# Dog not digesting bone.



## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

dogs can't digest bone unless it's ground to powder. That's perfectly normal.


----------



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

How long has he been raw fed? It took Ranger's system awhile to adapt and become more efficient at digesting bone, even though he was fine with pieces of meat as soon as we changed to raw. Some raw feeders feed probiotics/digestive enzymes to help the system break down bone more easily but I think if you give it time, he'll adjust. 

You've probably read it in your research before switching to raw, but sometimes there'll be a sharp piece of bone that doesn't digest and dogs will throw it up a few hours later. Ranger used to do this whenever I fed him beef necks in the first 4 months, but now he doesn't have a problem. The last time he threw up a piece of bone, it was part of a turkey neck that he hadn't chewed properly. Everything else went out the other end just fine!

Oh, and sometimes different proteins can make stomach gurgle. What's the protein of the raw meat you're feeding? Beef and especially pork can be hard to digest for dogs, especially dogs new to raw diet. Chicken and turkey seems to be some of the easiest to digest so you don't get the gurgling noises. Offal and liver also causes quite the talking dog belly, too!


----------



## Bender (Dec 30, 2008)

I agree with Ranger, if he's just started on raw it may take some time for his system to kick in. You can add enzymes and probiotics to help, and/or try a different meat to see if it helps. I have even heard of adding the enzymes to the food, mixing in with a bit of water and letting it sit for a half hour before serving so that it's easier to digest, or offering the food slightly cooked or a cooked version of home cooking to see if it's easier on the tummy.

My guys have eaten a lot of bones, gulped down backs and such with just crunching, and even once a thick section of bone that was in a steak. I thought for sure we'd have issues with that but nope, just white poops!

Lana


----------



## Katarina (Jan 19, 2011)

Thank you to all for your input. He (Cody) has been on the raw food for almost 5 months now. The protein is LAMB. I have tried 2 kinds of digestive enzymes and probiotics and it doesn't seem to make any difference as far as digesting the bone. When it comes out of him it is concentrated in one part of his poop and it looks like bunch of tiny pieces of crushed stone. Ranger, you mentioned that the liver can also cause gurgling noises. The food I feed Cody has internal organs in it including liver: Stella & Chewy's - Dandy Lamb Frozen Dinner
Maybe I should try to switch his diet and maybe cook it a little bit as Bender suggests.
Cody has done a lot of exams: x-rays, ultrasound, blood panel, blood chemistry, stool culture and nothing was ever found. Only thing I remember the vet saying that his stomach looked flaccid. They also put him on pancreatic enzymes, but I had to stop giving him those, because they were causing a horrible acid reflux followed with reverse sneezing. It was happening several times a day and I just could not look at it, it was horrible. There is not final diagnoses as far as what is wrong with Cody. 
Ranger, where can I find your blog regarding the menu of a raw fed dog?


----------



## Ranger (Nov 11, 2009)

Gurgling noises are okay, you just don't want anything else to happen i.e. diarrhea, gas, etc. Lamb bones are generally weight bearing so maybe it's still a little too much to digest at this point, even if they are ground up. Try some chicken patties (if available) because most of the bones in chickens are soft and easy to digest. Start slow for a few months with chicken patties or other small animal patties (duck, rabbit) if there's bone included so he's not having to digest hard bones. Once he's adjusted, you could make the switch to a denser bone, like feeding whole herring or mackerel or a turkey wing.

I think my blog is available if you check the top right hand corner of my post. There should be a link that says Blog or Blog entries and a number. You can find it there! Um, I kept up with it better last year when I started raw and have tailed off a little now.


----------



## Katarina (Jan 19, 2011)

Ranger, thank you for the suggestion to try chicken or duck. Stella and Chewy's has both.
I found the path to your blog, I will study it tonight. I am curious about the raw diet you feed.


----------

