# Threw up raw dinner... should I try to feed again?



## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Jerzey just threw up her raw dinner for the first time. This week she was introduced to a combination of turkey necks (she had turkey legs last week, but this is her first week with neck) and ground lamb (first introduction to lamb period) and she has been doing fine with it for the past few nights. However, right after she ate dinner she came into the bedroom and threw it up on the floor. John said he thought he saw some of her morning kibble in it, too.

Jerzey has done this before on just her kibble meals so I cannot said that I am _that_ worried. I think maybe she ate too fast. 

We've recently cut her breakfast from 3 to 2 cups because she was being fickle about eating it and we didn't want to waste any of it if she wasn't going to eat it. I'm thinking that she probably ate so fast because she was just starving since she hasn't been getting as much for breakfast. So, I guess I have two questions:

1.) Should we up her kibble back up since her appetite has returned? Plus, she's been much more active lately due to the nice weather.

2.) Should I try to feed her again tonight? I have some thawed chicken (for me) but I could give her a piece or two (they're like little tenders) or I could give her kibble for the evening. Or should we just let her stomach settle and wait until morning?


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I would rest her digestive system for at least 12 hrs. Hope it isn't anything serious.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: onyx'girlHope it isn't anything serious.


Me too! But, like I said, this _has_ happened before... she's even spit up water when's she drank it too quickly. Of course, if it happens again she'll have to go in to the vet, just to be safe.


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## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

Heck, I just turn away and let THEM clean it up.


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## ahlamarana (Sep 22, 2008)

Were the raw bones well-chewed? If they swallow something that's too big to digest, they will regurgitate to chew it into smaller pieces. My dogs do it occasionally.







Great thing to listen to at 4 am.

I know you have been doing it for a while, but some dogs (and my cat) don't do well being fed kibble and raw, even at different times. Just something to think about.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

> Originally Posted By: Lauri & The GangHeck, I just turn away and let THEM clean it up.


Haha, really?! Maybe I should have just left her with that... I saw a few chunks of meat in there I'm sure she would have enjoyed.



> Originally Posted By: ahlamaranaWere the raw bones well-chewed? If they swallow something that's too big to digest, they will regurgitate to chew it into smaller pieces. My dogs do it occasionally.
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Unfortunately, I didn't get a good look at it as John cleaned it up. I could see a few chucks in that but I do not know what would warrant regurgitation.



> Originally Posted By: ahlamaranaI know you have been doing it for a while, but some dogs (and my cat) don't do well being fed kibble and raw, even at different times. Just something to think about.


This is certainly something that I have kept in mind as we've fed Jerzey kibble and raw. I know that this can be a problem and, since I have seen no real problems, I've continued to feed both. I'm not sure if this one act of regurgitating would necessarily signal that she cannot tolerate kibble/raw but I will definitely keep it in mind.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Vomiting or regurgitating? I'd note this on a calendar so you can keep track of it. Too often, and I'd have her checked out.

When my dogs do either, I clean it up and rest their systems. I figure there's a reason their bodies got rid of the meal. Maybe there was something wrong it with the food (perhaps the butcher used a cleanser on the cutting surface and it wasn't completely rinsed off). If this particular food causes the same reaction next meal, I pitch all of it then. 

Maybe there's something wrong with them that day. I glance through the vomitus and see if there's anything I should be worried about (a lot of grass, for example, says they don't feel well. Fresh grass means they ate it after they ate the meal. Wilted icky grass means they didn't feel well before they ate). Foreign objects -- threads from a toy they just obliterated means I need to be watchful (and make sure everything is coming out the other end normally. My kids don't swallow stuffing or toys, but a single long thread can cause impaction.).

So I go into Forensics Mom mode. The vomitus gets tossed and if everything seems fine, they can have a little extra their next meal. No one has ever starved yet. And I'd rather toss $1.50 of meat than worry.


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

I'm not really sure what the difference between vomiting and regurgitating is.... to me, it just seemed like vomit. I generally make a note (at least mentally) if she vomits to try to watch out for it but it doesn't happen all that often, but I can say that it has happened. 

I'll make a point next time to inspect the stuff more closely... we just scooped it up and threw it away. Although today she was actually out with John at a gig and literally sat at a gazebo all day with a soup bone so I don't think she would have been able to get anything weird down. 

Thanks for the advice, though! I will definitely put it into use next time.


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## 3K9Mom (Jun 12, 2006)

Just FYI, 

Vomiting starts with the sound every dog owner dreads that "urk, urk-urk" as the dog starts to tighten and hunch up up his body. This is the result of the abdominal muscles contracting to eject the stomach's contents. (This is when we race over to him with newspapers, towels, a bowl -- something to catch what we know is coming next.) Then he vomits food somewhat forcefully. It may be fully or partially digested food. You may see yellow bile. If his stomach is empty, you may see only foamy yellow bile. If he just ate, it may look like watery kibble.

With regurgitation, the dog just sort of "urps" the food and/or water. There is very little effort. It just slides out of him. Often, the food is accompanied by mucus. It may be tubular in shape. During the day, you may notice this dog has "juicy burps" as well. If fed smaller meals, you may note that symptoms lessen or go away entirely. If so, you may want to have your dog evaluated for esophageal injury or disease. 

Additional info on dog's and vomiting you might find informative: http://www.wellvet.com/vomit.html


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Hm, on that definition I would say it was regurgitation as it happened MUCH more quickly than any of the times she vomited that yellow bile... one little noise and the food was already up and out!


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

I've had this happen on a few occasions with our young (2 years old now) fellow. I'm with Lauri, I just let him clean it up, and it stays down the second time. No idea what causes it, he doesn't eat kibble. You might want to cut the turkey necks in smaller pieces (or switch to duck necks if you can get them, that's what I feed from time to time, they are easier to chew.) One word of advice - if you are feeding a mixture of raw and kibble you MUST add a digestive enzyme to the kibble: it takes a very long time to digest in comparison with raw, which is why you were still seeing it later in the day. Not adding the enzyme puts a greater burden on the dog: it's trying to digest two different protein sources at different rates. An excellent product is Berte's Zyme, which you can purchase from http://www.b-naturals.com This is specifically designed for dogs which are being fed both raw and dry. Good luck!

________________________________________________________
Susan

Anja GSD
Conor GSD - adopted from this Board
Blue GSD - at the Bridge


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Susan,

No one had yet recommended that I feed a digestive enzyme. Thanks for much for the new advice and the link. 

I gave her a little bit of yogurt last night but no food. She ate her kibble this morning and it has stayed down so thinks seem in the clear here. Thanks to everyone for their help.


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## Anja1Blue (Feb 27, 2008)

I'm not saying it will stop your dog from throwing up - that's most likely a separate issue. Perhaps I should clarify - do you feed kibble and raw together, or kibble in the morning and raw in the pm? The Zyme was developed for a diet which combined the two at the same time, hence the need to break down the kibble at a rate closer to the raw..... if you are feeding the dry by itself, it may not be necessary to add the Zyme, though it can't hurt - you can see how long it takes your dog to digest it if it's still visible later in the day: it's not even out of the way when the next meal arrives. 

On the same link I gave you, you can e-mail the owner of B-naturals if you like - her name is Lew Olson, and there's very little about animal nutrition she doesn't know. If you want to pursue this further you might want to contact her - she has helped me many times! There is no charge for the advice, and Lew is generally quick to respond. Tell her your problem, and see if she thinks the Zyme (or something else) would help.....

______________________________________
Susan

Anja GSD
Conor GSD - adopted from this Board
Blue GSD - at the Bridge


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## JerzeyGSD (Jun 26, 2008)

Susan,

I feed kibble in the morning and raw a night. Thank you again for the advice.


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