My Dog Swallowed a Wooden Skewer. Call Now.

Call an emergency veterinary clinic now if your dog may have swallowed a wooden skewer or part of one. Wood can break into sharp pieces and pierce tissue. Don’t wait for vomiting or pain, and don’t give bread or another bulky food to try to wrap the wood. Ask the clinic before offering anything by mouth or attempting to make your dog vomit.

Describe what is missing

Say whether you saw your dog swallow it or found a chewed piece. Report the time, how many skewers were present, what material they were made of, and what food was on them. If an identical skewer or a safe photo is nearby, bring it so the team can see the thickness and tip. Don’t delay leaving to measure it. Mention any coughing, gagging, abdominal pain, vomiting, or difficulty breathing; lead with breathing trouble if it is happening now.

The clinic may ask how long ago your dog ate because the object’s location affects the options. Veterinary guidance on swallowed foreign objects explains why the veterinarian may need imaging or other assessment to decide what to do. Keep other pets away from the bin and remaining sticks while someone makes the call.

Tell the team it was wood, even if an X-ray didn’t show it

A University of Sydney case series documented wooden skewers that had traveled through tissue; the wood was visible on plain X-rays in only some of the dogs. A later small CT case series also describes perforating wooden skewers. These reports show what can happen, not how often it happens or what test your dog needs. Give the vet the exposure history so they can decide how to interpret the first exam or image.

For a future cookout, place used skewers straight into a closed, dog-proof container rather than on a plate at nose height. If you didn’t see exactly what went missing, describe that uncertainty clearly; a swallowed corn cob is another barbecue hazard with a different mechanism. In either case, make the call before offering the next meal.

Written by PARTNER Editorial Team for general education. Contact your veterinary team for advice about your pet’s individual health and feeding needs.