Just A Belly Ache?

[J...]

Hi all,

Just wondering if anyone has any ideas on this. Darcy appears to have a bit of a belly ache and seems a bit swollen around the belly.

I had to go away for work early Monday morning, I asked Mum to grab the dogs a dino bone each to keep them happy while I was away. They were fed as normal Monday night and given the other half of the dino bone each on Tuesday morning. These ones were cut in half which my dogs have never had before.

Last night Darcy seemed off, and looked like she'd had a massive feed of something. Only ate half her usual dinner. Seemed slightly uncomfortable but had several normally poos and was mostly ok when she went to bed last night. I've seen her look similar when she's had a big feed of bones.

This morning she seemed fine, still a little gutty looking but better than last night. I gave her a very small bone so she had something to chew on (otherwise she would've just stolen the pups bone).

Tonight she came in, been playing and wrestling, and has eaten all her dinner and done some training. Now she's looking gutty and slightly uncomfortable again, she looks a bit wider across the ribs and she doesn't have her usual fit "tuck".

I wormed both dogs Sunday afternoon. Would've thought it's a bit late for a bellyache from that. The only other thing I can think of is she's managed to thieve and clean up both dino bones and is still digesting it all, or that fatty marrow has given her a gutache but her poos are completely normal. Would've thought she'd be over that too. She's raw fed, so her dinner has been her usual vegie mush and some yoghurt.

Any one got any ideas? If she's still looking off at all tomorrow she'll be off to the vets.

[Staff'n'Toller]

Hard to say over the net but yes you need to be very careful about splitting bones. If you do it's wise to scoop as much of the marrow out as possible with a spoon and throw it away.

I would say if she still seems not right tomorrow take her to get checked out - she may have low grade pain there that she's hiding.

[tlc]

Sorry Jess, I cant be of much help, just hope Darcy comes better soon!!

Staff'n'Toller Just in relation to the marrow bones, why is the marrow bad for dogs?? I dont feed Marrow bones at all to my lot, they have bones but just not marrow bones. But our old dog (lived till he was 16) had a marrow bone every week and always ate all the marrow out of it?? Just curious!

[Staff'n'Toller]

It's a great food but very fatty. As you say some dogs eat them all their lives no problem, but in other susceptible dogs one marrow bone can cause pancreatitis and then they can never tolerate bones again.

In a huge clod bone quite often the dog doesn't finish it, leaving a proportion of the inside marrow, but when you slice bones in half you make it easy for the dog to consume all the marrow....just depends on the amount for most dogs.

[Stitch]

As Staff n Toller has said, marrow = FAT and not all dogs can tolerate that much fat in their diet.

You have to limit the amount of fat in a dogs diet, just like you have to in a human diet.

If the bone has been left out in the heat for a while, the bacteria on it multiply at a very fast rate and that also goes into the gut.

I would suggest that you lighten the load on the gut by reducing the meals for a few days and then only feed smaller bones in moderation.