My Dog Ate a BBQ Skewer
Dr. Monica Sterk
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Your BBQ is in full throttle. The jams are pumping. Guests are laughing. Kids are off their electronics and playing tag. The neighbors are a little jelly. Guess who else has a twinge of missing out? For sure, your dog. He’s eyeing up those shish kabobs on everyone’s plate but his. Have no doubt, he’s just waiting for a chance to snag one or a few. And if that happens, the party’s over.
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY DOG ATE A BBQ SKEWER?
If your dog eats a barbecue skewer, take them to VEG or to your nearest pet emergency hospital. Sometimes dogs can swallow a skewer whole. This spells trouble for your dog’s gastrointestinal tract. Remember, everything he or she ingests has to pass through or be vomited up.
Even if the skewer is chewed up, it is a sharp piece of wood that poses risk for perforating the gut. The pointy end of a BBQ skewer can poke through the esophagus, stomach, or other parts of the digestive tract. Even your dog’s gums and tongue can be affected by the skewer.
HOW WILL THE VET TREAT MY DOG?
At VEG, we treat a lot of accidental ingestions and abdominal obstructions. But an ingested barbecue skewer is tricky. We may start with an ultrasound or x-ray to see where the skewer is currently and determine if it’s been chewed up into pieces or not. If the skewer was swallowed whole and hasn’t traveled into the stomach, an endoscopy can be performed to remove it from the esophagus. If the skewer is in pieces or it’s moved further into the digestive tract, surgery is sometimes the answer.
SO, CAN MY DOG BE AT MY BARBECUE?
Dogs and barbecues go together like, well, cats and dogs. Of course you want your favorite furry friend there but your dog needs to be constantly monitored if he’s not crated or on a leash during the party.
Check out ways to have a pet-safe barbecue or picnic. Contact VEG if your pet needs emergency or urgent care. We have locations all over the country with emergency vets who are available 24/7 to help you and your pet. When you come to VEG, our emergency-trained team will triage your pet within seconds.