I don’t have any rock eaters (as far as I know), but I know this is a far too common problem. Consumption of rocks by your dog is something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Check out this x-ray of a Labrador Retriever that swallowed 11 rocks. The $1500 vet bill will certainly be a topic of conversation for years to come.
What should you do if you see your dog swallow a rock?
- Call your vet. You can never go wrong with calling your vet and keeping him/her in the loop. Most likely, your vet will ask you to follow the next few steps, but always check with your vet first.
- Watch your dog’s activity level. Is your dog acting more lethargic than usual? If so, take your dog to the vet immediately.
- Look out for digestive discomfort. Be aware of any vomiting, diarrhea, or repeated coughing/retching to signal that your dog isn’t feeling well.
- Check your dog’s stool. Yes, I know… it’s gross, but it’s the only way to make sure your dog eliminated the rock.
- Head to your vet. If you are sure your dog swallowed a rock, but he hasn’t eliminated it, head to your vet. Your vet will most likely discuss the possibility of x-rays to examine the situation further or surgery to remove the rocks.
Why did my dog eat a rock anyway?
There are a number of possibilities that range from medical to behavioral. Chewing rocks may be one way for an attention-starved dog to get noticed. In this instance, the dog may even be acting out of boredom, anxiety or frustration.
– PetPlace
There’s no singular reason as to why dog’s consume rocks. The behavior, called pica, includes consumption of any non-edible object. [pullquote width=”300″ float=”left”]Pica is the persistent eating of nonfood items.[/pullquote]Pica is particularly common in small children and animals. There are many medical and behavioral issues can lead to pica in your dog. It’s important to consider your schedule to determine if your dog could be bored, anxious, or frustrated. A trip to your vet can rule out any medical reasons, such as nutritional deficiency.
How can I prevent my dog from eating rocks?
The best way to prevent your dog from eating rocks is to remove the rocks from your dog’s environment. Replace rocks, pebbles, or pond stones with dirt, sand, or large rocks. If possible, remove them completely from your landscaping. When you are out and about with your pup, keep your dog leashed to prevent any snacking.
Has your dog ever swallowed a rock? What did you do?
This post me chuckle and cringe a bit! Miley swallowed a rock when she was 1 year old. Luckily, I saw her do it, it was 1 week before we were leaving for Disney. Needless to say, she didn’t pass it and that rock ended up costing us over $700! :/ I still have and I should actually frame it! lol
You really should frame it! $700 art 😉
How do you frame a rock?
I’ve been super lucky that my dogs don’t do things like this, but there are actually dogs that have this compulsion, so they are constantly eating rocks. I can’t even imagine!
It’s a really scary and difficult thing to deal with. I’m thankful we don’t deal with it either.
Cookie gets the urge to eat rocks every now and then. Ate a bunch at friends’ horse farm one time. She puked up some, some were found in her poop. Fortunately, they all made their way back out. Why she did that? Just seemed like a thing to do at the time, I think.
Maybe she was feeling bored? Thank goodness they all made it back out!
hahahaha!!!! I have heard so many people talk about their dogs eating rocks!!!
Thank dog mine don’t!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
It’s such a common thing and one that can be VERY expensive to take care of.
I replaced my mulch on my patio, which Ruby was eating, with pea gravel…which Ruby also started eating. Out with the gravel, in with larger rock. The dogs have now discovered that there is still dirt underneath the rock so they have started digging it up. This summer I’ll be replacing the rock with flagstone. The dogs definitely make the landscaping choices at my house!
Haha oh my goodness, sneaky girls 😉
There are so many tasty treats I just can’t imagine why! I’m assuming behavioural. Thankfully not something we’ve had to deal with. Good tips for those that do!
Behavioral and medical reasons can all contribute to pica. Finding out the root cause is always the difficult, but most important cost.
Great post! I am so glad I don’t have this problem! The girls won’t touch rocks but they do eat tons of grass.
Atka likes to play with rocks. He will pick one up, shake his head, and whip the rock across the yard. He’s going to hit me one day.. 😉
This is really interesting. As an owner of cats only, I haven’t really thought about the fact that dogs sometimes eat rocks. That would do some crazy things to their tummies!
Rocks, socks, toys… the things some dogs eat can really make them ill.
An excellent and informative post! As a dog walker I walk lots of dogs. Some will try to eat anything! Fortunately, I have always been able to prevent the dogs I walk from swallowing any rocks.
Good advice. With cats it’s usually string that’s an issue!
Thankfully none of mine have done this, but my sister had a Newf that would swallow sand and seawater at the beach. He’d come home and barf up a sand castle. In his case it was less about pica and more about accidental ingestion. But I’ve heard of dogs who do eat sand on purpose and it made me think that the “replace rocks with sand” could have it’s own consequences.
Great tips. I worry less about rocks and more about pieces of bones and toys and use all of these tips!
My sister’s Pug is an eating machine. We have to keep her on a leash because she is always trying to eat sticks and stones. She has had more than her share of emergency visits to the vet!
Luna hasn’t ever swallowed a rock, but she did eat a couple dozen acorns once because I thought I could get away with using them as decorations. Thank goodness I baked them first, so nothing came of it.
My terrier Rosie used to pick up rocks from our stone driveway and carry them inside. She didn’t eat them, but she knew she wasn’t supposed to have them. We wouldn’t know one was in her mouth until we got inside and she’d get this silly grin on her face and run through the house, hoping we’d chase her. This is one of the reasons we teach the Drop It command to any dog who joins our family.
–Wags (and purrs) from Life with Dogs and Cats
Great advice! I have to tell Rooney…Rocks are not snacks! Lol
Luckily so far no rocks have been ingested by the Ruff Girls. But Maxie, at the tender age of 1 (13 yrs ago) ate a nylon knee-hi. After a few scary days of her being very ill, a trip to a vet an hour away and $800 later it was retrieved from her stomach. She’s a hardy girl!
My dog just had to have surgery to remove a rock he ate from his tummy. What a mess. I would add to your list (sorry – TMI) vomiting, even when he seemingly has nothing left. Apparently he tried to throw up the rock, but it wouldn’t come out because it was stuck. I hope this helps dog parents; we had a rough time on this one! Thanks!
My lab has done this twice, first one got lodged in his intestines and had to be surgically removed ($1700.00) second one he passed on his own, thank goodness
My lab died two days ago from eating a rock. We didn’t know it until it was too late and it tore his bowels. He died on the operating table and he was only 2 years old.
My Boston Terrier just tonight pooped out three smallish round stones from my daughters landscaping. I was aghast as I heard something hard hitting the floor I. My kitchen I ran in there and not only had Lily pooped out 3 stones but was in the process of reingesting them with her poop!!!!
We spent Thanksgiving at my daughters and I would have never thought either one of my girls would eat the landscaping although Lily’s had an appetite for paper products of all kinds and recently after a bout of diarrhea has begun eating her poop and any other poop she can get to!!! I just made an appointment with my Vet for blood work so I can find out why she’s eating poop all of a sudden! Now I’m thinking I may have to get her X-rayed for stones that may not pass?!? I’ve said many times I don’t know how Lily’s survived to the ripe old age of 13!
If I have any additional experiences from her Rocky Thanksgiving Feast I’ll be back to share them!
My dog is an A**hole. He blackmails me with Rocks. He may be bored but more like he just wants his favorite things so he grabs a rock in hopes that I’ll bribe it away. unfortunately I live in a town called Rocky Point and it well lives up to its name. He’s swallowed I don’t know how many but passed most. He’s going to need a vet visit and a muzzle to prevent future consumption.