help! he swallowed a bone!

[sjones]

Last night we had deer for dinner and I gave my 3 year old rottie a leftover bone thinking he would chew on it for awhile - well - he swallowed it whole. About 3 inches long, one inch wide. He seems okay but will it pass or do I have to take him to the vet?

[SableMom]

Get to the vet's office NOW! It is possible that the bone could be passed, but only the vet can give you a clear opinion of what should be done. Even though the bone COULD be passed, it could also tear the stomach lining, intestines, etc on the way out. At the very least it could make him constipated and painful as he tries to have a bowel movement. I would let the vet check it out and go from there with his/her opinion!

[bearkat]

I concur completely with SableMom. Get your dog to the vet NOW, if you haven't already. If your child had swallowed a safety pin, would you wait for it to pass?? Have you ever given your dog bones before, and if so, what did he do with them? Did he swallow them whole, like this time, or did he just chew on and "play" with them? Seems kind of odd to me that a dog that has been exposed to bones before (?) would just swallow it whole....
Whatever the circumstances, get your dog to the vet NOW. In the future, perhaps you should give your dog Nylabones to chew on, instead of deer bones! We have steak occasionally, and I am very tempted to give Clyde the bones, but I would rather him be disappointed and healthy.

[Eisental]

The important thing is whether it was a cooked bone or a raw bone. If raw, there's no need to worry. My Rotts swallow HUGE bits of raw bone all the time, as do thousands of BARF fed dogs. They digest in 4-6 hours. However, i suspect from your post that the bones were cooked. These are much more difficult to digest & can splinter. That said, many people do manage to get away with feeding them (I would say NEVER do it).
You will know if your dog has a blockage, because they will be lethargic and may get a fever. A sure sign is if they vomit & it seems more like faeces. If your dog didn't choke on the bone he may be o.k, but I would go get an x-ray in 24 hours to see where the bone has got to. You may find it's no longer there