Has Your Dog Ever Choked On A Raw Bone?

[puppymum]

With all of the talk about the importance of raw meaty bones in a dogs diet, and the worry this causes because of the common advise that dogs should not be fed bones because they will choke, I thought I would do a survey to find out how often it actually happens.

I have never seen anything from anyone who says that THEIR dog has choked on a bone, despite the common (although becoming old-fashioned) belief that if you feed your dog bones it is nearly inevitable. So, to try and put any possible choking hazard into perspective, I thought I would try a poll ;)

If your dog has choked on something not listed in the poll, please let us know & help us all keep our dogs safer.

[pipsqueak]

dog hasn't choked on a bone, but has had a piece of lamb neck bone stuck on her teeth - couldn't get it off, so made a dash to the after-hours vet, as dog seemed fairly distressed. by the time i got to the vet, she had managed to crack the bone herself and all was okay. as a result of this, i only feed bones when i am around to supervise

[Sandra777]

I have had a dog choke and die on a brisket bone. I know of 2 other dogs of the same breed which have choked and died on brisket bones. Hasn't put me off raw feeding, has put me off brisket bone.

ETA: I was present when my dog choked, I can't comment on the other 2 dogs.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Sandra777

[Daxilly]

I also have never had a dog choke on a bone.

However, my lab got a lamb spine stuck on her back teeth. A mad rush to the vet and they couldn't get it off. She needed a GA to have it removed. ;)

Needless to say I don't give her lamb spines anymore!

You must be sensible with what you give and try to monitor them during the consumption process as much as possible.

Edited July 6, 2009 by Daxilly

[BaileyWei]

I have never had a problem with bones, my current girl occasionally rips a big flap of meat off a bone and swallows it without chewing and then brings it back up, chews it and re-swallows it.

[Staffyluv]

I lost count how many times I put my hand down the boofheads throat to retrieve a half chewed bone or rawhide - so I stopped giving rawhide altogether... Now he does not eat raw anything

[arawnhaus]

double post

Edited July 7, 2009 by arawnhaus

[arawnhaus]

Yes mine have all choked on something at one point but nothing serious ever just a cough then back it comes,only a raw meaty bone.

Edited July 6, 2009 by arawnhaus

[stormie]

Not choked, but our old Goldy died from eating chicken frames. She had eaten them on many occasions, but unfortunately this time, for some reason she just swallowed a whole lot of it raw - including the wish bone. She was old and suffered a bit of doggy dementia, so had thrown up and somehow managed to aspirate some vomit. We xrayed her and saw the wish bone whole in her stomach and knocked her out to operate, but she had damaged too much of her lungs through the aspiration and couldnt maintain a high enough oxygen saturation. We had to put her to sleep.

But, I still feed raw. I know that every bone I feed there's a chance something might go wrong, but I guess it's the risk I'm willing to take for Orbit's overall health.

[VJB]

I've tried raw bones, and have experienced feeling a bit tense at times. I've not given one for ages, as she tends to throw them up. She does not gulp them either. The best we ever had was the roo tail, and I always sat with her and supervised. Good chance to actually sit down and have a coffee.

[laffi]

I feed RMB everyday and my dogs never chocked on these. I have two large dogs and I like to feed them:

chicken: maryland, wings, necks, drumsticks

turkey: wings, necks

lamb: necks, flaps

beef: brisket bones

roo: tail

I tried and didn't like: lamb shanks and turkey drumsticks. So no weight bearing bones here apart from chicken.

I feed my cat chicken wings and necks.

[Teebs]

Atlas has, on a big bone, a bit broke off and got stuck in his mouth, rush to the vets to get it removed

right now, he has a wad of toilet paper stuck on his teeth and wont let me save him

[Bullbreedlover]

I will never feed my dogs raw bones. We had to extract a large rawhide from the throat of one of our Bulldogs many years ago, and will never give them again. I know of a Bullmastiff that died from choking on a brisket bone.

I am not risking it. My dogs mean too much to me to have them die from choking on a bone. Our Boxers used to get the big beef leg bones many years ago.

Each to their own.

[hopenfox]

Fox (Kelpie) is 7 years old and has never choked on anything, though he has needed me to remove lamb rib bones wedged between his upper teeth a couple of times.

Nicky (Cavalier) lived to be over 14 and choked once when he was around 12. After years of thoroughly crunching up chicken necks he decided to swallow one whole, which then got stuck at the beginning of his throat like a plug. He collapsed unconscious. Thankfully someone was able to pull it out in time. We have never fed a dog a chicken neck again.

Hope (Koolie) is over 8 now and several years ago I stupidly fed her a cut-in-half-lengthways lamb neck. She gulped it down as she does, and got a large section wedged in her oesophagus just in front of her stomach and pressed against her heart. Huge, expensive surgery later to remove the bone and a section of oesophagus, weeks of recovery eating through a stomach tube, then liquid off a spoon, and she's no longer allowed whole bones.

I still feed Hope and Fox a raw prey model diet, as that is what I believe to be the best for them. I never feed chicken necks (even my ferrets sometimes have problems with these), flat-cut bones or bare bones.

I think the risk of choking can be greatly reduced by feeding only edible bones completely wrapped in a thick layer of meat and of a size relevant to the dog's size and eating habits.

Oh, and always supervise...

[Kissindra]

Nom nom nom

[huski]

I feed raw bones every day and I've never had my dogs choke - but my dogs chew their food

[~Anne~]

I once watched a little silky die while myself and a Vet desperately tried to remove a bone lodged in his throat. Awful

I have pulled a few chicken necks and wings from Monte's throat and he is one reason why I stopped giving small bones. With his epilepsy meds, his reactions are slwoer and his need to gobble food is greater.... a bad combination.

I give all of them a large shank bone once a week to have a good chew on. They all go crazy for them and there is no way they can swallow them whole!

[Rivsky]

Just on Stormie's comment with the wish bone, I've actually been advised by the place I get my chicken frames from to make sure the wishbone is removed before feeding to dogs - apparently dogs choking on that particular part of the frame isn't uncommon due to their size and shape so please make sure you check they're removed before feeding just to be on the safe side.

And to answer the original question, I've not had a dog choke on anything but have had a piece of bone stuck across the roof of his mouth which I managed to get out on my own without too much hassle.

[Pixie's mum]

We have bulldogs and our nearly 3 year old female was really good with bones until we got her a friend. Ever since then she scoffs and we had an emergency trip to the vet (she nearly died - passed out in the car, releasing her bladder and bowels etc.)

We thought it was just unlucky until the same thing happened one night - fortunately we managed to rip it out as the vet was closed.

No more bones for our two however they do get minced chicken wings as part of their BARF diet - not ideal we know but we think it is better than a dead dog or processed food.

[arawnhaus]

I feed raw bones every day and I've never had my dogs choke - but my dogs chew their food

Mine to.

However some bones especially those with a large piece of meat and fat on it sometimes a choke can happen.Same with Humans, I chew also,but yes I have almost choked before.....