Eating bones

Hi guys. Koda has a staple diet of top quality kibble mixed with Tuna morning + night. He hoovers various human treats on top of that I wanted to ask some advice. Once or twice a week we give him a raw bone (lamb or beef, big or small) and he loves them, but normally that night or the following day he ends up being sick and it only seems to happen after he's had a bone. I have watched him and he does crunch them down so I'm not worried about obstructions in his bowel etc. but I am concerned they seem to trigger this for him, could it just be because he literally chews / licks them for hours on end he's getting an acid build up perhaps ? Should I stop giving them to him ? I think they're good for his teeth, and also as a treat + distraction for him but am very sure this is what's causing him to be sick in the day or two following. Thanks for reading.

I was about to post about exactly the same thing.

I got a variety of raw bones from the butcher. She is definitely swallowing smaller pieces and I am a bit nervous about obstructions - she coughed up a soft piece of cartilage and there have been a few pieces in her poop.

She does love them though, so don't want to deprive her off them, but is this normal?

Our guys are on raw so get a lot of bones. Yes, sometimes one'll be sick and it's usually a bit of bone that's irritated. I think their stomachs get used to it, though, and provided you avoid the sharp, splintery bones and cooked bones you should be ok.

Maybe try and see if you can get veal bones, they're softer and digest more readily. I avoid the weight bearing beef limb bones now as they can damage teeth.

I agree with above, also maybe make sure that they aren't to big it could be to big his stomach rejects it. definitely avoid weight bearing bones, millie has lambs or beef ribs and she does well on them.

Our boy gets lots of chicken necks and wings (plus some marrow bones), he has no problems with them. They're great bones to start on because they are pretty soft and they don't take too long to eat (the marrow bones last hours but he hasn't had any problems with those either). I'd try a few different types to see if it's just the larger bones causing a problem.

Thx so much

LizP wrote:Our guys are on raw so get a lot of bones. Yes, sometimes one'll be sick and it's usually a bit of bone that's irritated. I think their stomachs get used to it, though, and provided you avoid the sharp, splintery bones and cooked bones you should be ok.

Maybe try and see if you can get veal bones, they're softer and digest more readily. I avoid the weight bearing beef limb bones now as they can damage teeth.

I concur, the bones are also very rich so if their stomachs are not used to them they tend to get the runs. It's similar to changing foods too quickly.