Raw frustrations

[AdrianneIsabel]

I have in the past fed a lot of raw. I fed it actually for 6 years straight without any kibble to a lot of dogs from starved to obese and chihuahuas to pit bulls.

Sloan however is struggling. I would like to try raw with her to help lean her out and clean her diet up but it's not worth the bloody runs we're facing today.

I started everyone on Saturday with bone in thighs + sojos. They've been having raw meals/treats on and off their whole lives. No problems with anyone else and none with Sloan until Sunday(not abnormal).

Sunday night I threw in a chicken back to add some bone and instead we were up all night with the runs. This morning I did thigh again and at work she had a handful of Now kibble for treats. Still having liquid poop I tried a teaspoon of bone meal in her water after playing ball and then gave her a marrow bone to chew on.

Now the poop is almost entirely just watery blood with minimal crumbs of solidness. I'm sure it's just irritated bowels but having had my fair share myself I understand how much they suck.

I'm frustrated. What would you do? Fast? Go back to kibble? Remove the fat/skin? Add more bone? Remove the bone? Try another protien?

I was not unhappy with my kibble over all but I do miss the cut muscle tone and small poop from raw. Of course if this is what raw is going to do I suppose it's better to have kibble.

[JessLough]

Sounds like its the bone giving her issues? Id try without bone for a bit and see what happens

[katielou]

I would try something other than chicken.

[Lyzelle]

Hmm. Maybe try beef or pork? Zander doesn't do terribly well on chicken + bone, either. He gets mucousy type runny poops. But he does fine with beef and pork. Bone is just a bit harder to find with those meat sources.

If you can find cheap fish, though, that will add a bit more bone/cartilage to her meals, depending on the fish.

[Emily]

I'm guessing too much bone and fat in the back, esp if the tail was on.

After fasting for 24 hours (poor Sloan ) I'd go back to something with a lower bone content (thighs seem perfect) and also strip the skin off the thigh first. And then just work up to those really fatty and boney pieces gradually.

[sassafras]

Squash actually has better poops with more bone/cartilage. I'd wonder about the skin being too fatty. The raw part of his diet is normally a coarsely ground meat/bone/organ mixture of rotating protein source, I notice that the meat packer usually grinds chicken with the skin on and he sometimes gets loose stools with that. If he has a runny poop day I give him turkey necks for his raw for a day or two and that seems to fix him up.

[Emily]

Originally Posted by sassafras

Squash actually has better poops with more bone/cartilage. I'd wonder about the skin being too fatty. The raw part of his diet is normally a coarsely ground meat/bone/organ mixture of rotating protein source, I notice that the meat packer usually grinds chicken with the skin on and he sometimes gets loose stools with that. If he has a runny poop day I give him turkey necks for his raw for a day or two and that seems to fix him up.

While bone and cartilage do tend to produce firmer poops, some dogs have trouble transitioning to a lot of bone right away. I suppose it must just be dense or difficult to digest, but either way it's fairly common IME in dogs that are switching over. In dogs that are used to raw diets, I agree that bones will usually firm things up.

[MisssAshby]

With my dogs, if I give more bone it helps them. I don't think it's chicken that is causing it, esp if you feed her a chicken based kibble/dehydrated, but more than likely too much fat.

When anyone in my pack has issues, I give them a decent size amount of pumpkin with Slippery Elm and follow that up with yogurt. I have also used L-Glutamine in the past with amazing results. What about a probiotic?

I would however fast her and start her off on chicken/rice for a few days until you know her stomach is settled and go from there. Hopefully, she starts feeling better soon!

[Greenmagick]

Try doing just frozen green tripe for a couple meals if you can.

[~WelshStump~]

Originally Posted by AdrianneIsabel

I'm frustrated. What would you do? Fast? Go back to kibble? Remove the fat/skin? Add more bone? Remove the bone? Try another protien?

Yes, I do with Enda because she gets the monster stinks/runs when you give her chicken skin/too much fat. It's more work, but that's the way it's gotta be. However...

Originally Posted by katielou

I would try something other than chicken.

Gotta agree! Are you sure she isn't allergic/intolerant of poultry? Jinjo is, he can't have it as is, kibble, treats, nothing or he gets the runs BAD, his butt hole will even become red and inflamed if he gets too much, it's a really sad thing to watch. But I would highly suggest a fast from the chicken, then try a different meat source such as beef or lamb. And if the chicken's a problem, you may want to/have to avoid all poultry, duck, turkey, pheasant, etc.