Hi rockeater,
Thank you for your question.
Please note the *Important Disclaimer* at the bottom of this page, and
keep in mind that this answer is for information purposes only, and is
not intended to diagnose, treat or replace sound medical advice from a
veterinarian.
The name of this eating diorder is called Pica which means eating of
objects that are not appropriate food substances. Most often no
disease can be found and pica is considered a behavioral problem.
Stones and rocks can be very dangerous when it gets caught in the
intestine and causes a blockage. Vets frequently see dog for their
bowels to be unblocked by stones and rocks.
In addition, it can be very bad for their teeth.
Eating rocks and other non-food items is common in puppies and young dogs.
If you suspect that anxiety or frustration is the reason for rock
eating, the cause of the anxiety or frustration must be identified and
the behavior changed by using behavior modification techniques.
Sometimes pica is an attention-getting behavior. If this is the case,
try to startle your pet with a loud noise or a spray of water when you
catch him ingesting the items. If possible, avoid letting him know
that the startling noise or spray came from you, and be sure to praise
him when he leaves the items alone. Try to set aside time during the
day to spend with your pet so he doesn?t need to resort to pica to get
your attention.
If pica is a play behavior, keep plenty of toys around for your pet to
play with. Make sure your dog has good, tough 'chews' things to chew
on to relieve doggy tensions.
Placing in the yard safer things to be torn up and played with also
helps redirect the dog. Make less of a fuss over the eating of the
dirt but a real big fun deal over the good toys.
Do not use verbal scolding, yelling, or punishment because it may be
interpreted by your pet as attention. Many animals learn to refrain
from the behavior when their owner is present, but still engage in the
problem behavior when their owner is absent.
Punishment after the fact is never helpful. Animals don?t understand
that they?re being punished for something they did hours, minutes or
even seconds before. This approach won?t resolve the problem and is
likely to produce either fearful or aggressive responses from your
pet.
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http://www.pethealthcenter.org/showpracfaq.cfm?FAQID=105&Private=0
"Some dogs will eat or lick some of the strangest things, including
dirt, mulch, rocks, fabrics, and even feces. This behavior is called
pica. Sometimes an underlying disease will cause it, but in most dogs
that demonstrate pica, a behavioral anomaly that may not be completely
understood is the most likely cause.
Diseases involving the nervous system such as rabies or neurotoxin
exposure may cause pica. Anemia, hypothyroidism, certain diseases of
the liver, pancreas and gastrointestinal systems, nutritional
problems, and foreign bodies may cause it as well.
Your veterinarian may perform a physical examination, bloodwork (CBC,
blood chemistry), and urinalysis to determine if a disease or other
physical process is causing the pica. When an underlying disease or
disorder is present that causes pica in the affected dog, treatment is
directed at the disease process. Ensuring that the diet is appropriate
and of good quality will eliminate nutritional deficits as a cause of
pica.
When no disease can be found, which is most often the case, pica is
considered a behavioral problem. It is often associated with
obsessive-compulsive disorder. Pica may also be caused by boredom. The
veterinarian may prescribe antidepressive drugs. The veterinarian may
refer some affected dogs to a veterinary behaviorist for consultation.
Other treatment revolves around controlling the dog?s environment. The
owner should prevent the dog?s access to the desired substances or
objects. Keeping the dog indoors and walking the dog on a leash will
help bar access.
In addition, where practical, covering the substance with an
ingredient that the dog dislikes may be helpful. Compounds such as red
pepper sauce or bitter-tasting substances, which are available in pet
stores, may discourage dogs from eating inappropriate things.
Luckily, eating dirt will probably not be harmful to your dog. Eating
rocks or other larger objects may damage the teeth and necessitate
surgical or endoscopic removal of the swallowed object, but dirt
should pass through his gastrointestinal tract without much
difficulty. It would be a good idea to have your veterinarian do a
fecal flotation examination every six to 12 months. This will screen
your dog for exposure to intestinal parasites or worms such as
hookworms, roundworms, and whipworms that pass to dogs via
contaminated soil."
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http://www.naturalcanine.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=TNC&Category_Code=PAERCWE
"Dogs eat a lot of questionable things..."
[edit]
"But dogs sometimes try to eat items that cannot be digested. Rocks
are one of the more common non-food objects dogs chew on. This
behavior is known as pica, the term used to describe the craving and
ingesting of nonfood items. Chewing rocks is dangerous to more than
your dog's teeth or soft mouth tissue. It can cause intestinal
blockage, vomiting, diarrhea or even choking, if the rock is large
enough to block the throat.
What causes this bizarre behavior?
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. He or she may even be acting out of boredom, anxiety
or frustration. There could also be medical reasons behind the
behavior. Disorders of the intestinal tract, deficiency in some vital
nutrient such as iron or diabetes mellitus (among other illnesses) may
be the culprit. It's important to rule out a medical cause to pica by
visiting your veterinarian."
=========
ForumsForums » Pets and animals » Eating Rocks
http://www.cracker.com.au/Viewthread.aspx?threadid=2206&categoryid=11111
=========
http://www.purinaone.com/online_vet_dog_qa_archive_category.asp?category=Puppy+Safety&VetChooser=1
Question:
"Why does my 6 month old mastiff eat rocks? He has no other problems
with eating and is healthy. I try to watch him but he finds them when
I am not looking, and I see them in his stool. Could they harm him?"
Answer:
"Eating rocks and other non-food items is common in young dogs and can
result in intestinal blockage which could be dangerous. Young dogs
without sufficient exercise and activities may start to play with
inappropriate items in the environment. When they do that, they may
accidentally ingest them. Going outside with a puppy, good supervision
and appropriate play are the ways to prevent and stop a puppy from
eating inappropriate objects."
=========
Best regards,
tlspiegel |
