Unable To Stomach Bones

[CBL]

We are reasonably confident that Patch can't stomach bones - chicken necks, wings, beef bones etc.

We found he was throwing up chicken necks not too long after we got him, stopped feeding them to him, but lately we have noticed that he is being sick a little more regularly, and these are coinciding with when we are feeding him bones. He got chicken wings for dinner last night and I have found out that he has thrown up this morning. He eats the chicken mince from Lenards without a problem and that has frames minced into it.

Consequently I have an overload of bones in the freezer, but more importantly, I am concerned with keeping his teeth clean. I assume big marrow bones are still OK because he isn't eating all the bone but what else can I give him to keep his teeth clean?

Is it common for dogs to be sensitive to bone?

[jaegertheweim]

My pup has a problem with bones sometimes too..most of the time he will throw them up, otherwise he'll get the runs from them. We don't give him bones often now so instead I give him a nylabone to chew on and brush his teeth once-twice a week.

[he'smyhero]

My two get upset tummies from lamb bones sometimes - think the meat is too rich for them. So if he isn't stomaching chicken then I would be hesitant to give him any other bones. Maybe get him a nyla bone or similar for his teeth or try those dentabones?

[CBL]

My two get upset tummies from lamb bones sometimes - think the meat is too rich for them. So if he isn't stomaching chicken then I would be hesitant to give him any other bones. Maybe get him a nyla bone or similar for his teeth or try those dentabones?

I did grab some dentabones the other day so will stick with them - though he hasn't quite mastered really knawing at them, he takes delicate nibbles

[The Spotted Devil]

If you can't feed bones - I like the Nylabones.....actually Ziggy does

[mita]

Our Sheltie used to get pancreatitis which was triggered by eating anything fatty.

A uni vet included bones in the list of forbidden foods. All bones....even if there was scarcely a scrap of meat on them. The vet said that bones are high in fat. She said, to prove it.....boil bones, any bones... & watch all the fat rise to the surface.

You'll see that, too, when you're making stock for soups by boiling bones. All the fat that comes out of the bones has to be skimmed off.

This could mean that your dog can't take a big whack of fat in his diet, when he eats bones. Maybe talk to your vet about it.

For teeth cleaning for our Sheltie, I relied on low-fat kibble, cleaning his teeth with a brush & doggie tooth paste..& the vet would sometimes scrape off any bit of plaque that was forming (didn't need an anaesthetic).

Edited March 10, 2008 by mita

[CBL]

Our Sheltie used to get pancreatitis which was triggered by eating anything fatty.

A uni vet included bones in the list of forbidden foods. All bones....even if there was scarcely a scrap of meat on them. The vet said that bones are high in fat. She said, to prove it.....boil bones, any bones... & watch all the fat rise to the surface.

You'll see that, too, when you're making stock for soups by boiling bones. All the fat that comes out of the bones has to be skimmed off.

This could mean that your dog can't take a big whack of fat in his diet, when he eats bones. Maybe talk to your vet about it.

For teeth cleaning for our Sheltie, I relied on low-fat kibble, cleaning his teeth with a brush & doggie tooth paste..& the vet would sometimes scrape off any bit of plaque that was forming (didn't need an anaesthetic).

Wow Mita - I never would have considered that bones have a lot of fat - thanks for that!

Next vet visit I will certainly ask some advice.

[Cockerlover]

raw carrots (WHOLE)r good for cleening teeth;Mine love them.

[mita]

Wow Mita - I never would have considered that bones have a lot of fat - thanks for that!

Next vet visit I will certainly ask some advice.

Me, neither CBL. I only found out when I was sticking to keeping fat low in our Sheltie's diet....but was still giving him bones (with no meat on). And couldn't figure why his pancreatitis was still being triggered.

Then a uni vet looked at his food list....& went OOWA at the bones. When I said, it's OK, I take all the meat & fat off....she said....go boil those bones & see what rises to the surface in heaps. Yep, fat!

[puggy_puggy]

It does sound like they are to fatty for him.

Occasionally the pugs with have a mini spew, after having a bone or chicken neck, and bring up a little bit of bile and a bit of bone. I figure their bodies haven't been able to break down that bit of bone so are rejecting it and that's the quickest way they can get it out.

My boy pug used to get sick from pigs ears beacause they are very high in fat.

Is he throwing up the whole chicken neck? Perhaps he is not chewing properly and the body can't cope with trying to digest that the whole thing at once. I usually cut some of the fat off the chicken necks I give to the pugs.

[CBL]

It does sound like they are to fatty for him.

Occasionally the pugs with have a mini spew, after having a bone or chicken neck, and bring up a little bit of bile and a bit of bone. I figure their bodies haven't been able to break down that bit of bone so are rejecting it and that's the quickest way they can get it out.

My boy pug used to get sick from pigs ears beacause they are very high in fat.

Is he throwing up the whole chicken neck? Perhaps he is not chewing properly and the body can't cope with trying to digest that the whole thing at once. I usually cut some of the fat off the chicken necks I give to the pugs.

No - he is throwing up a bit of liquid (yellow) with bits of bones in it - no solid bits (besides the bone pieces) visible at all.

And why is it always on the carpet There are plenty of tiles in this house, but he will walk over the tiles to throw up on the carpet

[anniek]

If he's fine with the Leonards mince then it is not the content of the bone, maybe the size of the pieces he is swallowing, as this mince is just the frames minced.

I don't like any of those "plastic" bone type teeth cleaners as they are just as likely to be swallowed in big chunck as the natural bones.

If you don't want to clean his teeth with a doggy tooth brush, you can give his gum line a quick wipe with 1:10 diluted savacol.

If you can afford it ($'s) - you could buy him some large chunks of meat when they are on special. Sort of like a half leg of lamb without the bone.

He would need to tear and have a very good chew to eat it, which would floss/clean his teeth.

I get pork hocks for this, which are huge, but they don't eat the bone, just tear off the meat.

Your vet should scale his teeth on a regular visit - he won't need any sedation. The vet just holds the mouth open and flicks the plaque away

Hope that helps

Annie

[anniek]

No - he is throwing up a bit of liquid (yellow) with bits of bones in it - no solid bits (besides the bone pieces) visible at all.

And why is it always on the carpet There are plenty of tiles in this house, but he will walk over the tiles to throw up on the carpet

If it's a morning spew in yellow bile, it's just "empty tummy syndrome".

give him a dog biscuit before he goes to bed at night - that should fix it!

Oh and rip the carpet up

Annie

Edited March 10, 2008 by anniek

[puggy_puggy]

Yes don't you just love it when they spew on the carpet. Somehow I have trained myself to awake from deep sleeps when a pug starts to do throwing up noises, they sleep in bed with me, and I am able to rush them from my bed to the bathroom in time to save the carpet most of the time.

Sounds like his body isn't digesting the actual bone fragments. What happens sometimes with the pugs. I don't take much notice because it doesn't happen that often here and as I said I figure they can't digest it so they have to get it out of their system.

Is it happening with every bone you give him?

[CBL]

Thanks everyone - certainly is a bit of a mystery but I think I will steer clear of the bones from now on - unless they are big marrow bones that he can't swallow. The fact that he has lenards mince but is fine is perplexing, the vomiting seems to happen the morning after he has eaten chunks of bone.

He generally is a really good chewer, doesn't tend to scoff his food down in big lumps, though he nearly choked on some bone pieces I gave him last week so they are not coming out again.

I will give him a dentabone thing every so often, can try brushing his teeth though I can guess how much he will love that - and at his next check up the vet can give him a good clean

Annie - its not our carpet (which makes it worse) - thankfully the new house is all floorboards except the back room and while it is currently carpetted, that is going to be ripped up and probably tiled.

Edited March 10, 2008 by CBL

[he'smyhero]

Also just thought- a lump of meat that is frozen might work too.

[JJJones]

Our Sheltie used to get pancreatitis which was triggered by eating anything fatty.

A uni vet included bones in the list of forbidden foods. All bones....even if there was scarcely a scrap of meat on them. The vet said that bones are high in fat. She said, to prove it.....boil bones, any bones... & watch all the fat rise to the surface.

You'll see that, too, when you're making stock for soups by boiling bones. All the fat that comes out of the bones has to be skimmed off.

This could mean that your dog can't take a big whack of fat in his diet, when he eats bones. Maybe talk to your vet about it.

For teeth cleaning for our Sheltie, I relied on low-fat kibble, cleaning his teeth with a brush & doggie tooth paste..& the vet would sometimes scrape off any bit of plaque that was forming (didn't need an anaesthetic).

I have a sheltie that is exactly the same mita. A no fat diet includes no bones or else we will trigger the pancreatitis. Other than that he is perfectly normal.