26/01/2026
Death by Bones: Whose Fault Is It?
Is it the petās fault?
The pet ownerās?
Or the silent failure of inadequate pet health education?
On Saturday afternoon, a young boy rushed into the clinic clutching his dog. The dog was weak, hypersalivating, struggling to breathe, and getting worse by the minute.
I asked where his guardians were and he said they're on their way.
He went on to explain how the āstupid dogā had swallowed a large bone they gave him to eat.
Minutes later, his uncle arrived and echoed the same story, blaming the dogās greed for the situation.
On physical examination, palpation of the neck revealed a firm mass lodged in the oesophagus.
I explained the situation clearly:
First option: attempt manual retrieval
Second option: emergency surgery if that failed
Their immediate response was that they couldnāt afford surgery, āafter all, itās just Ekukeš.ā
The dog was prepped, sedated, and I carefully attempted to manipulate the bone out through the mouth.
And then like a stroke of magic the bone popped out.
Everyone was happy!
About 15 minutes later, the dog regained consciousness.
And guess what he went straight back to?
Trying to eat bones again, the very thing that almost took his life š
So, whose fault is it really?
Not the dog.
Dogs donāt understand risk ā they follow instinct.
Not entirely the owners either ā many genuinely donāt know better, though some pet parents are non-challant and do not really care about their pets.
The real issue is the lack of adequate pet health education.
Bones are not treats.
They fracture teeth, cause choking, oesophageal obstruction, perforation, and death.
This dog was lucky.
Many are not.
Education saves lives ā sometimes even more than surgery.
If you own a pet or know someone who does, please share this.
One informed decision can be the difference between a close call and a tragedy.
