Lab Won't Stop Eating Rocks

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by onewhippedpuppy

I'll double check the food brand with the wife, she does our shopping. But I'm pretty sure it was vet recommended.

Webb, it's hard to describe without a pic, but it's a big fenced back yard with lots of grass. Across the entire back of our house is landscaped with a rock border and filled with river rock, including under our large deck. We did all of the work last year (pre-dog) and spent probably $1500 just in rock, so it's not going anywhere.

JR, sometimes one dog is one too many. It's a toss-up whether she or my three year old is a bigger pain, and sometimes I want to drop them both off at the pound. I think they conspire against me.....

In all honesty, I think it's a combination of playing and teething. She will grab a rock, even when we are outside playing with her, and start munching on it. Other times she'll toss it around.

sounds like you added the rock(?) I am familiar with the rocky areas in western KS and was thinking of that

I suppose a suitably motivated small child could remove all the rocks that are small enough to be swallowed by your lab... but I find that their attention wanders

maybe try fencing or exclusion from the worst rock areas? a skirt on the deck is easy to do

one more idea - ask your Vet if there is a specialty DVM in town who does Canine Behavior (yes, they exist)

best wishes on nothing bad happening and I hope your lab grows out of it

My first Golden started chewing on a wedge of limestone I used as a door stop - he started at the small end and I didn't think much of it until he ate the entire thing.

My 2nd Golden mouthed rocks and would dive underwater to find a real nice one, but she never swallowed them

retrievers have been artificially selected to like having things in their mouth ("mouthy") and sometimes it isn't ducks

[slakjaw]

I just asked my vet for you. He said to get the dawg to stop eating rocks ASAP or as soon as it eats one it can't pass the dawg will be in for surgery yo.

[onewhippedpuppy]

Originally Posted by slakjaw

I just asked my vet for you. He said to get the dawg to stop eating rocks ASAP or as soon as it eats one it can't pass the dawg will be in for surgery yo.

That was the catalyst for this thread in post #1. A while back she got very sick, we took her to the dog ER and they found a rock lodged in her intestine via x-ray. We got lucky and she passed it a few hours before surgery, but it was still a $1000+ experience.

Webb, it's all river rock that we added. She could eat pretty much any of them. I think it would take a small child approximately 100 years to pick them all up.

[porsche4life]

But don't you have a herd of small children?

[KFC911]

Hey Matt, I assume your girl LOVES tennis balls? I buy 'em by the dozen at Wallyworld in a mesh bag. You know....right next to their shelves stocked slap full of .22lr . I've got one pack that I visit regularly and a couple of 'em couldn't give a rat's about treats (yep, I'm a sucker for bribery too), ....it's Hey KC is here.....BALL, BALL, BALL . If she isn't, train her to be a tennis ball freak and keep a bunch of them laying around. Has she "taken" to the rawhides? I certainly can't tell the difference, but they vary...some get "approval" with zeal...others not so much...she'll let you know which is which

[Rikao4]

Originally Posted by RWebb

retrievers have been artificially selected to like having things in their mouth ("mouthy") and sometimes it isn't ducks

true..
SAM & Jack still find and carry big rocks during their strolls..
Finn is doing Oranges for now as we pass a tree during our stroll..

BTW..easy on the rawhide chews..
they don't digest that well in quantity..
bigger is better than few small ones..
he needs to chew not swallow stuff..

Rika

[KFC911]

Another tasty item...big azz bones or "knuckles"....keep a few outside.

[onewhippedpuppy]

KC, she will fetch anything that will fit in her mouth. We lost all of her tennis balls and she just destroyed her big fetch ball, so right now we mainly play with a padded frisbee like thing. I need to buy more fetch toys. As for rawhides, when I played with her at lunch she went and grabbed three of them. She LOVES them, we buy the big ones both straight and the knuckle style ones. We've tried the kong and she didn't really care for it.

[KFC911]

There's a round Kong with lots of slits that you can stuff pieces of treats inside (food is too small and is too easily dispensed)....mine have never like the regular big Kongs or the Nylabone type stuff. You're on the right track in finding something to replace her "rock fetish". I remember a neighborhood Golden when I was growing up....I don't think I ever saw her without a tennis ball in her mouth....back when kids and dawgs ran wild

[onewhippedpuppy]

We've done the kong with peanut butter inside, she preferred the rawhides honestly.

I'll buy some tennis balls. The problem with those is my kids, they throw them through the slats in my wrought iron fence. Then my neighbors' dogs get new toys.

[juanbenae]

get a cat.... baxter is the new puppy, a now 11 week old yellow like cheese lab... the rock thing has me a bit freaked. bax is my 3rd lab and this is the 1st ive ever heard of the rock eating... yikes! like doc states above regarding the getting a new puppy,,,, ive wonder WTF ive done.... he's a pain in the arse, but its fun having him around.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHr2SaxFfBQ&feature=youtu.be

[Lusso1]

Originally Posted by porsche4life

But don't you have a herd of small children?

Open a Day Care Center. Tell them "It's a Game!"

[recycled sixtie]

Well it's been about 2 years since our black lab passed away. She was a handful for quite a few years but never did swallow rocks. However she used to dig up bulbs and eat them much to wife's consternation. She used to dig a hole next to the cedar bushes to get shade in summer. She used to eat her own frozen poop.

That was just a few things she did. As mentioned above labs need exercise - walking, running and of course they love swimming. They really need to be tired out so they don't do silly things like swallow rocks etc.

Distractions needed are chew toys - kong toys, rawhide chew bones. As it has been mentioned before dogs are permanent two year olds. Get your kids more involved with the dog. I miss my black lab but don't miss the trouble she used to get into. So lately have been dogless. G.

[petrolhead611]

Are you sure the dog is a Labrador? Could it be a Rockweiler?

[slakjaw]

OT but anyone else here trust their vet more than their doctor?

[KFC911]

Thread bump...How's it goin' with "Pebbles", "Rocky",...errr the little Stoner Matt? Stopped in W-world to pick up another dozen tennis balls (12 for 8 bucks) for my adopted pack and it reminded me of this thread. Off to play BALL, BALL, BALL