Bullitt the Magician
I was in my early 20s working two jobs to pay rent and buy groceries. My husband, Jake, and I shared one vehicle to get around town and work. We also shared our beloved white with black spots pitbull, Bullitt, which we adopted a year prior from the local animal shelter. One night, Jake was heading into a night shift at the restaurant as I was leaving my shift at the Starbucks. I grabbed my usual boxed dinner to have when I got home. It was normal to swap the vehicle and bring the dog so we brought Bullitt with us wherever we went. Bullitt, who was waiting in the car, was happy to see me. I put my food on the floorboard and we hit the road home.
That’s when the urge to pee hit me like a train! I had to pee so bad and wasn’t going to make it home. What should I do? I stopped at the next parking lot and threw it in park. I hustled up the stairs to a restaurant. I was relieved to make it to the ladies room without an accident. Happy about my decision, I walked out ready to go home for the night. I got in the car and Bullitt had the most sorry look on his face and I wasn’t sure what to expect at first.
Upon further inspection, my boxed dinner had been raised! It was open and empty! He had devoured 8-10 super saucy Buffalo style chicken wings, in the few minutes I went to the bathroom. Gone, disappeared before my own eyes! Not one drop of Buffalo sauce was on the white styrofoam. Not one drop was spilled in the car. Not one drop on his guilty face. Bullitt had pulled quite the magic trick!
I wish I could understand those sorry eyes because maybe they were saying, “Sorry I ate dinner without you!” Or maybe he said, “Sorry that Buffalo sauce was amazing!” It was hard to be mad at him for enjoying a delicious meal, but I still had to eat dinner. We ended up visiting the local McDonald’s on our way home.
We kept a very close eye on him the next few days for tummy issues. Chicken bones are actually highly dangerous for dogs. They are very small and easily splinter, causing internal tears and punctures. Chicken bones are dangerous to dogs whether they have been cooked or not. Although raw chicken bones also pose the risk of spreading disease, the other potential threats associated with chicken bones are the same in both cooked and raw bones. Unfortunately, chicken bones are also very enticing to dogs, which can lead to accidental eating.
In the event that your dog has eaten chicken bones and they’re showing no immediate signs of distress, you can wait and see if anything happens following their ingestion of the chicken bones. Sometimes, dogs will be okay after eating chicken bones—but this doesn’t mean you should let them do so all the time.
If your dog ate chicken bones, watch for signs of bleeding from the throat or mouth. These may appear as coughing or vomiting up blood. Look for blood in the stool as well, and watch for signs that your dog is having trouble having a bowel movement. Listen carefully to your dog’s breathing to make sure their airways aren’t partially blocked or damaged by the bones.
Seek immediate help if your dog is:
Actively choking
Extremely constipated or bloated
Pooping, vomiting, or salivating blood
As a family, our love language has always been enjoying food so he’s just meant to be our pet. Now, 10 years later, he would happily still tear into some Buffalo wings and make them disappear, so we keep a very close eye on him. He’s Bullitt the Magician! - Chante
