

it was fried, so yeah it was cooked. im most worried about splintering...

there's really not too much you can do, unfortunately. Wait and watch closely. My furries have snuck cooked bones in the past before, and although I had ten fits about it, they ended up being fine. It's certainly not ideal (raw would have been just fine), but it's not an automatic death sentence or anything.

Things that would send me scampering to the vet: distress (panting, drooling, arched back); inappetance; bloody stool.

Just keep a close eye on him for the next 24 hours or so...and call your vet if you have any concerns.

One of the largest hazards is past then - splintered bones are most likely to cause choking and luckily that didn't happen.

Keep a SUPERCLOSE eye on your dog. Watch for signs of discomofort or pain (whining, pacing, heavy panting, etc.). The concern at this point is whether or not he can pass it safely.

Watch for any symptoms and keep a close eye on his poops until you know it's out.

If he shows any concerning signs then get to an emergency vet ASAP. It would be a good idea to look up that info now so you have it on hand.

It is certainly concerning but it's also not a death sentence. Watch him closely and try to stay calm.

:fingerscr all will be well and please keep us posted.

thanks i appreciate you posting. hes just small breed of dog, so i cant possibly imagine a drumstick going through his digestive system.

You'd be surprised at what a dog's digestive system can manage. Our 25 lb terrierX (and our cats and our other dogs) eat raw bones all the time, and digest them with no difficulty. They ARE carnivores, and are designed to digest bone. As long as he hasn't choked on anything at this point I would feel pretty ok that he's going to be just fine...but I would still watch for a bit just to make sure it gets digested and passes, like Chaser says. :thumbs up

yeah my brothers watching him as we speak.... i read putting metamucil on top of the food could help him? is that true? or is there anything like that that i could do to ease the digestive process?

I wouldn't add anything to his food right now...

Really the concern is it splintering in the throat, he would have hacked and chocked it. Did he chew it? If i had a nickel for every cooked chicken bone my dog ate i would be a very very rich woman. . .

Im no longer going out tonight because i want to make sure all i well. he seems to be acting normal. ii guess we will see how everything is when he takes his next stool.... i will update on rustys progress on this post.

he chewed it. when my mom found him there was two pieces of the bone on the floor. no choking thankfully. im relieved about that, just concerned about him digesting...

rusty is all good. stools have been fine. thanks for the input everybody.

Yay for Rusty! :highfive: Glad to hear everything came out okay, so to speak :o

So are we going to get some pics of Rusty, now, I hope? :fingerscr :D

Glad to hear that Rusty is okay. :thumbs up

And, yes, now we need pics of the naughty boy. :D