Hi - we gave our puppy a spare rib bone and she swallowed it whole. She seems fine, but what should we do to ensure that she isn't in any danger? Should we call the vet, watch her stool? Is this something the dog can just pass? We obviously are very worried.

Thanks.

Give her some bread, the gooiest, white, library paste in the house. It may pack around any sharp end and protect her insides. Call the vet in the morning. Goldens may be worse than Labs about gulping down dangerous stuff. Dogs love real bones, but at best they accelerate wear on teeth, and at the worst, kill dogs. My Lab Aster is 13 years old. She has never had a real bone in her life, and her teeth are in excellent shape, better than many dogs half her age. People will argue that his type of bone is safe, and that kind is safe, but the bottom line is that none of them are worth the risk.

The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into
Pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not
There to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a
Close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in
Pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed.
These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive
Chewers such as Labs.

Ropes from the pets' store quickly turn to hazardous shreds. Ones I made
Lasted much better. Go to a hardware or home center that sells rope by the
Foot. Buy 2' of 3/4" poly rope. Melt the ends, and tie knots in it. Get
Them as tight as possible, put it in a vise and pound it with a hammer. Watch
Carefully, and be ready to discard when it comes apart.

The worse thing about spare ribs is that the bones, when chewed, can get sharp pieces. If this was a relatively small bone, I wouldn't be as worried as if she had chewed it up. Don't forget, dogs in the wild eat bones all the time. It is not good practice to give dogs small bones, pork chop bones and definitely not chicken bones. If you want to give your dog bones, go to the butcher and ask for bones suitable for a dog with marrow cut into approximately a six inch length.

As far as your pup goes, just make sure she is eating and drinking properly, not passing any blood (watch for frank blood or black stool) or choking and she should be fine. If she stops eating or drinking (or of course is choking or has blood in her stool) take her to a vet immediately. Her gastric juices should be able to work on the bone, but just in case she passes sharp pieces I would watch her closely for 3 to 5 days.

Hugs, Didi