But WHY Do Dogs Eat Rocks?

All week, people have been telling me stories about the things their dogs have eaten, including a writer from the AARP who interviewed me this morning about cancer drug prices.

She said her Golden had swallowed a tennis ball (whole) and had to have surgery.

A copy of the April issue of BARk magazine was lying on the coffee table as I was calling the vet on Monday. One of the teases on the cover was for a story about dogs eating things they shouldn't: "When Dogs EAT Glue, Diapers, Coins & Toys: E.R. Tales."

So after we took GB to the vet, I sat down to read the story, hoping to get an answer to the why question: Why should a dog who has a happy home and is fed twice a day, rain or shine, feel the need to swallow large stones?

The story was written by Nick Trout, who is on the surgical specialist team at Angell Animal Medical Center-Boston, which is run by the Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. If anyone should have an answer, he should.

Here is Dr. Trout's conclusion: My favorite theory, and one I believe I can safely share with the majority of Laborador owners, is that "It was there, so I ate it."

Argh.

Whe GB comes home, he won't be going out into the back yard (the source of the very expensive rocks) without a muzzle.

See also:

Rocky Monday ...

Now It's Rocky Friday ...

@ Jeanne Sather 2008.

Comments

[Sara]

"It was there, so I ate it."

Yeah. Sounds about right. (sigh)

[Amber]

I get so scared and mad. My puppy 2months of age keeps eating pebbles from my yard heck even on our walks she(Jazmyne) will stop to eat a pebble/rocks. How else do I stop this behavior?? Please help me as I do not want to end up with a surgery bill or even death. PLEASE HELP any advice will be appreciated

[Jeanne Sather]

Hi Amber--You should probably call your vet to get some suggestions, but one thing you can try is a muzzle when the puppy is outside or anywhere she could eat rocks.

We tried picking up the rocks in the yard (our dog was eating only BIG rocks), but of course that didn't really work. There were always more rocks.

And maybe make sure she has lots of chew toys, because she's at the age where she is chewing anything and everything, and she may not like rocks especially. If this is the case, she'll stop when she's older.

[Amber]

Thank you for your help. Jazmyne is now 4 months old and i am calling a vet tomarrow as she is not eating. I am so scared still. She just sarted to feel ill about 10pm tonight. Thanks once again

[Diane Turner]

In my breed we are seeing rock eating (pica) in a dogs of a certain lineage.

It seems more prevelent in one line and appears in puppyhood through elder years.

Anyone else notice this in certain breeds or line?

[elaine]

My Boston Terrier is 6 months old and she often eats small stones in the side yard where she is fenced in. When she refuses her food, I can almost predict she will vomit and up come several small stones. Her bowel movements are normal and I have never seen stones in her stools. So I'm hoping she will continue to vomit if she eats the stones, can't afford to build a patio or deck with safer materials at this point. If anyone has any suggestions let me know. Sometimes when I know she has a stone in her mouth, I'll ask her if she wants a cookie and often she will drop the stone and eat her small dog treat.

[Tiffany]

My mom's 1.5 year old Border Collie has the terrible habit of eating all the pebbles in our drive way. She gets fed twice a day, but is becoming very skinny cause of all the pebbles she eat. As she lives on a farm both her dogs run free, which makes it hard for her to watch her all the time she's outside. Obviously her digestive system is upset, and her stools are almost only piles of pebbles. As I don't live there I can't do much 'safeguarding' to make sure she doesn't eat any. We are all really worried, anyone knows if there's something we can do to make her stop?