My dog eats everything: rocks, dirt, and clothes. What's wrong?

Dogs often make bad decisions and swallow many things they shouldn’t. Rocks, underwear even razor blades. There is a concern that these rocks could cause an intestinal obstruction which requires surgery. I recommend to have her supervised at all times outside to make sure she does not continue to eat rocks or other objects she should not. Most dogs will outgrow this around two years of age but some never do. Best of luck and please feel free to post any additional questions.

It may due to boredom or an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. If she continues, she could cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction which may require emergency surgery. Review her diet with your veterinarian to confirm a balanced diet. Provide extra playtime and a variety of toys and activities to keep her distracted from eating rocks. Restrict access to areas with rocks if possible as well.

Puppies absolutely do like to get into things they shouldn't, as frustrating as this can be. Exploring their environment, including rocks, is in most cases a normal developmental stage. To keep Atlas safe from the possible harmful effects of eating or chewing on rocks, such as broken teeth or intestinal concerns after ingestion, such as blockage, try to remove rocks from her environment as much as possible. One reason why puppies are known for their destructive or explorative tendencies is they are in need of more stimulation, or experience anxiety when separated from you. There currently are several toys on the market which will interact with Atlas and release treats, that can be used while you are out. Atlas also possibly benefit from plenty of exercise, as well as puppy socialisation classes. Though less likely, there is also a possibility that Atlas could have something else wrong that causes him to seek out strange foods. For instance, metabolic disorders, parasites, and vitamin deficiencies can all be underlying causes. In order to rule out these causes a trip to the veterinarian would be needed. The vet would check on the parameters of Atlas's blood, and check a fecal sample for parasites. Hope that was a helpful answer! Warmest regards and best of luck to you both

Hello. Eating strange & unusual items is called pica. This might be an attempt for your puppy to address a nutritional problem, deal with parasites or might even be a psychological problem. It might be a good idea to have Tuffy examined & a fecal analysis done to see if you are missing something in his diet, or if your wormer was effective & he is eating odd things for another reason. A fecal analysis would also show if you need to use a different wormer altogether. But I would recommend having Tuffy looked at before he potentially eats the wrong thing & causes an intestinal blockage. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Dogs that suddenly start eating non-food items such as dirt often are found to have a tummy ache or other gastrointestinal problems. I suggest you take Hannah to your vet for an exam. Your vet may want to do some blood work to help with diagnosing the problem.

This is not normal for a puppy. He may be doing it out of boredom, curiosity or in an attempt to correct a nutritional imbalance. Restrict access to areas where there is dirt if possible. Monitor him for inappropriate licking and correct the behavior immediately. Provide a toy or task as a distraction. If he complies, praise and reward him. If possible, transition him slowly to a better quality puppy food. If the behavior persists, he will need to be examined by your veterinarian.

I am very sorry to hear about your concerns with Moose. We can see young dogs who do eat foreign objects such as wood or fabric as a habit sometimes related to boredom, stress, or just as a habit. We do, however, worry in some cases that a dog could have a medical condition causing this appetite for foreign objects, called pica. I would recommend an exam by your vet, a fecal exam to ensure intestinal parasites aren't present and contributing to the issue, and possibly some labwork to check for signs of systemic disease such as liver shunt that can cause this appetite for foreign objects. Your vet can also tell you whether or not the diet you are feeding is adequate nutrition for your pup. In the meantime, I would only let him out when supervised so that he cannot ingest these objects, as sometimes they can cause an obstruction and require surgical removal.