Stupid question!

[GSDGunner]

I have a GSD with a sensitive stomach (shocking, I know ). I've tried every kibble under the sun and he either hates it, it causes gas, or causes bad poos.
I've just switched him to Orijen and if this doesn't work, I don't know what I'll do.
My husband is totally freaked out by the idea of raw. It's not the raw meat that bothers him, it's the bones.
So here's my stupid questions.
1. Is there a raw diet that excludes bones?
2. Can I de-bone the meat and not feed the bones?
3. Is there some nutritious value to the bones?
4. If I just do the meat, is there something I can substitute for the bones (if the answer to 3 is yes).



Thanks for any insight.

[CLARKE-DUNCAN]

Your butcher can de-bone meat for you. Marrowbone is really nutritious for dogs. and you could boil up the bones with some veg to make a tasty stock to put over Gunner's kibble.

[dawnandjr]

What is it about bone the husband has a problem with? If you buy the pre-made raw, it is in there but not whole.

Oma's Pride Home

[GSDGunner]

Originally Posted by dawnandjr

What is it about bone the husband has a problem with? If you buy the pre-made raw, it is in there but not whole.

Oma's Pride Home

It's the fact that they ingest the bone. He's so afraid something is going to happen if he doesn't crunch the bone enough. Like perforate his intestines or something.
Seriously, I know my husband and he's not going to listen no matter how many people say it's ok.
So trying to convince him is a moot point.

What do you mean "it is in there but not whole"?

[GSDGunner]

Oooh, that link it very interesting. The bone is mashed into the food?

[mspiker03]

Bones have calcium and phosphorus. If you don't want to feed whole bones, I would grind your own or buy premade (which is really expensive). Otherwise, I would probably try homecooked. You might be able to find out how to work in either bonemeal or eggshells as a substitute.

[asja]

Have you tried dehydrated raw? Some brands are Honest Kitchen and Addiction, but there are others. You add warm water, mix, wait 10-15 minutes, it looks like mush, but my dogs seem to really like it. They never had digestive issues with it and I think those brands are labeled as good for sensitive dogs.

The premade raw mixes usually have ground up bone in it. I did feed raw for a while, but I guess I got tired of it and tried the dehydrated stuff for travel, and they liked it.

[mspiker03]

Instead of editing...I'll add (after reading your last comment) that there are things you can do to ensure that your dog learns to chew the food. You can feed in partially frozen and (what we did) hold the food (like a chicken quarter) and "force" your dog to chew it in smaller parts.

pre made raw has ground bone, but again, much more expensive.

[GSDGunner]

It's not the bone itself that he doesn't like, it's the sharpness of it that worries him. If Gunner doesn't chew it enough etc....
If it were ground up, that's not a problem. I just showed him the link that was provided and he liked that idea.

Is it that much more expensive than feeding a good quality kibble like Orijen?

I kinda like the idea of pre-packaged. I don't have to worry about how much of this and how much of that. I assume it's already portioned correctly.

[GSDGunner]

Originally Posted by mspiker03

Bones have calcium and phosphorus. If you don't want to feed whole bones, I would grind your own or buy premade (which is really expensive). Otherwise, I would probably try homecooked. You might be able to find out how to work in either bonemeal or eggshells as a substitute.

Home cooked is another idea I tossed around. What exactly does that entail. Any websites I could visit to get an idea?