Help, my dog just swallowed a bully stick!

[Jessica and Ava]

I have my 16 week old puppy a bully stick to chew on which she did for a while when all of the sudden it was magically gone, she swallowed the thing whole! She has been kind of retching but no puking yet, I am worried that it will block her digestive system. It was about a hands length long and not to wide, should I be worried?

[Pam & Trixie]

I would call your vet when they open...Or your ER vet if it will be awhile before your regular vet opens.

it could cause a bowel obstruction.  The vet would know more though...They might take an xray to see where it is.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

Yes, I would talk to the Vet.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

I did google this and here are some of the signs they said to watch for (but I would still talk to a Vet).

• if the dog is hunched up,
• experiencing pain in the abdomen,
• experiencing distention in the abdomen,
• is unwilling to move,
• has trouble getting up or staying standing,
• is lethargic,
• has dull eyes,
• appears anxious,
• is yawning over and over,
• is drooling abnormally,
• is foaming,
• is pacing,
• is hiding in a safe place,
• is standing with his legs wider than normal, staring ahead or at the floor,
• or is puking or gagging on and off over the course of several hours or for more than a handful of times in a row.

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

What a scary list.  Makes me anxious just reading it.

[Marnie, Stanlee's Mom]

Totally agree with Pam, could cause major problems if it is stuck or lodge in there.  Keep us posted and GOOD LUCK!

[Traci -Bexter & Maggie]

How is your puppy?  I am just now seeing this.  When you say she was chewing on it a while, how long did she chew on it?  My Bexter has always been able to completely chew a bully stick in 5-10 minutes.  So maybe she just chewed it fast and didn't swallow it whole is what I'm wondering.  I just don't see how a puppy could just swallow it whole like that.  Or she chewed much of it and swallowed the rest when it was small enough.  Was it one of those pretty thick kinds?  If I were you, I would call the vet, especially if she is not acting, drinking, eating, or pooping normally today.  Please let me know.  I am worried now too! BTW - I hope you have pet insurance.  If you don't, you should get some ASAP (although it wouldn't cover this incident).

[Jessica and Ava]

She is much better, has been eating, pooping and running around all morning! She takes a while to chew bully sticks and she had been at it for about an hour before swallowing it, it was a skinny one not one of the thick ones.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I agree that you should call the vet. I hope she's fine. 

[nate]

You should definitely call the vet for an official opinion, but you also shouldn't worry.

Bully Sticks are just dried bull penis.  they're entirely digestible , all natural, and soften with liquid.  since they're "100% beef", your dog will eventually digest everything.

rawhide is a different story.  it doesn't get much softer, it's processed and largely not digestible -- it'll create blockages and if there are sharp bits it can physically hurt them.  if your dog at a rawhide section, i would definitely call the local animal ER -- it'll be much safer scoping it out of their stomach than having to perform surgery on the intestines.

but if you search for "bully stick vs rawhide", you'll see a lot of comforting information on vet sites.

we don't give our guys any rawhide.  they only get bully sticks, and they've swallowed huge portions many times.  

[nate]

I just wanted to add that this inherent safety from choking and GI obstruction is why we only give our guys the more expensive ( and smelly ) bully sticks, and stay far away from rawhide.  in the long run, it's worth it.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I thought of this too, that it might be rawhide and not a "real" bully stick. Rawhide can cause an obstruction, and it can also cause other harm, as it can absorb liquids and can expand in the GI tract.

[nate]

rawhide is evil like that :(