cowanbree Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 I have an 18mth old Aussie who has just finished her first season and I have noticed over the last couple of weeks since then that she has started eating the gravel in her run. Obviously I have concerns about this but before I rush off and spend thousands concreting the runs has anyone had this and been able to stop it? They are quite small stones and she is passing them but it is not something I want to continue. I find it strange that she has started doing this as she is not really a dog to eat foreign objects or chew things Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
julesluvscavs Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 (edited) Miah our new puppy has been doing that eeek when she goes outside We did try to remove as many as we can in her area, but its almost impossible to get rid of every single one. I take them out of her mouth if i see her chewing on one, but sometimes I think she has swallowed them! they only very little stones. I think it may be typical for a puppy to do, not sure about an older dog? Our older 2 cavs have never chewed on stones. Edited February 24, 2013 by Jules❤3Cavs Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dame Aussie Posted February 24, 2013 Share Posted February 24, 2013 When I had my girl at the vet recently for a tummy upset (turned out to be Colitis) the vet mentioned foreign objects and told me about a dog she had in that week that had a belly full of stones. Seems a few doggies do it! I'm not sure of the reasons though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Friends tibbie boy ate a stone & needed vet attention. He was put under anaesthesia for it to be removed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 ..eating stones is potentially a life threatening habit . perhaps now she is officially 'mature' she is looking to use up some energies ?..what elese is there in her pen to chew/eat/interact with? It could also be a misguided attempt to ingest minerals ..maybe ...? perhaps Try her on some dolomite ..just a small amount :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xyz Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Know of a curly coat that has had 8 (yes eight) laparotomies to remove stones... Insurance paid out 6 before they declined....definately something to stop before it becomes habit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MsKatie Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Earl - Bloodhound - is notorious for eating stones and pet insurance will generally only pay out for one "ingestion of foreign object" - we fenced off all of the river stones in our back garden as the last resort - he would play with them and end up swallowing them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 Look at this story from the UK - a lab ate 79 stones!!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283913/Dog-biscuits-No-I-prefer-pebbles-Family-labrador-79-removed-stomach-eating-walk-beach.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted February 25, 2013 Share Posted February 25, 2013 My Cav girl had a mysterious stomach upset late last year that was initially thought of as pancreatitis. She spent a couple of days at the vets and was sent home after she managed to keep some food down for a few hours, but with no diagnosis. Half an hour after coming home she passed a piece of gravel. This from a dog that individually picks up and chews every tiny piece of kibble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
voloclydes Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 My ,dog a large dal Leo like tic tacs... And he eats small bits of blue metal. If we catch him he will drop on command, I'm sure he eats a few tho. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erny Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 (edited) I have an 18mth old Aussie who has just finished her first season and I have noticed over the last couple of weeks since then that she has started eating the gravel in her run. Obviously I have concerns about this but before I rush off and spend thousands concreting the runs has anyone had this and been able to stop it? They are quite small stones and she is passing them but it is not something I want to continue. I find it strange that she has started doing this as she is not really a dog to eat foreign objects or chew things This is dangerous for the dog so it does need to be prevented. As she is ingesting the stones (as opposed to playing/mouthing them), it could point to a mineral deficiency. One 'old time' method to determine if deficiency is the culprit was to supply the dog with mineral water. If the ingestion of stones abates or ceases, that likely points to the cause of the behaviour and you can alter your dog's diet to compensate for the deficiency. I've not tried this as a method (never had the need to *touch wood*) so can't vouch. Perse's suggestion of dolomite might do the same job though, and be just what she needs to balance her diet. Edited February 26, 2013 by Erny Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Maeby Fünke Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Look at this story from the UK - a lab ate 79 stones!!! http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2283913/Dog-biscuits-No-I-prefer-pebbles-Family-labrador-79-removed-stomach-eating-walk-beach.html What a nice looking Lab Barney is Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruin Maniac Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Mine does this. Our back fenceline it seems is a thin layer of dirt over about a meter deep of crushed concrete and rock. Tried to rake them all up and just encountered hundreds more beneath the surface. I supervise him in the yard and take the stones off him. I hope he grows out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sas Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 Pica can be a mental health problem however in humans it can be causes due to pregnancy as well low blood levels of iron and other minerals, I guess it's reasonable to make a connection between her season and pica? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cowanbree Posted February 26, 2013 Author Share Posted February 26, 2013 Pica can be a mental health problem however in humans it can be causes due to pregnancy as well low blood levels of iron and other minerals, I guess it's reasonable to make a connection between her season and pica? That is what I suspect, have changed her diet and added a multi vitamin. I am hoping it will stop but have been monitoring her toileting and while she seems to be going with ease there are about 10 inch long stones in each one. Maybe an over reaction but I think I will be getting rid of the stones at least in her run, even temporality. There are actually concrete pavers under the stones so they will do in the interim. I prefer she is not on them directly as while she does have multiple options of things to sit on she never does so will end up spending 10hrs a day lying on concrete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted February 26, 2013 Share Posted February 26, 2013 there are about 10 inch long stones in each one. Ouch. That couldn't be really comfortable ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marinapoint Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 (edited) A friend's of mine dog eats stones. Her teeth are terribly broken & damaged so id definently try to stop the habit! Edited February 27, 2013 by marinapoint Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
natalieandcid Posted February 27, 2013 Share Posted February 27, 2013 My little Ciddy eats stones, bark, gumnuts and our housemates cigarette butts. We cant leave him unsupervised in the back yard. Even with our watchful eye some of the things we have found in his poop has made us concerned such as the time we found a 5 cent coin in his poop when he was recovering from his prolapsed bowel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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