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My dog ate a chicken bone. Should I feed her or make her throw up?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Golden Retriever | Female | spayed | 5 years and 1 month old | 70 lbs

Our Golden Retriever (about 65-70 lbs) just swallowed a piece of a chicken wing bone. Our daughter accidentally dropped one on the floor as she was clearing the table & the dog retrieved faster than she did. She hasn't been fed dinner yet. Do we feed her? Do we give her something to make her throw up? Is there over the counter med that we should get her? She is acting fine, but this just happened. Our vet is closed & I can't get through to the after hours service. Help, please.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Dayna, DVM, CVA

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on May 8th, 2018

Oh no! Goldens are such food hounds! A chicken wing in her size of dog is unlikely to cause a problem. The stomach acid is usually really good at dissolving the bone into small pieces to pass through the GI tract. Very rarely dogs can get it lodged in the esophagus (the reason I wouldn’t recommend making her vomit), but that is rare. Just like eating anything her stomach isnt used to it could cause nausea or loose stools, however mostly no problems are seen. I would recommend feeding her normally at this time. However, if you notice any difficulty swallowing, decreased appetite, vomiting or diarrhea then she should be seen by a veterinarian as soon as possible. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on December 28th, 2020

    Do not induce vomiting. It's not recommended with bones, as they can get stuck in the esophagus or cause damage on the way out. I would watch him, as the stomach acid may dissolve it if it's a small bone. If you see vomiting, diarrhea, blood in his poop, a loss of appetite, or lethargy, then the bone is causing problems and he will need to see a vet. I hope this helps.

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