Your dog ate rotisserie chicken and now you’re worried that your dog is going to feel sick or end up with a serious medical condition. The good news is that the chances are high that your furry friend will be okay. However, it’s still important to know what to look for in case your pup does suffer the consequences of eating a rotisserie chicken.
Your Dog Ate Rotisserie Chicken – Now What?
Rotisserie chicken isn’t just yummy to humans – it’s especially delicious to dogs. Come on, let’s be honest. The juicy, flavorful chicken cannot be denied, especially by carnivores like your best furry buddy.
Unfortunately, rotisserie chicken is not a good idea for dogs and for health-conscious humans. The reasons are identified below.
Cooked Bones or Raw Chicken Bones
Most dog owners know not to give their pup raw chicken bones because pieces of raw bones can cause damage to the digestive tract. What many dog owners don’t know is that cooked bones can do the same thing. Cooked chicken bones are still hard and when broken, cooked chicken bones can be just as destructive to the gastrointestinal tract.
The same thing happens when swallowing other foreign objects like strings from rope toys, ribbons, etc.
Internal bleeding or obstruction from cooked chicken bones can lead to emergency surgery, which no dog owner ever wants to have to deal with – emotionally or financially.
Dog Ownership Guide recommends dog insurance because of accidents like the one above. No matter if it’s cooked chicken bones or raw bones, dog insurance will pay for the injuries resulting from their ingestion and damage. Learn more about it here: How Does Dog Insurance Work?
Changes in Dog’s Stool
The risks of eating a small amount of rotisserie chicken are not as concerning, especially if there were no chicken bones involved.
The potential hazards come into play when a dog eats an entire rotisserie chicken or a smaller dog eats a large amount of the chicken. The grease, fat, and high amount of protein can change a dog’s stool. Most of the time, a dog will suffer from diarrhea or soft dog poop.
Dog owners need to know that diarrhea isn’t the problem. It’s the dehydration that comes with diarrhea. Learn when a dog’s diarrhea is an emergency, so you know if you should contact the vet.
Medical Issues
A high amount of fat in a dog’s diet can lead to pancreatitis. This medical issue can be life-threatening, so be sure to look out for the signs of it in your dog.
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fever
- Lethargy
- Abdominal Pain
- Diarrhea
- Decreased Appetite
Choking Hazard
By the time you read this article, the choking hazard isn’t a concern as it happens as your dog is eating the entire rotisserie chicken. Be sure to limit the accessibility to it next time since choking is a huge risk with eating a chicken carcass.
With all of the chicken bones in the chicken carcass, there is a very good chance of choking and then of course the digestive tract issues mentioned above.
What this also means is that it’s important to dispose of chicken carcasses far away from your dog’s mouth in a secure place. That way there’s no way your dog will be able to make it his/her dog food.
Upset Stomach
A dog’s stomach isn’t meant to eat highly spiced, greasy rotisserie chicken. That’s why pet owners should not give their dog rotisserie chicken. The spices and high-fat content is too much for a dog’s stomach, which can lead to poor digestion and an upset stomach.
A dog’s stomach acid is simply not meant to digest this type of chicken, especially when there are bone fragments in it.
What to Do When Your Dog Ate Rotisserie Chicken
Don’t do anything at first. Pay particularly close attention to small dogs as it doesn’t take as much to make them sick.
If you start to see signs of illness, such as vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, and lethargy, it’s a good idea to contact your vet. The vet will ask you some questions related to how much was eaten and details about your pup’s illness before asking you to come in for an examination.
Many times, when a dog just has diarrhea, a vet will recommend a bland diet to stop it. Dry food should be stopped for the time being as it can be too much on a stomach that is irritated from the rotisserie chicken.
If diarrhea doesn’t stop after 24 hours or there are more signs of a serious medical issue, take your pup to the vet. Emergency surgery will only happen if your dog shows signs of obstruction or internal bleeding.
Dog Ownership Guide wishes you good luck after your dog ate rotisserie chicken. We hope this information helps you in the future. As pet owners, we want to give our dogs what they love, but with rotisserie chicken, small pieces are just as bad as eating a whole rotisserie chicken. Stick with wholesome fresh raw dog food to keep your pup healthy and happy, so you can be happy too.
