Eating Bones

[PuddleDuck]

Ever since I've known Doof he has always vomited within 3-12 hours after having a bone. It doesn't seem to matter what sort. I would love to offer them as a treat but it just doesn't seem like the right thing to do. Right now the closest they get is to have the dried beef tendons, which are really hard and they keep down.

Has anyone else had the same issue with vomiting? Were you able to work around it?

[Sheridan]

Grumpy is no longer able to digest bones. He doesn't vomit but he gets very unwell. He gets a bambi ear each night and the vet was very pleased with the state of his teeth when he cleaned them in January. He said one side was pristine and the other was nearly so.

[wuffles]

One of ours is the same, except he can have chicken bones with no problem, so he only gets these. Sorry, don't really have any suggestions

[Sandra777]

I've found mine will vomit up small pieces of bone which they can't digest, it's what dogs do to things they can't digest

If Doof vomits every time regardless of the species of bone then I would suspect he has digestion issues, perhaps isn't used to bones as a regular thing? If he's a younger dog you and you want to continue with bones, start with something which is softer - chicken and veal for example, don't feed anything a bit harder like the chicken thigh bone to start with, and perhaps try a probiotic and see what happens. Or get minced chicken bodies and use this to get his stomach a bit more used to bone. If he's an older dog maybe have a look at other choices to keep his teeth good.

Edited July 3, 2010 by Sandra777

[Sandra777]

.. oops

Edited July 6, 2010 by Sandra777

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

I've pretty much given up trying to feed my dog bones. If it doesn't get her going in, it gets her coming out.

We had another dog nearly die from eating minced chicken bones - though I think they may have been cooked. Butcher talked parent into buying "chicken mince for dogs" instead of for humans, and failed to mention it was minced carcass and should not have been cooked. That butcher - doesn't work as a butcher any more.

I feed carrots instead. Or those small beef rawhides. I can't give her big ones as she eats them too quickly and they come back to haunt us.

[bark]

Perhaps bones don't agree with your dog?

[Mas1981]

I used to get that issue with my dog when he was younger he threw up everytime, he gets a roo bone a day now and we have no problems, as soon as I add chicken necks or beef bones in he throws up again.

[PuddleDuck]

Interesting that others have the same issues. With the tendons and cow hooves as chew treats I am sure mine don't miss out!

Next question, can anyone explain why they only spew on carpet??

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Next question, can anyone explain why they only spew on carpet??

Same reason horses don't like to pee on hard surfaces - avoiding splash back.

[Stitch]

If you realise that all bones have a % of marrow in them, then you will also realise that bones are very high in fat.

It is often this fat that causes vomiting as the dog simply can't digest it.

Most of my dogs have no problems with chicken necks but I have one older girl who could never tolerate bones (this includes necks) very well at all and it took a while for the penny to drop for me to realise what was causing the vomiting.

Younger dogs seem to be able to digest them better than older ones and some have no problems at all ever - it just depends on the dog.

So bones, in moderation if the dog doesn't tolerate them well. If that stops the vomiting, great, if not then no bones!!

[rubiton]

Ours use to take bones then bury them then dig them up later after tea and swallow chunks. Said chunks would come back a few hours later usually in the house (she'd just get the cujo look stand up and stare - running to the back door WOULD have been a better choice). So she got them more sparingly and then not at all after she had the gastro thing due to the fat content.

However do find another way to clean their teeth (finding something else that they chew or physically find out how to clean them) or in a few years get ready for the big vet bill for the dental under GA.

[VJB]

My dog cannot eat bones. Vomits every time too. I think I may have had some success with a roo tail piece once, but don't bother trying to find a suitable bone to give her because mostly they end up with her vomiting.

I give her venison ears daily. She loves them, they are virtually fat free, and I never had an issue with them.

[Genabee]

Well reading these makes me feel a whole lot better! Little Genevieve is either in and out the back door with the runs or vomits (yes, on the carpet or in her house!).

I thought it may have been that she was consuming too much in the day, so on the days I gave her a bone, I would either cut back or cut out the normal daily food. But that didn't seem to make a difference either.

When I mentioned it to the vet, he told me 'I wasn't listening and feeding her the wrong kind of bones' (I was using chicken necks and chicken wings, as advised by the breeder). He told me to try large lamb bones.... we tried that and the vomiting started... After that, and a few other not so supportive comments, we decided to ditch the vet and we have found ourselves a new one.

She gets lamb ears and rawhide bones. I find the pigs ears smell! They seem to take her forever to finish and her breathe doesn't smell too bad, so I figure so far, so good. Maybe when she is a bit older we might try the bones again.

I am of the school of thought, that not all dogs can manage bones. I guess it is like us humans!

[Sheridan]

Interesting that others have the same issues. With the tendons and cow hooves as chew treats I am sure mine don't miss out!

Next question, can anyone explain why they only spew on carpet??

What, you've never had one throw up on your bed?

[Nekhbet]

dogs guts need to get used to eating bones. If they are on a predominantly processed diet their stomach pH will be higher (less acidic) then that of a dog on majority raw. Give them a bone and naturally the body rejects what it cannot digest, usually through vomiting. Start with chicken necks or minced carcasses every day little by little then introduce bigger bones. You have to build dogs up with bones not give them one and hope for the best.