well, i finally made the switch to the raw diet with my 6 1/2 month old GSD. Cold turkey. It's been a week and so far so good. My meal plan is based on Ed's diet menu - seems to be the simplest and most comprehensive I've found as a model so far...
He is very enthusiastic about his meals, and eats everything - even the veggies.
This morning, however, (before he ate) he vomited a small amount. There were pieces of undigested neck bones in it. From everything I've read, this suggests he needs a little help digesting the bone as his system isn't used to them yet. Am i correct in this assumption?
Also, if that is the case, what exactly should I add to help with this? I've seen a lot of suggestions of adding 'digestive enzymes' for these types of problems, but can't find any specifics (and my health food store has a whole section labeled 'digestive enzymes'...).
The enzymes needed for the degradation of bone are:
collagenase, proteinase K, acid phophatase, and alkaline phosphatase. If you are able to obtain these enzymes and supplement them to your dogs diet you will cause severe ulceration of the esophogus and stomach.
If you insist of feeding raw bones, grind them. The more surface area that is exposed to stomach acid the more that will disolve.
It is not uncommon for dogs first introduced to RMB's to regurgitate them if not chewed thoroughly. My pup did this when she was younger (and readily scarfed it up again, chewing them this time). Once your pup is chewing up his bones, this will become less common.
If he does not chew his bones then do grind or chop up the bones in smaller pieces.
The digestive enzymes recommended are not necessarily for the digestion of bone, but aid in digestion and help maintain a healthy digestive tract. I personally use a live food enzyme.
Congrats on feeding your pup wholesome food. Despite the pro's and con's of dog food vs. home made food, educating yourself and knowing what goes into your pets' dish is IMHO just as important as what goes on your plate. It's all about health, long term health. Good Luck.
chad - thanks for the enzyme list. and for your concern. for dinner tonight i ran the chicken necks through the processer - quite the nasty soup if you ask me, what with the processed veggies and the other ground meat, but he still seemed to enjoy it.
i'm going to the health food store tomorrow to see what i can find with those ingredients, just to be safe.
maggie - what 'live food enzyme' do you use?
i want to do anything i can to help ease the transition.
Chris, at the momment the digestive enzyme I am using is manufactured by Nature's Plus called Acti-Zyme. You don't have to be too particular about the brands. Try this website B-Naturals explanations of the different supplements can be found.
Please don't use the enzymes Chad was speaking of, he was merely explaining what was needed to degrade bone, not relevant to supplement a dog's digestion, as he stated.
Mastication (chewing) is the first step to digestion, let your dog learn to chew the bones and don't be startled by a few regurgitations, it is normal and he will catch on. Besides, crunching up dem bones is fun for him and keeps his teeth clean!
Bravo on the Barf! I would wait awhile before trying to reintroduce whole bones back into the diet. Try giving a beef foot, or some other weight bearing bone that they would really have to knaw on so that she can get accustomed to eating the bones. Once they figure it out it's smoothe sailing. As far as probiotics try Fastrack ,or Kefir (make your own live probiotics). Also make sure your are bringing your pups food up to room temp. Good luck, and remember at least with Barf you are not feeding your pup cancerous, bottom of the grade anilmals that have been cooked.
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