stacer126 Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 I need some help with this one. Colby eats small rocks and pebbles. Why does she do this and can it harm her? other then eating a really big one. This drives me crazy. Any suggestions??? Please help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 I'll call her vet this afternoon and check. Thanks. She also eats plant soil from our plant, could that be the samething? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Yes, could definately be a vitamin deficiency, and it CAN cause some blockages that would have to be taken care of with surgery. There was an episode of emergency vets on last week with a lab that ate rocks and it had an intestinal blockage. This can cause bacteria buildup and if not taken care of, can be deadly for poor doggies! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 I called her vet and they said to keep an eye on it. They don't think it could be lack of iron or vitamins because of the food she is eating. They said to just reinforce that it shouldn't be eaten and hope she grows out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 'Pica' is a term describing a condition when a dog regularly eats objects not considered a part of the normal diet. Examples include an appetite for wood, sand, metal, stones, rubber, etc. Pica is not an abnormality of the digestive system, or a nutritional problem, but a psychological abnormality. What are the symptoms? The symptoms simply include a history of eating objects not meant to be ingested. To have a diagnosis of pica, a patient generally does not eat the objects just once, but rather seems to be obsessed with consuming certain materials. What are the risks? Eating foreign objects is risky because many cannot pass through the gastrointestinal tract normally. Objects such as rocks and socks cause a complete blockage of the intestines, requiring surgery to remove them. Additionally, they may cause damage to the mouth or abnormal wear on the teeth. What is the management? [b]Contrary to common belief, a patient with an abnormal appetite is rarely lacking in vitamins, minerals, or any other nutrients in the diet. Pica is a psychological abnormality and is more a habit than a medical problem, even though it can lead to one[/b]. There is no real cure for pica, however, providing alternative edible objects such as rawhide bones and other digestible treats will help. In some difficult cases, a wire basket muzzle may be used on the dog. This muzzle allows the dog to pant, sniff, and even drink, but not eat. NEVER use a muzzle on an unattended animal. Some human medications can be used to treat this obsessive-compulsive disorder in dogs. Talk to your veterinarian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Whoops, meant to add to my previous post instead of rawhide bones which I will not feed to my dogs...I would give the dog raw recreational bones such as femur bones with the bone marrow in them...this will keep a dog busy for hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 What do I do on walks? Thats where she does it. The plants are safe with towels wrapped around them, they are conversation pieces when friends come over but thats the only solution for that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 14, 2003 Author Share Posted July 14, 2003 I am going to read about Pica. She finally found a food she really likes so instead of 3 hours to eat her breakfast it's closer to 30 mins. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 14, 2003 Share Posted July 14, 2003 Well stacer, there are a few things you can do to help curb your doggie's rock-eating habit. :) Firstly, verbal correction usually does not work, and sometimes the dogs will confuse this with attention-getting. Some dogs will develop rock-eating as a way of getting attention. Better to use something to make the rocks taste NASTY (like coating them with bitter apple and letting her take a sniff or a lick on it while it is wet) or by using a water bottle. The water bottel will be more effective on your walks because you won't have to stoop and yank every rock out of her mouth and spray it with bitter apple every 5 seconds :lol: and the spray of water in her face or on her head will not be associated with you, since it seemingly comes out of nowhere, and she will not interpret it as attention-getting from you. Hope this helps you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 15, 2003 Author Share Posted July 15, 2003 I am going to try the bitter apple suggetion. We tried this stuff called Fooie (i think i spelled that wrong) supposed to be the "Bitterest Stuff on Earth" and she loved it. I called the company to say it didn't work and they had me try it. Tasted like water, I hope Bitter Apple works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Just FYI - my old Golden used to eat rocks - chew them up and swallow them - they did find a mineral deficiency in his diet but only after I insisted they do blood work for it. They put him on vitamins, and he never ate another rock. Sometimes the food just isnt enough for some dogs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 I'm going to ask about that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 15, 2003 Author Share Posted July 15, 2003 Sorry that was me. I am going to check into the iron deficiency. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 15, 2003 Share Posted July 15, 2003 Iron deficiency A deficiency in iron results in the development of anemia (lower than normal number of red blood cells). In iron deficiency anemia, the size of each red blood cell and the amount of hemoglobin it contains are also reduced. Symptoms of anemia include decreased growth rate, weakness, and increased susceptibility to stress or disease. Animals with iron deficiency may also develop constipation. Puppies and kittens can be born with lower than normal stores of iron if their mothers did not receive adequate iron during pregnancy. Feeding supplemental iron to the mother while nursing can not make up for this lack of reserves since this treatment does not increase the iron content of the milk. Puppies and kittens with this condition often develop iron deficiency anemia during the nursing period. Iron toxicity Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 15, 2003 Author Share Posted July 15, 2003 Is there another way to check this other then blood work? Is there any phyical signs other then the rock eating? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
courtnek Posted July 16, 2003 Share Posted July 16, 2003 not that I know of, but if it's an iron deficiency you might notice the gums are "whiter" than they should be. Gums should be nicely red, but without the red blood cells that iron produces they could end up pink or white.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 If your dogs gums ever change color that would require an immediate Vet visit..White or pale gums may idicate anemia or systemic shock....if your dog has an iron deficiency then I would find out the reason...it could indicate a very serious problem... I would also ask what are you feeding your dog....most kibbles have suffient amounts of iron in them. The vet clinic I work at we see Pica quite often....mainly in Lab's...we have performed surgery on most of these dogs as the rocks they have picked would never make it through the digestive track...the pre-op blood tests have always come out normal for these dogs. It has always been regarded as a compulsive behavior which seems to be more so in some breeds such as Lab's and dalmations...but we have seen it in many different breeds and mixed breeds. I would certainly have a CBC done for your dog...and if it is an iron deficiency...find out why. Good luck to you, and I hope all comes out well... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 17, 2003 Author Share Posted July 17, 2003 Her gums are a dark shade of pink and her food is Hills perscription p/d Large breed. I bought it from the vet. Before she was eating Purina Pro Plan, she didn't like that so we switch to the vets food. Do you sell Hills at your vet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 Yes, we sell Hills and Medi-cal dog & cat foods at the clinic I work at...I myself perfer to feed a raw diet. The above foods would certainly have adequate Iron which is highly digestable for your dog. I did speak with a freind of mine last night, his Lab had a horrible problem with consuming rocks...3 surgeries later my friend started looking at the reasons this was happening. He realized the times it happened when his dog ate a rock was when he was exicited...meeting people, dogs etc. My friend took a short leash an kept it on his Lab at any highly excitable times and he was able to keep his dog from consuming any thing. He then taught his dog "off" and "take it" when he had a rock in his mouth this training came in very handy....when he told his dog "off" his dog would drop the object and be given an extremely tasty treat which he would say "take it" (my freind had boiled liver and beef which is easy to carry around and most dogs find very tasty) I also have trained this to my dogs just in case they ever pick up some thing which may be harmful. You also mentioned your dog is eating plants, what I did for my dogs since they love to eat plants as well...I grow wheat grass for them...they love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 17, 2003 Share Posted July 17, 2003 Oh you said plant soil...an idea is to cut out cardboard and place it around the base of your plants... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stacer126 Posted July 18, 2003 Author Share Posted July 18, 2003 thanks for the adivse Cassie. Right now the potting soil is safe, we have a towel wrapped aroud that and I am going to try to train her the way your friend did. There will be a big training session starting this weekend. Wish me luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
imported_Cassie Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 Good Luck! :wink: To teach "off" - have a treat in your hand which your dog really loves and hold it out on your palm (have your dog sit in front of you) when your dog goes to grab it close your fist over the treat and say "off" keep doing this until your dog finally gives up (it could take awhile if your dog is really persistant) once your dog has looked away from the treat open your palm and then say "take it" .... keeping reinforcing this exercise, it could save you alot of money down the road....my friend had spent about $900.00 Canadian for each surgery....his dog still tries to pick up rocks...but now he will drop them when my friend sees him, and then he immediately gives him a treat. So, its not a cure all...but, it will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rufus Posted July 19, 2003 Share Posted July 19, 2003 Cassie - I'm going to try your advise on the 'off'. It makes perfect sense when you read it. Thank you :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.