Did I make my baby sick by feeding raw bones?
 

This dog is so senstive to food. I have posted before about the fact that I tend to obsess over her health, but only because she gets sick so easily...and always in the middle of the night. I took her to the vet who recommended she start eating a low fat diet so he put her on Science Diet special prescription which she would not touch. I have been home feeding her for about 3 months and she does seem to get sick less on that but she is gaining alot of weight which I worry about. Anyways, tonight she seems sick again. She will not go to sleep, lays her head down and then seems to have reflux (keeps swallowing like she is regurgitating)which wakes her up. She is usually such a sound sleeper so I know something is wrong. I did give her a raw bone today which I have done before and I thought was good for them. I also gave her some of the rib meat(which I cooked which came off of the bone). It was fatty, but I tried to remove all the fat that I could. What could be wrong with her? She had not vomited or had any diarrhea but seems so uncomfortable...other than the restlessness, she seems like herself. I think it will be a long night and I am scared to go to sleep because I am not sure what is wrong with her. I know sounds like I am paranoid because nothing has really happened yet. Can dogs just have upset stomachs or plain not feel well without being really sick? I sure dont want to pay for another emergency vet visits? What should I be looking for if she was really sick? Her breathing seems okay and her heart rate seems the same. She just seems so uncomfortable.Thanks for reading this if anyone is still up this late to answer.
Laura

The ribs prob made her tummy upset. pork fatty meat and ribs can make them very sick.

It wasnt pork but beef ribs if that makes a difference. What do you mean by "really sick"? Should I take her to the emergency vet even though she is oaky except for the restlessness.

Thanks for taking the time to answer. I do smell that she has gas now so her tummy must be upset. Hopefully she will be able to rest now and be okay in the am. Was it bad to give her the raw beef bone though too?

Poor baby. I'm sorry, I can't really help with anything specific for you except for special thoughts and prayers for your girl to feel better soon! Hope she feels like herself in the morning.

Did she actually EAT the beef rib? Beef bone are recreational bones and should only be chewed. I should think she has an upset tummy from eating a new food. If she seems really sick then take her to the vets but if she just has a little bit of diarrea then give her some canned pumpkin or live yogurt and keep an eye on her.

Beef ribs can be pretty greasy too. I'd try giving her a little pepto, and see if that helps.

Real sick I mean with upset tummy, gas, stomach making noises, poops, throwing up etc.
My husband gave both of my baby's rib and roast and they got so sick at their tummys for three days, it just tore their stomachs up bad, they was even pooping blood from being so raw. any fatty meats are hard on them.

I've never had a problem feeding my dog bones.. we usually get these ones that have meat on it then just boil them until they are cooked.. I would be cautious about feeding raw food to dogs.. I know somepeople do a raw diet just IMO I think that boiled is better.

Its VERY dangerous to feed cooked bones! When cooked they become brittle and can splinter. If you can't deal with feeding raw bones, then you shoulden't be feeding bones full stop. IMO.

I've fed Lacy raw chicken necks before with no problems. She's on a raw diet completely though. Were you feeding her the Science Diet on the days you gave her the raw bones or homecooking? If homecooking, did the food have any grain in it - rice, oatmeal?? If you fed her kibble or grain on the days you gave her raw bones, that combination is what most likely made her sick. Grains digest so much slower in the digestive tract than raw meat/bones/organs. So if that raw meat and bone got into her digestive tract behind grains, it moved through really slow which can give the bacteria time to build up and make them sick. When no grains are in the digestive tract, food moves through pretty fast so bacteria doesn't have time to multiply and make them sick. If you're going to feed raw bones, you need to eliminate the grain in the diet.

Your dog could also be allergic to something in the diet - and that could be anything - beef or some kind of veggie... Or your dog may just have a really sensitive stomach and can't handle changes in her diet.

Raw bones in themselves are good for dogs though. You just have to feed them the right way.

Exactly :thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

Well, sure! As others have stated, it depends on how sick she is. I'd be more prone to looking at the Science Diet than the raw bone as the culprit. In some circles, Science Diet bears the tag: Science Death. Although, beef is not tolerated by some dogs very well. It's rather strong, especially to start out on. I'd suggest uncooked chicken bones, which seem to be tolerated very well. And, as someone else stated, beef rib bone is rather dense - too dense for dogs' teeth, unless said doggie is a Rottie or other larger breed.

i agree. beef bones shouldn't really be given to yorkies. some recreational bones are refered to as "wreck" bones on some chat groups because they can break teeth. beef bones are generally too tough on teeth. i had one and let morgan play with it for a while but then took it away after reading more about them. Chicken and turkey necks are better (make sure chicken necks aren't too small to swallow) and chicken drumsticks, breasts, and backs are good for meals. morgan is getting a chicken drumstick in a few minutes for dinner. :) yum. always make sure they are not cooked because they can splinter.

Really I never knew that.. my mom did a few times as a treat.. she learned it from her father who did it for his dogs when he had hunting dogs.. none of them ever had any health problems.. they all lived long happy lives.. only one died before the age of two and Prince Edward (long long long line of great beagles bred for hunting and they all had a name given to them from day one that was from their lineage) Anyways.. my mom at fifteen was feeding him and Scout and Scout bolted and she accidently left the fence open and Eddy followed her and she went accross the street to the school and he didnt make it.. the guy didnt stop either =/ but yea anyways I've never had a problem with cooked bones before.. No one in my family has either and they all have/had hunting dogs for 50+ years (some and the others have had them 15+)

Yep, the only dog I know who can eat a beef rib is my friends ridgeback. Only big dogs with strong jaws should be given them. Rmb wise I give chicken wings, drumsticks and thighs, lamb chops and ribs and turkey necks. Hope Morgan enjoys her drumstick :)