I've posted before about why we don't feed bones to dogs. They really don't get any nutrition out of them, and they can certainly cause some problems. Today we have another example. This guy looks pretty calm and snoozy, and he is… now. When he came in, he was unhappy and straining.
The owner knew that the pup had been feeling bad ever since he ate that rib bone a couple of days ago. He just kept straining and straining to poop and just didn't feel good. A rectal exam was even more unpopular than usual, and I poked my finger on something jagged.
Fortunately, an X-ray showed no other major chunks of bone. So, we sedated him (hence the calmness and snoozyness), used a big syringe to fill his hiney with lubricant, and extracted this raggedy jaggedy chunk of rib bone. Everything in the picture was inserted into the dog (except the quarter).
He'll need a little diaper-rash treatment, and will be fine. That is, as long as he doesn't eat any more bones.
Poor pup! We always see dogs chewing on bones. So like everyone else, I assumed that they could digest them. Thanks for the new information that entails they cannot. I, like many others, will be more diligent in the future to protect our four-legged friends from incidents like this one.