Dog Community

Ate a whole rawhide stick???

Posted : 1/24/2007 5:17:45 PM

This is bizarre.

We just left our 11 week old Samoyed pup with a new rawhide stick (the pencil-sized kind) for about 45 minutes while running to the store. Came home and there is NO SIGN of the stick anywhere. (She was in a small room by herself and we have checked EVERYWHERE.) She has never gone through one that fast before and we are a little worried she may have swallowed a large piece without chewing it completely.

However, she's totally happy and does not seem to be acting strangely at all.

Just wondered if this is something we should be really worried about, or if she'll probably be ok?

We have called the vet and she's told us to watch for signs of diarrhea and vomiting. Anything else we might need to watch for?

In any case we are never going to give her rawhide again ... it was a stopgap measure and we did not expect that she'd devour the thing in such a short time (we actually were at the store to get her some safer chews!)

NicoleS

Posted : 1/24/2007 5:58:19 PM

As the vet said, vomitting and diarahea, but also for lethargy or any other weird change. Most likely, since it was small rawhide to begin with, it will soften up and be digested.

My best advice is to just be careful what you give the pup when you aren't there - but you can make your own decision about the rawhide itself. I feed my dog rawhide chews all the time, but he is very good about it and always chews everything just fine.

Bully sticks are a good chew as well, but you will still have to watch for the same reasons.

Hope the pup does just fine!

denise m

Posted : 1/24/2007 6:25:50 PM

I am personally more worried about my dog chocking on rawhides than digesting them. If they are already in the 'system' that is a good thing. I will leave my dog alone chewing a bone, but a rawhide = never. He quite often gags and sputters on those things. Thankfully he has always managed to 'hork' up what ever gets stuck.

dyan

Posted : 1/24/2007 6:41:18 PM

After giving my other two dogs rawhides all the time (oh,,,,,,and one used to get cooked soup bones all the time too) I am terrified everytime someone gives Bubbegum one for a present. I let her chew them for a while but ususally take it away when I can't stand it anymore. She gags on them when she gets near the end of them....I guess she is trying to swallow it but doen't get it small enough before she tries. I bought her the CET chews for her teeth and she does the same thing with them,,,,of course its a rawhide. I watched her carefully and took it from her as soon as I could see her trying to swallow it.
I honesty wouldn't leave her with anything to chew,,for fear of choking!

jessies_mom

Posted : 1/24/2007 8:09:30 PM

Your puppy is adorable; since I started giving Jessie raw bones she won't chew rawhide anymore but was always a careful chewer like Nicole's dog. Whatever you decide to give her, never leave her alone with it; the instructions on the packages of chews have that warning. I hope she's okay; if it was ground rawhide there won't be any problem.

juneaudog

Posted : 1/24/2007 9:56:27 PM

We knew all about the dangers of rawhide and leaving puppies alone with chews like this ... but were really shocked that she could eat the whole thing in less than an hour. What a shock!!

So far she is doing OK, going to keep a close eye on her tomorrow for any signs of intestinal blockage.

dyan

Posted : 1/24/2007 10:42:38 PM

You never know, she might not have really eaten it,,,my Cindy used to take them into the other room, and I thought she was chewing on them. One day while cleaning, I decided to take the cushions off of the couch and vacuum it really good, here there was a bunch of rawhides there. I guess Cindy was burying them.
Well, all you can do is carefully watch her, and at least you know to do that. Sometimes our pets eat things and we have no idea until they get sick. Chances are she will be just fine and the rawhide with be digested.
Keep us updated!

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Posted : 1/25/2007 1:15:28 PM

Sounds like no harm was done. [] I'd agree to watch for diarrhea/vomiting. Both Max and the dog I had before him used to get diarrhea the day after having rawhide so I switched to bully sticks for chewing fun.

Joyce

juneaudog

Posted : 1/25/2007 6:03:42 PM

Update ...

It's been more than 24 hours and no signs of trouble. She is eating and eliminating normally. Thank goodness ... are we out of the woods yet?

I have been paying attention to her stools (kind of a strange hobby while we're housebreaking her...) and noticed that she passed a small staple this afternoon. She must have found it on the floor at some point. Strange what puppies will eat.

dyan

Posted : 1/25/2007 7:46:00 PM

I would think if she had a BM or two,,,is acting fine and not vomitting and its been over 24 hours, she should be fine. The worrier that I am,,, I would still be watching her for a while,,,but I truely do think she is "out of the woods" now!

Gee, that staple was probably more dangerous than the rawhide! LOL!

mudpuppy

Posted : 1/26/2007 3:30:32 PM

gee, we tried one of those stick rawhides once and watched it vanish in under 30 seconds.

uppy went chomp chomp chomp and it was like watching a pencil being ground away in a pencil sharpener.
Rules of thumb with rawhide: pressed rawhide is safer than the other kind. Rawhide bones should be bigger than the dog's head. Never leave them alone with it- there is a risk of choking. Once it's been consumed you're ok.

dyan

Posted : 1/26/2007 3:40:26 PM

Rawhide bones should be bigger than the dog's head. Never leave them alone with it- there is a risk of choking.

I don't know about that either.. Bubblegum gets them down to smaller piece and then gags on what she has left, trying to swallow it.