Steaks. We’re sure that just by reading the word itself, you’d have the picture of your own steak preferences in your mind. Steak is a slice of tasty meat for us humans, and we can definitely say that it goes the same for your fur babies.
However, what happens when your dog suddenly grabs a steak bone off your dining table or picks up the steak bone from the trash? Whether your dog ate cooked chicken bones, cooked pork bones, or even cooked steak bones, all had the same serious consequences.
Dogs’ ancestors would usually hunt prey and eat most parts of the animals they have caught, including the bones of their prey. However, with the world constantly changing, today’s dogs have many differences compared to their wolf ancestors, as most already have their paw parent to provide food for them.
Although a grilled steak can be a savory and a five-star meal for your fur babies, and because their ancestors used to eat those before, will it be okay to give today’s dogs these steaks as meals? Will they enjoy the grilled steak bone just like humans do? Will it cause more harm than good or the other way around?
Worry not because we have the answers to these questions. Read through this article to learn what to do once your fur baby eats a steak bone.
Raw vs. Cooked Steak Bones
Treatment for bone indigestion depends on the type of bone your dog has eaten. Raw and cooked steak bones come with different health risks and complications. That is why it is essential to know what type of bone your dog ate for treatment to be done immediately.
There is less risk of abdominal perforation when dogs eat raw bones than cooked ones as raw bones are more flexible and less likely to splinter.
Raw bones are recommended to be ground up before feeding them to your fur baby for extra safety and easy digestion. If your dog happens to eat raw bones, it is not really required for you to contact the veterinarian, especially if the bone is fresh.
However, if the bone that your dog ate was a leftover bone from a cooked steak, this is where you should be more concerned. Veterinarians recommend you coordinate with them and take certain steps when this happens.
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Raw Steak Bones
Many owners prefer to provide their canine pets with raw food. As mentioned earlier, raw steak bones are safer to eat compared to cooked bones because they are less likely to splinter. They are always recommended to be grounded up and mixed into their regular food for easier digestion.
However, owners should bear in mind that dogs who eat raw bones might have a risk of contamination with food poisoning bacteria, Salmonella and Campylobacter. These can cause vomiting and diarrhea, so be mindful of your fur baby when you give them raw steak bones.
Cooked Steak Bones
Be honest; once you’re finished eating your grilled steak, you also want to let your dog experience that five-star meal that you have been blessed with. It is always tempting for owners to share the leftover steak bone with their dogs right after a meal.
However, vets said you should not because having your dog eat a cooked steak bone would bring more harm than good as this comes with a high-risk level of complications.
Aside from the foodborne illnesses eating cooked steak bones bring, these bones are more likely to be easily shattered, fragmented, or even break off into sharp pieces when eaten. Because of this, it can cause serious complications, including choking, tears on your dog’s intestines, and bowel blockages.
In conclusion, cooked bones are always a bad idea when fed to dogs. Keep this in mind to save your baby from future casualties.
Steps for Cooked Bone Ingestion
If your dog happens to ingest a cooked bone, there are four recommended steps that you need to do. Of course, the first obvious one would be not to panic and stay calm to ensure that you provide your dog the help they need. Dogs commonly ingest things that can often harm them, so it is essential to remain calm and composed.
Also, remember not to scold and discipline your dog right away as this may cause fear and anxiety to your dog. Aside from those two, here now are the four steps that you can take to handle the situation:
1. Remove the Bones from the Area
After composing yourself by remaining calm, you first need to remove all the remaining bones from the area. Ensure that there will be no more way for your dog to reach out to the bones again. You can either move your dog away from the bones, put them in their cages, or lock them up somewhere for a while.
Ensure that you pick up all any possible leftover bones, even the small ones so that there will be no bones left for your dog to chew onto. Keeping the area bone-free can reduce the risk of your dog having more problems.
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2. Coordinate with Your Vet
Contact your local vet right away. They will immediately tell you what you need to do. During the call, make sure to provide your vet with all necessary basic information, such as your dog’s size, breed, and how much bone your pup consumed.
Your vet will also eventually tell you to visit the clinic once your dog reacts poorly after ingesting the cooked bone. This will be the very best option for your dog’s safety as well.
Some vets will recommend that you give your dog something to eat like bread and pumpkin to ensure that the bones are absorbed and will not further cause any complications. Nevertheless, keeping in touch with your vet during a crisis like this can come in handy.
3. Don’t Self Treat
Other people’s instincts will tell them to let their dogs vomit. However, this is not what you want to do because this would increase the risk of bone splintering that may further damage your dog on the way back up.
Once your dog consumes the bones, most likely, you would want to wait it out. Again, immediately contact your local vet and follow their advice, whatever that may be.
4. Watch for Signs
Once your dog has ingested cooked bones, it is recommended for you to monitor and be mindful of your dog. Look for warning signs that can manifest 24 – 48 hours after ingesting a foreign object.
Some of the warning signs that you have to be mindful of are your dog pawing at its mouth in distress, seeing your dog choking on a piece of bone, vomiting, gagging, or dry heaving has begun. You may also notice them acting lethargic, having bloody diarrhea in their stool, or they struggle to pass stools, and your dog may cry out when toileting.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, you have to fight the temptation of giving your leftover steak bones to your dog. Accidents happen, and as fur parents, you just want what’s best for them, right? Instantly contact your local vet once this happens, and again, be mindful about your fur baby at all times.
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