Marrow bones: can they cause Gi issues

[Heather & Brinkley]

Hey guys!

For the last few nights Brinkley had been very clingy. He wasn't eating as much food but I thought he was just having some seperation anxiety after 1) being left at the groomer for the first time in a bit; and 2) going to doggie daycare for the first time in a month. Well, when I got home from work last night, Brinkley had become very sick. He was very lethargic, whining, not eating or drinking at all, etc. On the phone I got, and scheduled a vet appointment for early Sat. morning. All of his symptoms were very similar to Brinkley's last two bouts with Pancreatitis... so similar I just knew that he had to be having GI issues. Some of you may remember that one of his bouts came after eating too much fat when he sneaked pounds of a smoked pork butt. He just looked like a lump of potatoes and his eyes were lifeless.

He is on great food (Orijen) but I had given Brinkley a new raw marrow bone on Monday of this week and he consumed a lot of the marrow pretty fast and continued to work on it all week. He's had them before, without a problem. I now know (didn't before ) that marrow has a high fat content. Could this have triggered GI issues since he's had issues in the past? I'm wracking my brain trying to figure out what could have made him so sick again.

The good news is after a night of hoping and lots of prayers, Brinkley woke up, ate and drank on his own and has started to want to play again. His stamina is less then usual but I can understand that as he hadnt eaten much. I talked to the vet on the phone at length and since we had seen lots of improvement, we held off on taking him in. He has continued to eat and guzzle water all day so that is a plus.

But I'm sill at a loss...should I avoid marrow bones?

[F, Calla & Luca]

Of course, I learned it at home from the pros : )

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

So, you come from a long line of marrow suckers....LOL!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

OMD, another secret revealed : ) Remember you are married to another descendant.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Poor Heather...her discussion has been hijacked by a sucker :) I will have to ask your brother if he sucks marrow bones....LOL!!!

[Kaytlin and Cooper]

I would stay away from the marrow bones for sure

[Ginny Nightingale]

I scrape 90% of the marrow out and give them the bones--but not cooked--I  think the marrow is too fatty as others have said and could easily be what caused Brinkley to be off kilter.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Dogs who are prone to pancreatitis should avoid foods with a high fat content, including marrow bones. I know that since Jane's Guinness had that bad bout of pancreatitis, her vet advised her to keep his diet very low in fat. For some reason, one dog will do fine with fatty foods and never have a problem, and another one can't handle fats. Since Brinkley seems to be one of those who doesn't handle fat well, best to avoid the raw marrow bones.

You might try boiling or microwaving them enough to get the marrow out, rinse, cool,  and let him have just the bone, as F described.

[Jane, Rooney & Stuart]

Rooney & Stuart get marrow bones often - they love them and I give them one when I leave the house for a longer period of time to occupy them.  I used to boil them and then was told that I didn't need to do that so now sometimes they get them raw, right from the freezer.  Once in a while Rooney's poo gets a little loose the next day so given the feedback here - I think I'll go back to boiling them and then take some of the marrow out.  I'm always learning something on DK  :)

[Gail and Bailey]

Does the marrow in antlers have a high fat content as well?  Or is it not even considered marrow?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

The marrow in deer antlers has a much lower fat content than the marrow in beef femurs. In fact, antlers are recommended as chews for dogs who must be on fat-restricted diets due to acute pancreatitis. Here's an excellent article from the Whole Dog Journal which discusses this and provides information on lowfat diets, chews and treats of all kinds, including commercial, homecooked, and raw: http://www.whole-dog-journal.com/issues/11_12/features/Healthy-Low-...

[Gail and Bailey]

Thanks Karen....interesting article!

[Heather & Brinkley]

Karen, Where do I find these antlers?! Brinkley needs something to keep him busy!