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My dog ate a chicken bone. Should I worry about obstruction or wait?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | German Shepherd | Female | spayed | 1 year and 3 months old | 83 lbs

Kiera is 80lbs. About 20 minutes ago she found a chicken bone on the ground during our walk. She had a very slight cough about 5 minutes later. It was only twice and both times they were very faint. She seems to be acting normal otherwise. How concerned should I be that it could cause an obstruction? She ate dinner before our walk so I won't be able to tell if it's affecting her appetite until morning. Is it safe to wait until then?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA

Veterinarian

Published on February 21st, 2017

Since Kiera is a larger dog, it is less likely that the chicken bone will cause an obstruction. However, if you are concerned, your veterinarian can take an x-ray to confirm that the chicken bone is still in the stomach. If it is in the stomach, it can be endoscopically removed to prevent an obstruction from occurring.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Oh no, that's not good that Kiera ate a chicken bone! There is always concern about an obstruction or perforation of the intestines by a chicken bone. Unfortunately, there's nothing that can be done now that she has eaten. It's not recommended to have her vomit because the bone can get stuck in her esophagus or do severe trauma to her esophagus on the way out. All you can do now is monitor her for the next 72 hours. I would give her a piece of whole wheat bread now, and then one with every meal for the next three days. This will hopefully form a ball of ingesta around the bone and cushion it as it passes through. Monitor Kiera for signs of obstruction and perforation which include vomiting, vomiting blood, diarrhea, bloody stools. anorexia, lethargy, and constipation. Should you see any of those signs, you will need to take Kiera into a vet immediately for medical treatment which may include surgery to remove the bone. Hopefully the bone will pass without problem. I hope this helps and that Kiera ends up ok!

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