Stomach issues (raw fed dog)

[RachS]

We currently feed our 1 1/2 year old a raw diet. He gets about a pound (usually a little over) twice a day and is very active. He was getting a pound but we increased it to see if it would help the problem described below (it hasn't). He usually eats around 8:00 a.m. and 7:30 p.m and gets a snack before bedtime (hardy portion of various snacks).

For the past few months, he has been waking up in the middle of the night - he will throw up a whiteish/yellowish bile and/or want to go outside so that he can feriociously eat grass. He doesnt throw up from the grass, it seems to settle his stomach and then he is fine. We started to think that maybe he can't go to long without food in his stomach which is why we started the bedtime snack, which worked for a while, but now it seems like that is not working anymore either. This usually happens if i feed him earlier than usual at night, but sometimes only by a half hour.

I know dogs can go for a very long time without eating but Tyler seems to get sick if he goes for a few hours without food. Maybe we have trained him to be this way by having him on such a schedule but its hard not to be on a schedule when my husband and i both work. We might try to break up his evening meal into two portions, one at the normal time and one later and continue the bedtime snack to see if that helps but i was wondering if i am contributing to the problem by trying to always keep his stomach full or if this is a condition that sounds familiar to anyone. His poops are more runny than firm but on average they are fine and dependent on what we feed him. It's also weird that it doenst ever happen during the day even though its about the same time frame between meals - it's always the middle of the night.

I am hesitant to ask the vet about this bc i am sure he will blame it on the raw feeding. Anyway, sorry so long. Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated. Thanks!

 

[BXR RYD]

I am hesitant to ask the vet about this bc i am sure he will blame it on the raw feeding.

I hate to say it but RAW maybe to rich for him to eat twice a day, the reason it happens at night is because he is laying down and relaxed so the acid in his stomach boils up into the throat like us humans and heartburn and therefore causes him to throw up stomach bile, the richness of the RAW may also be causing some pancrease issues also, I would cut back the RAW to morning only and do kibble at night and see if that helps but I would also recommend a low-fat kibble.

Let us know.

 

[JulieM]

What exactly are you feeding at each meal? Mine sometimes have that issue, some after I've fed a meal that's a bit heavy on garlic, some when I've gone too long without feeding any vegetables. (Different dogs, different triggers.) For mine it happens every couple of months or so, so it's not a big concern. If it's happening every night, or a few times a week, then you certainly want to figure out what the trigger is.

The other thing you could try, instead of feeding so much more at each meal (which might compound the problem, rather than relieve it, actually) is to give a snack right before bed - a large biscuit or liver brownie, for example.