Sick Puppy

[Erin]

Hershey has thrown up twice in the past two days... I'm guessing it was the little rawhide chews she got for christmas. So I usually give a bland diet for a day or so, rice and a little bit of cooked hamburger. And I discovered I'm fresh outta rice. :o) What about couscous? Do you think it would have the same tummy calming effect?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Defined as: Couscous is a coarsely ground semolina pasta that is a dietary staple in North African countries. It is also widely used in Middle Eastern countries and has become popular in American dishes. It is made of semolina, flour, salt, and water. Similar to rice in shape, color, and texture, it is used in many dishes as rice would be. A grain of couscous is similar in size to a grain of sugar. Couscous is a low-fat complex carbohydrate, meaning it does not produce rapid spikes in blood sugar. It is often referred to as a grain, but is actually pasta. Like grains, such as rice, couscous tends to take on the flavor of whatever sauce or other ingredients it is prepared with.

With this definition, couscous should be OK to feed. But don't forget, it is a carb so it will add bulk and weight if fed too much. Did you try giving some pumpkin for an upset tummy? That usually works wonders. Good Luck.

[Ginny Nightingale]

You may want to avoid rawhide chews in the future, too--some people feel that they are really not good for dogs. I'm sure some of the nutrition gurus on our site, who know much more than I do, can tell you why they are a "no-no". I stick to bully sticks, cow hooves and duck strips--my Mattie has no trouble with those.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

My objection to rawhide is twofold. First the rawhide can cause a bowel obstruction. The second is that the way it is processsed can have chemicals that are not googd for dogs.

Has Hershey been pooping?

[Tamara & Giada]

Poor Hershey!!! Hope she is better now:)

[Janie]

I am so sorry your puppy is sick.

[Erin]

Hey - I'm not sure what I gave her were really rawhide? Little sticks of pressed together stuff? About the size of a pre-schoolers crayon :o) She's definitely been pooping, for those who were concerned. I gave her couscous and a little bit of burger today and she's been fine.

She has had a rawhide bone with a knotted end before, and she just kind of chewed it apart and spit out the pieces. Also has destroyed the "extreme chewer" Kong - doesn't eat it, just chomps it into little pieces and spits it out.

What do you recommend for your extreme chewers? Something tasty that she's not going to destroy in 5 minutes??

The funny part is that she doesn't chew ANYTHING that's not her toy, no shoes, no furniture, nothing... :o)

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

Erin -
I'm glad she is feeling better. My concern was that she had a blockage - if she is pooping that seems to eliminate that as a problem. We give our guys cow hooves. They come stuffed with cheese or other stuff.

Sometimes they just get an upset tummy. Hopefully it is over. You may want to giv her some canned pumpkin.

[Cam & Oski]

Oski likes frozen raw bones--we give him buffalo bones but you can also get beef bones too. They sell them at our local pet store in Portland but you could either get them from your butcher or online at places like www.onlynaturalpet.com

He also likes the Everlasting Treat Ball which comes in small, medium or large sizes--you can stuff cookies in it & they gnaw on it & try to get them out or you can put the everlasting treat on both ends if you like. You can also get different flavored refills (chicken, vanilla-mint, BBQ or liver) & it's made for tough chewers.

http://www.amazon.com/Everlasting-Treat-Ball-Large/dp/B00063AU0Q

Don't know how old Hershey is but once Oski hit around 6 or 8 months he really stopped needing to chew on stuff :)

[Adina P]

We have had a number of discussions on strong chew toys...maybe you'll find the past discussions if you search the forum for "toy" and "toys" -- My dogs main toys are REAL sterilized hollow bones (not the kind with meat or smoked) and a couple of Nylabones.

[Brandi Echols]

compressed raw hide is better than regular "knotted" bones. The compressed, natural rawhide is harder for aggressive chewers to pull apart. However, with all bones, hooves, etc., these items should be given in moderation. I always allow my dogs to chew for a little bit in the morning and in the evening after they have their dinners. Then, I take them away. That way I restrict the amount they may ingest at any given time. Unfortunately, dogs vomit, that is actually the good thing. They aren't like us. When a dog vomits, it is ridding itself of whatever disagreed with them.