Pets Are Important Too

Doggone Bones: What To Do If Your Dog Swallowed A Bone

by Aurore Fontai

Did your dog swallow a bone? The dog may have gotten into some food that you were going to prepare and then ended up swallowing the bone while eating everything in its sight. Unfortunately, this can cause serious problems for your precious pup. It is important for you to take swift action by seeking help for your pet at a veterinary clinic.

Bring Your Pet to the Vet Clinic

Schedule an appointment to bring your dog to see the veterinarian. If there is no open appointment available, consider taking the animal to an urgent pet care center where the animal can receive treatment right away without an appointment. During your trip to the veterinary clinic, you can tell the veterinarian what happened. He or she may then need to perform X-rays to find out exactly where the bone is located inside of your dog.

If your dog swallowed a bone, there is a good chance that it is now in its intestine. It is important to have it removed because it will continue to cause a blockage if it goes untreated. The blockage could become extremely painful for your pet. In fact, it could cause the animal to stop eating altogether. You may even notice that your pet is not acting the same. He or she may look bloated and spend most of the day crying out in agony. As a pet owner, you likely want the absolute best for your beloved animal, and that means pet surgery may be necessary to remove that bone.

Preparing for the Surgery

You might be a bit nervous when thinking about your dog going under the knife, but the surgery could help to improve your dog's condition. The veterinarian may need to perform a complete abdominal surgery. It is important to understand that some risks are involved with this type of surgery. While there are always risks involved with different types of surgeries, the outcome often turns out well. The veterinarian can discuss some of these risks with you before beginning this procedure on your pet.

After your dog gets out of surgery, he or she will likely be in some pain. However, the veterinarian may prescribe pain relievers and antibiotics to keep your dog feeling as comfortable as possible while preventing any infections from taking place. These steps may seem drastic, but surgery is often necessary after a dog swallows a bone. You may want to take precautionary steps to keep this kind of situation from happening again. It is best to leave bones out of reach of your pets at all times.

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