Older Bully on Raw & Constipation

[MamaAndi]

We just got Bre last Friday, she is 7. Promptly on Saturday we switched her to raw and did chicken quarters first (she was previously kibble fed). She has some strange symptoms in the following few days (excessive drooling, licking feet) so we went from chicken to pork. She has been on the pork for about 4 days. Over the course of her week on raw she also had some chicken hearts/gizzards and a raw egg.

She never had loose stools...they were always firm and easy to pass. Today she seems to be bound up. She had trouble passing the poop and then her bottom seemed to be sore afterwards (went to wipe her up because she got a little messy and she was very touchy about it!) She has had aprox. 10 percent bone with her raw pork meals.

My question is this...because she is older...is it possible that she could have no bone in her diet? I know I can giver her real pumpkin to help with constipation but would it be just as sensible to cut the bone out of her diet and see if that helps?

(Just a sidenote...she has some bad teeth and a tumor condition in her mouth so we aren't really depending on the bone to keep her teeth in good chewing condition)

 

[LisaMarie]

@MamaAndi I have no experience with raw feeding so I cant help you on that. Do you give her yougurt? I think a bit of it will help her constipation. And also a little bit of mineral oil might help to. Maybe she is lacking fiber in her diet too thats why the pumpkin will help.

 

[RiiSi]

She is older and it has only been a week. I´m sure that it just takes her more time to adjust. You can give her little olive or flaxseed oil 2-3 times a day for the constipation.

 

[karenben]

as annie has reactions to chicken and pork i no longer feed both as i was feeding chicken frames or pork ribs,she has almost all meals boneless and never has the runs or constipation,you can substitute bone for eggshell that will keep your dog firm but for now i wouldnt feed any bone until pooping is normal,then lay off bone for a while it wont cause any problems just remember the eggs otherwise you may get a sea of poop!!,karen

 

[MamaAndi]

She really had a rough time pooping yesterday. She couldn't quite get everything out and tried for quite awhile. As a result...today she has a sore bottom and some runny stool...and wearing a pullup...she's not a happy camper.

 

[GatorRay]

Yeah, I would skip bone if possible and see what happens. As you know, it will take some time for her to adjust. Personally, I would not give anything to her other than the boneless meat to start. Give her a few more days and see what happens. Keep us posted on her progress!

 

[MamaAndi]

I think we have her straightened out for now...we shall see if we end up with runny poo! I cut the bone out of her meal and started giving her just a tiny bit more organ meat. I did give her a spoonful of organic pumpkin to try and up the fiber to get past the constipation. She has been a happy camper today...no stomach upset to speak of. Fingers crossed!

 

[karenben]

if its early stages on raw then i would not contemplate organs just yet ,organs are very rich so be prepared for the runs ,hopefully the runs wont start ,my bully has a cast iron stomache and eats organs without any problems but they are all so different,try just 1 protien for a couple of weeks and a couple of eggs a week to keep poops firm,karen

 

[MamaAndi]

I've given her a small piece of organ meat (usually liver) since I started her on raw. She has tolerated it...and since she was so constipated I figured bumping that amount up slightly wouldn't hurt her...I hope!

 

[karenben]

no it wont hurt her just your flooring if the liver scoots out lol,only kidding ,karen

 

[MamaAndi]

Oh no! LOL [MENTION=2242]karenben[/MENTION]...don't curse it

 

[MamaAndi]

[MENTION=2242]karenben[/MENTION]...I knew it! She pooped all over her crate last night! You cursed it! LOL

 

[karenben]

im sorry i cursed you ,lay off the liver honest its a real poop maker,depending on how long you have been raw feeding just feed 1 protien for at least 2 weeks then slowly introduce more,organs should only be fed after raw feeding for at least a couple of months ,try kidney when you do decide on organs,i know they love liver but it gives out deathly black poops as well you know,i only give annie pieces the size of my thumb nail and she handles all meat poop wise i mean and has been on raw for 11 months,karen

 

[MamaAndi]

Okay. Lol My other bulldog took to raw so well...he seems to be able to handle anything but then again he has always had a strong stomach. I will definitly go back to square one with Bre and do only one protein and back away from the organ meats!

 

[karenben]

they are all so different,annie has a cast iron stomache and can eat any stinking rancid meat thats days old with no ill effects,im sure if you go back to basics like you say then things will go great,karen