HUGE PROBLEM

[matt1993]

we had bbq on thursday night and i gave my tarrier around 5 bones to eat.The next he wasnt him self.There isnt blood in his stool it looks like a light grey.I read something about giving him cotton balls and it would collect the sharp objects in side.should i leave it at that or take him in to see a vet. ps he trys to vomit nothing comes out,and he caughs when he trys to vomit!URGENT

[laramier]

I hope you called the vet. If you haven't already, do it, if there's no vet in the office there should be a phone number on the vets answering machine for a animal emergency clinic.

Next time don't give your dog bones from the grill or any other meal at home that your vet hasn't approved. Some bones that are hard to us will splinter when an animal tries to eat them. This can cause internal bleeding among other things. To be safe in the future, only get bones from the pet store... giving your animal left overs from your meal might seem like a cheap and convenient treat at the time, but you'll end up spending a lot more money on vet bills than you would by buying a treat or two.

I hope your dog's going to be ok. Please let us know how everything turns out

[Jaybay]

No.  If he IS obstructed with bone bits, that cotton could very well make things worse.  Have you called your vet yet?

[matt1993]

do yout hink the cotton balls helped?

[Jaybay]

You are correct: this problem is URGENT so find an ER vet if you can't reach your regular vet.  I suspect you're looking at an acute case of pancreatitis, which is a very dangerous and painful disease that can be fatal.  Tragically, your dogs case is classic as there are always a rash of pancreatitis cases after any holiday featuring BBQ.  

The vomiting and light colored stools are important.  The pancreas gets so swollen that bile can't reach the small intestine.  Bile is what makes feces brown.  Please don't wait another minute!  Find a vet!