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My dog ate rib bones and has diarrhea. When should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed | 9 months and 18 days old | 35 lbs

hello my dog has swallowed rib bones by accident last night while I was sleeping and she now has the runs is this a good thing or bad ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on February 7th, 2017

Poor Devious! Many dogs will have an upset stomach after eating something like this. The biggest concern is that the rib bones can have sharp edges and may cause an intestinal perforation, or they could become stuck and cause a blockage in her intestines. Signs of these problems would include repeated episodes of vomiting, acting lethargic, and not wanting to eat - if she develops any of these symptoms, she needs to see a vet immediately as she may need emergency surgery to remove the bones. If she is acting normal right now apart from some runny stool, you can try feeding her a bland diet of plain boiled chicken and rice for the next 2-3 days to help settle her stomach and get things back to normal. If this doesn't help, or if she develops any other symptoms such as the ones I listed above, you will need to take her to the vet right away for an exam and treatment.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It's not a good sign that Devious has diarrhea, as that can be a sign of an intestinal blockage. I would have her seen by a vet right away for x-rays. If the x-rays show she does have an intestinal blockage, she will need surgery to remove the bones. Leaving a blockage untreated is fatal, so it would be best for Devious to see a vet immediately.

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