My Dog Ate A Rib Bone Will He Be Ok

Dogs are the loveliest pets to keep; their adorable chubby faces and mischievous smiles can fill a house with so much joy and love. But, commonly, mishaps can happen anywhere, especially when you’ve pets in your home.

Let it be a dog or some other animal; he does not know right or wrong. So there are many chances that they swallow something dangerous, unaware of the outcomes, leaving their owners worried.

To answer the query, if your dog ate a rib bone, would he be okay? Dogs should not eat rib bone because a rib bone has sharp edges, and it is hazardous for dogs as it can cause blockage in their intestines or hurt any internal organs.

 So always keep a closed eye on your dog if he’s approaching a rib bone. If he has eaten it, check out for signs and symptoms of distress and immediately take him to medical care.

We all know the fact that dogs love bones, and they have been together since the beginning. Their favorite meal is undoubtedly the chunks of meat stuck on the bone.

After you finish a meat dinner, you might fund your dog looking at you with his cute puppy eyes requesting a bone. Or he might wait until you throw the leftovers and he breaks into the trash bin.

But many hazards come with dogs eating a cooked pork rib or any other kind of meat bone. Because it might choke the dog or blocks the gastrointestinal system, so instead of giving them a piece from your dinner, try to find them bine specially made for their chewing or bully stick.

What Measures to Take When Your Dog Has Eaten A Rib Bone?

If you see your dog eating a rib bone, the first thing to do if you see your dog eating a rib bone is trying not to panic. Dogs have a well-developed digestive system similar to those of wolves and other carnivores that can digest bones.

 First and foremost, you have to evaluate for the signs of choking and check if your dog is breathing properly without gagging or dry heaving.

If your dog acts fine after eating the bone, you can give him a plain diet including boiled chicken and rice for the next 2-3 days. It will get his system to work fine, and things will go back to normal.

 After eating the bone, you can give your dog some bread to protect his stomach from the sharp edges and any internal bleeding.

Check for Signs and Symptoms

If your dog has swollen a rib bone, you have to check for the signs and symptoms he’s displaying.

Rib bones have sharp edges, which can cause perforations in his intestines, so the most common symptoms will be recurrent episodes of vomiting, being lethargic, and not being hungry. If you see any of these indications, immediately take your dog to a veterinarian doctor and get medical aid.

It is necessary because damage to the stomach or intestines can cause bacterial infections. These infections are called peritonitis. If not paid heed to, these circumstances can be challenging to treat and might become fatal. No one wants their furry friends to leave them, so you must be very keen on the symptoms.

The dog’s abdominal area will be sensitive and painful, and he might get lethargic and would not want to eat at all. Blood in stool and vomiting is a symptom of pain and disruption in the gastrointestinal tract.

Also, it can lead to severe constipation and intense pain, and it will not go away without proper medical treatment. The damage due to the bone may cause bleeding from the rectum, which is a very harmful situation. So immediately take your good boy to the vet and seek medical treatment.

Another issue that arises with dogs eating rib bones is Pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is inflammation of the pancreas by an excessive amount of fat in a diet. Rib bone is rich in lipids.

Also, the spices added to cook bones add fats to this condition and other health problems. Dogs already require an active and healthy lifestyle, so giving them rib bones will do no good.

Can Dogs Digest a Rib Bone?

Fortunately, dogs have an incredible gastrointestinal system that can digest any bone. However, a rib bone can be a little difficult for the dog to digest because of its large size.

Provided the large size, the rib bone can pass through the stomach into the intestines without digesting it. It can luckily pass through the intestines, but the harmful edges appear when the bone fragments.

Dogs have the fastest digestive system and usually take 8 hours to digest a bone. If your dog has eaten a rib bone, it would usually take this much time to pass it from the system.

Dogs can digest bone. It is not unique as some animals can digest bones, including bears, vultures, tortoises, and rabbits.

Supervision of Your Dog

To avoid any dangerous situation, make a habit of supervising your dog when chewing a bone. A bone can have broken chips and sharp edges, and the dog might not be able to digest it. If you see a bone like that, discard it before your dog sees it.

 If your dog already has a bone and won’t give up chewing, appropriately take the bone away from him after some time, like 20-30 minutes.

 If you have a homemade bone, you can stash it in the refrigerator for some time to kill the bacteria and prevent infection. Indeed, dogs and bones are always together, but you can always provide your furry friends with homemade and safe bones to enjoy.

Do’s and Don’ts of The Bone

• Raw Bones: raw bones are a safe option for dogs. Lamb, cow, and beef bones are ideal for your dog to chew, whereas chicken and Turkey bones aren’t considered safe. Choose a raw bone and sanitize it, that is how antlers are prepared, and they are a good fit for a safe and long-lasting chew.
• Sanitise the bone: It is essential to sanitize the bone before giving it to your dog as it might have infectious germs. So sanitizing them is a good choice.

Most pet stores have appropriate-sized and sanitized bones that do not chip away. Make sure that the bone size is appropriate for your dog to handle and play with.

• Cooked Bone: Do not give your dog a cooked bone because they are tender, soft, and can easily splinter. Cooked bones can cause damage, and their sharp ends might cut the dog’s mouth.
• Un-sanitized bone: If the bone is not sanitized, it might contain harmful bacteria and lead to food poisoning. Make sure the bone is not very old, as it becomes more prone to splintering and cutting.

 The sanitization process is performed by simmering the bone; it is not boiled because it makes it brittle and prone to breaking.

Frequently Asked Questions

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What signs should you look for in case your dog has eaten a rib bone?

If your dog has eaten a rib bone, you should be worried when these symptoms appear.

• Lethargy
• Vomiting
• Blood in stool
• Not willing to eat anything

If these symptoms appear, you should immediately go to the doctor and seek medical aid. But if your dog is behaving fine, supervise him and give him lots of bread to eat to prevent any sharp edges from harming him.

• Can a dog digest rib bone?

Dogs can usually digest any bone. They’ve well-developed digestive systems that are built to digest bones. However, a rib bone is a large-sized bone, and it might be difficult for the dog to digest it.

 Rib bone can pass from stomach to intestine and then be out of the dog’s system. Owners usually worry about the sharp edges of the bone that develop when it is old or splinters. That might hurt the internal organs of your dog. That is why it is suggested to take him to a vet clinic.

Should I voluntarily make my dog throw up if he ate a rib bone?

In this case, the best thing to do is not to panic and watch your dog for the next two days. Generally, a rib bone can cause perforations in the intestines and may cause obstructions inside.

But sometimes, this does not happen. A dog’s stomach has a very high acidic pH that can digest the bone itself. So you’ve to supervise your dog for symptoms.

How long does it take a rib bone to digest?

As we have discussed, a dog has the shortest digestive tract timing and can usually digest the bone within 8 hours. It does depend on the dog’s species and size, but the available time is 8 hours.

How to check if there is a foreign body in my dog’s stomach?

If your dog had something stuck in his stomach, he will show various symptoms that would affirm his case.

• Abdominal tenderness
• Pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting episodes
• Anorexia

If he shows these symptoms, you’d know that he has some foreign body in his stomach, and you can take him for medical treatment.

Conclusion

To conclude this, your dog will be okay if he has eaten a rib bone, but you should always be careful when he is chewing a bone.

 A dog doesn’t know if he is doing the wrong thing eating a rib bone; he only knows that it is a bone and he has to chew it. We have provided the do’s and don’ts to follow, and ample information is given in that section.

It just takes a little effort to monitor your good boy, which can save you from anything hazardous. Always look for bony edges and splinters before giving a bone to your dog.

And if you see that he already has a bone that might hurt him, give him some time and then take that bone away from him. Dogs and bones have an ancient relationship, and you can not separate the two of them. So precautions are all that you can follow.

References

• https://www.petcoach.co/question/?id=260386
• https://dogdorable.com/my-dog-ate-rib-bones-what-should-i-do/
• https://www.animalfate.com/my-dog-ate-a-rib-bone/