My Dog Ate Chicken Wings – What Now? (Solved & Explained!)

Many people will tell you that a dog eating chicken bones is bad. It is. Therefore, you may be concerned if you believe your dog ate chicken wings. So, is it as bad as you may think? Do you need to head to the vet right away? Let’s take a look. 

Is a Dog Eating Chicken Wings Bad?

There is some debate about this.

There is no denying that chicken bones are the worst bones that your dog can eat. Chicken bones splinter easily, which can tear a hole in your pet’s intestines. That isn’t good. They can also get stuck in the system. This also isn’t good.

This doesn’t mean that the bones will splinter and break inside of your dog. The bones will likely pass through your dog’s system without any issues.

Some people will tell you that you should head to the vet if your dog ate chicken wings right away. You don’t have to. You only need to head to the vet if the following occurs:

• Your dog is in clear distress.
• There are signs of internal bleeding.
• There are signs of blockage in the dog.

You can head to the vet right away if you are concerned, but most people won’t. 

What To Do If Your Dog Ate Chicken Wings

Let’s assume that you have caught your dog eating chicken wings. What do you do?

Remove The Bones From The Dog

First things first, take the chicken wings away from the dog. You don’t want your dog to be eating any more of them. They may snap at you a little bit (dogs hate it when you take away their food) but trust us, a little nip on your hand will be so much better than taking your dog to a vet.

At this point, you will want to start observing your dog. The one exception is if your dog is in clear distress right now, i.e., you can see them struggling to breathe or wheezing a lot.

Watch For Signs Of Blockage or Internal Bleeding

Your goal during the observation of your dog is to ensure that your dog is not:

• Blocked
• Bleeding on the inside

Both of these are medical emergencies. Here is how you can spot them.

Your Dog Has a Blockage

If your dog has a blockage, it may not pass a stool. They will struggle to pass a stool, but it just isn’t happening. 

If you notice your dog get into a position where it looks like they are trying to pass a stool and nothing happens, then this could indicate that your dog is blocked. You will need to go and visit a vet as soon as you can. If that blockage isn’t cleared up, then your dog’s life could be on the line. 

Your Dog Has Internal Bleeding

Internal bleeding in a dog can be tricky to spot. This is because the signs are not always apparent, at least not until they get to the point where they are extremely serious.

If your dog can pass a stool and there is blood in it, then this is a sign that your dog is suffering from internal bleeding. This is an emergency. 

These are also symptoms of internal bleeding:

• Your dog loses their appetite
• Their abdomen looks bloated
• Your dog’s gums are pale.
• Your dog is lethargic.
• Your dog vomits blood
• Your dog collapses 

You shouldn’t be too careful here. Even if you only slightly believe that your dog is dealing with internal bleeding, you should get to the vet. Trust us; there is no vet out there that will complain that you came to them, even if there was no internal bleeding.

Keep An Eye On Your Dog’s Stool

Even if everything seems to be in order, we do suggest that you keep an eye on your dog’s stool for a while.

You need to make sure that the bones from the chicken wings come out. So, over the next 2-3 days, keep an eye on your dog’s stools. If chicken bones don’t appear, then go to the vet. This could indicate that there is a blockage in the system.

What May Be Normal 

Depending on what is in the chicken wings, you may notice that your dog is mildly sick over the next day or so. This means that your dog may:

• Vomit a little
• Have diarrhea

None of these are going to be huge issues. It just means that your dog’s stomach has been irritated a little bit, or one of the ingredients in the chicken wings isn’t necessarily agreeing with them. This should clear up pretty quickly.

You only need to be concerned here if your dog is acting lethargic or they are not touching their food or drinking anything. As you can probably guess, both of these do indicate a medical emergency.

In An Emergency, Consult a Vet 

At any point, if you believe your dog ate chicken wings and it is having an impact on your dog, then it is ever so important you head to a vet. You will need to make an emergency appointment.

While eating chicken bones can be dangerous for dogs, it normally isn’t. When they do cause issues, they cause serious issues. This could result in the death of your dog, and thus it is vital that you have the issues dealt with as soon as possible.

Final Word

If your dog age chicken wings, chances are that there will be nothing wrong with your dog. While eating chicken bones isn’t something you should be encouraging your dog to do, in most cases, they will pass through your dog’s system without any issues. However, if you notice signs of intestinal blockage or internal bleeding in your dog, you need to get to a vet right away. This is not a problem that your dog can ride out. There is a chance that they could die. Don’t be afraid to be ‘too careful’ here. Vets will want to help you.