Hi, I'm a new dog owner (my girlfriend has had four dogs throughout her life) and I have a four month old Black Lab/Coon Hound mix, named Eddie. He was chewing on a rawhide bone with the twisted knot on the end on the couch with us, when he swallowed it. He started coughing for about 20 seconds and it really scared us. And him. He hasn't been himself since it happened, I think he scared himself a lot. I did some research on this site (thanks!) and I'm worried that even though he swallowed it, and he's breathing okay, he may not be out of the woods yet. The rawhide knot was fairly worn down. But he still swallowed it, and I guess it's the fact that I haven't had a puppy before, but I'm worried. Any tips, suggestions, or help available? Should I be worried? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Don't worry! He will either vomit it back up or eventually digest it (in which case you won't see it again). It was probably quite scratchy on the way down which may have produced the coughing and it might still be a bit sore. I'm sure he'll be fine.
Hi there! Having your puppy swallow something potentially harmful is so very stressful, and most of us have been there at one time or another. On the reassuring side, it is absolutely amazing what our dogs on the forum have eaten with no ill effects, so most likely your pup will be ok. But you need to keep an eye on him and make sure the rawhide doesn't cause a blockage. If over the next day he is vomiting and seems distressed and hasn't had a bowel movement or just has diaherrea, you will need to get him to the vet to get checked out. Often the dog will vomit up something they can't digest, so keep an eye open for that. Please keep us posted as to how he is doing!
Hi! Thanks for the help. We were really worried last night. But he had a regular bowel movement, and seems to be back to being himself this morning. So far so good!
It always amazes me how Lilly used to swallow up these large rawhides and there is never any sign of them on the way out. The powers of labrador digestion.......
Mine pooped a plastic shopping bag two nights ago and we think there's a sewing needle in there somewhere. The 5kg of rocks in his stomache probably helped with the digestion. lol. Sorry if I seem so candid im past all the stress of it all. Vets on speed dial if things seem to go wrong.