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A Puppy Swallowed a Large Piece of Rawhide

Reader Question
We have a 14 week old lab puppy who my daughter and her boyfriend continue to sneak rawhide chews, bones etc .. To him. Now a beautiful, smart, loving dog may not live because his sharp puppy teeth was able to tear a large piece of the rawhide (that he could still swallow) that ended in the lower part of his intestine. As someone who has been around animals my whole life ( I grew up in a dairy farm and have had dogs and horses ever since), I knew the symptoms of obstruction.

Yes, DOGS and PUPPIES love rawhide BUT even what might be considered a small piece can swell and absorb fluids if it isn't passes quickly.

So stop the rawhide and find safer alternatives!


Answer from Our Team

We're sorry your puppy went through this and hope he's recovering well. You're right that rawhide can be risky. It softens as a dog chews, and pieces can break off that are too big to pass through the digestive tract. They can then lodge in the esophagus, stomach or intestines. Bones and chews are among the most common objects found stuck in dogs.

Puppies, small dogs and dogs that gulp their food are at highest risk. If a dog has a chew, supervise it and take the chew away once it's small enough to swallow whole. Ask your vet which chews are safest for your puppy's size and chewing style, and make sure everyone in the family follows the same rules.

Call a vet right away if a dog vomits, stops eating, seems painful or becomes lethargic after chewing, as a blockage is an emergency.

See what to do if your dog ate something and bowel obstruction in dogs.

This is general information, not a diagnosis. Please follow your own vet's advice.

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