Bone meal ingestion in dogs: 255 Cases reported to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service

Abstract

AbstractBone meal is a widely used fertiliser, and its ingestion in dogs is common, presumably because they are attracted by the odour. In a case series of 255 cases reported to the Veterinary Poisons Information Service, 47.1% of dogs remained well. Clinical signs were reported in 52.9% and were predominantly gastrointestinal, particularly vomiting and diarrhoea. Some dogs also displayed lethargy (14.9%) and abdominal pain (5.9%). Signs were typically mild, but in a small number of cases, gastrointestinal impaction and/or perforation (1.2%) occurred. Of the 135 symptomatic dogs that ingested bone meal, 132 recovered (51.8%), two were euthanased (0.8%) and one died (0.4%). Two dogs with gastrointestinal complications following bone meal ingestion are described in detail. Both had prolonged gastrointestinal signs, and exploratory coeliotomy confirmed gastrointestinal impaction with perforation in one case and necrosis of the gastric wall in the other. Both dogs were euthanased perioperatively due to poor prognosis.