Cats can eat cooked chicken bone unless your cat is showing signs of distress, it might be okay. Cat is a carnivore, that can digest bones in modest or small quantities. Bones have nutritional benefits to cats, bones are a source of calcium and phosphorus that cats need for strong bones and teeth. Cooked chicken bones can also be given to cats as treats. However, only cooked bones are nutritionally healthy for cats, raw chicken bones should never be given to cats because they are carriers of pathogens that can cause harm to the cats.
What Happens If Cat Ate a Chicken Bone
Cooked chicken bone is not a problem if the cat does not show any sign of distress. However, raw chicken bone is possibly contaminated and can cause disease in cats when eaten. The bottom line is raw chicken bones can be poisonous and must not be given to cats. Now back to cooked chicken bones; while cooked chicken bones are beneficial to cats nutritional-wise, care must be taken to avoid the potential harm that can happen when eaten.
Cooked chicken bone can easily splinter and can puncture the cat’s esophagus, stomach, intestines, and colon. The size of the chicken bone eaten by the cat matters; If you have leftover cooked chicken bones, it is best you crush the bone into tiny pieces to avoid being struck in the cat’s esophagus or stomach, especially if you are giving kittens.
Large chicken bones can become stuck in the cat’s esophagus or stomach. This could puncture the cat’s stomach or intestines and lead to blockage or obstruction in the gastrointestinal tract; similarly, large chicken bones are very sharp, and they can perforate the cat’s digestive tract walls or get caught in her throat. Other problems cats may experience when they eat large cooked chicken bones are:
- Choking
- Ruptured intestines
- Scratched intestines
- Perforated intestines
- Injured stomach
- Perforated stomach
- Injured throat
- Excessive diarrhea
Signs That Cats Have Ate Chicken Bone
Your cat might have eaten a chicken bone if you see any of the following signs:
- Your cat is lethargic. This is one of the most common signs that your cat ate a chicken bone. If you notice that your cat doesn’t want to play or isn’t moving around as much, this can be a sign that something is wrong.
- Your cat has an increased heart rate. If you notice that your cat’s heart rate has increased, it could be because they are experiencing pain from swallowing the bone.
- You’ll see that your cat vomits a lot. You’ll also need to check the vomit for signs of the chicken bone and blood. If blood is present, then their intestines have either been scratched or perforated.
- Your cat has trouble breathing or swallowing. If you notice that your cat is having difficulty breathing or swallowing, this could be another sign that they’ve eaten a chicken bone and require veterinary care immediately.
Treatment For Chickens That Ate Chicken Bones
When your cat eats cooked chicken bone and it shows signs of distress, it means the chicken bone is trapped in the cat’s digestive and possibly causes intestinal blockage and rupture. Cooked chicken bones can easily splinter and become lodged in the cat’s throat, causing choking or gastrointestinal obstruction. When this happens, treatment measures must be carried out immediately to keep the cat alive.
The first aid treatment you can quickly adopt is to give the cat an oral laxative like milk of magnesia or Kaopectate. These medicines help flush out the bone particles from their digestive tract and keep the cat stable. Make sure your cat is hydrated by providing access to fresh water. Then contact the veterinarian for a recommendation of proper treatment.
The vet will perform X-rays on your cat’s abdomen to determine if any pieces of bone have gotten lodged in their stomach or intestines. If this happens, surgery will usually be required to remove the bones. If there are no signs of internal bleeding or perforation (holes) in the cat’s intestines then surgery may not be necessary. Some cats can pass small pieces of bone through their digestive tract without incident as long as nothing gets lodged anywhere along the digestive tract.
Lastly, cooked chicken bone is good for cats but can cause serious problems for your cat if it gets stuck in the digestive tract. It is recommended to crush cooked chicken bones before giving your cats to eat. Also, do not give your cats raw chicken bones, it can transfer diseases and parasites to the cats.