# How to stop a dog from eating rocks?



## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

I have 2 labs that both chew on rocks, but 1 eats them. We have a gravel driveway. If I tell her to drop the rock she will swallow it. It I don't say anything she well swallow it. Well today she thew up a rock the size of a golf ball. The Vets, says we get labs all the time with rock problems. Unless I can get rid of all gravel, there is going to be a problem, that is not going to happen. So any Ideas before I have a big Vet bill. Thanks.


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## Willowynd (Mar 27, 2005)

Its more of an issue than just digestive upsets- they usually throw them up. They also wear their teeth down really fast. I have known some GSD's who had the same issue.

Here are some things to try:

Supplementing with a vitamin/mineral tab...could be the need for minerals.

Take cayene pepper and mix it with some water. Spray on rocks.

Supervise and step in between dog and rocks...yeah easy to do with lots of gravel - but if he is on leash, you can correct easier and in a timely fashion...though he may sneak when your not watching too.

Muzzle?


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## susieM (Apr 23, 2006)

A muzzle might help.


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## primal1 (Aug 22, 2003)

If my dogs don't get real bones, after a week or two they start eating dirt.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Pica is when an animal eats nonfood items. When a dog is eating weird things, it usually implies a nutritional deficiency.


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## Wolf Flower (Dec 21, 2005)

I never did find a way to keep my GSD from doing it. Not only that, but since she was a pup she's been attracted to metal items. She'd find an old wire, an old piece of tin, or god knows what from god knows where to chew on. It's not that she didn't have other toys available; she had everything from rubber kongs to plastic treat balls to rope/sisal toys to plush. And it didn't matter what I fed her... raw, or excellent quality kibble, and knuckle bones... she still found pieces of metal or big rocks to chew on. Needless to say, she has almost no teeth at 6 years of age. :grump: Thank god she never swallowed anything like that.


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## Hooligan (Jul 18, 2007)

Both my GSD's loved to eat rocks when they were pups. Especially the female.

I would stop them with some "no no" s and take the rocks from them.

The female would try and hide them from me and would give one of those "rocks? I don't have any rocks" look.

Over time they either grew out of it or my persistence paid off because the only time they pick up rocks now is if I am picking them out of the garden and throwing them to the side. They think they are being very helpful by bringing them back to me.


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## airotciv (Mar 6, 2005)

Thanks everyone. My dogs are 6 and 4 and the Vet is surprised that they have no teeth problems, yet. Its not like they chew hard on the rocks its more like rolling them around it thier mouths. But my 4 year old swallows them. She thew up 3 more small rocks last night. I try my hardest to watch her, but she is sneaky. The oldest dog likes to bring me rocks, she likes me to throw them in the rock pile, and then brings them back to me, so I can throw them in the rock pile again. Its a game with her. The young one is the problem. It scared me, when I saw the golf ball sized one come up. They are on a home diet because of allergies, so may be she is missing something in her diet. Will check into it. Well thanks again.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

Perhaps having an outside retrieve toy would help. My dog has a mini horse ball. It is quite rugged and has a handle.


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