My puppy ate dried leaves outside. Will she be able to digest them?

A small amount of dirt and leaves probably won't hurt him much although he can pick up parasites, so I would recommend deworming him on a regular basis. It may also cause him to vomit or have diarrhea. I would worry if he eats rocks or sticks as these can cause a blockage in his stomach or intestines that will require surgery. You can monitor him closely when outside and try to deter him from eating these things by giving him an appropriate chew toy.

You are correct that activities like this can lead to an intestinal blockage which can be fatal and generally require surgery. This is normal puppy behavior. Most dogs will outgrow this behavior between 2 to 3 years of age. Until then you will need to watch Lexi at all times and never leave her unsupervised in a non-puppy proofed area. Best of luck.

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I don't think you have much to worry about with the rabbit poop. I would just monitor Steeler's stools and continue to deworm as advised by your veterinarian. Puppies need to be dewormed at least 3-4 times in my opinion. This is done every 3 weeks. Usually, we use pyrantel pamoate for this which kills the roundworms and hookworms that the puppy got in utero and while nursing the mother. Once heartworm prevention is started, most of those contain a dewormer so that can count as a regular deworming for puppies also. Eating grass and leaves is another thing that puppies and dogs like to do. Usually, this doesn't cause a problem. Sometimes they vomit sometimes they don't. What would concern me is if the lawn has been treated with any chemicals. I would advise no chemical use on the lawn where the puppy has access to. This mainly concerns the use of weed killers that many people use on their lawns. Leaves may upset their stomach but again I would be careful since some plant leaves can be toxic to pets. Research what is in your yard and make changes if you have to. Good luck

If it is that big of an issue, I would look into teaching Snowball "Leave it". You can find various tutorials on YouTube that will walk you through it. Basically, it teaches Snowball that it isn't OK to just pick things up off the ground and eat them, and that she'll be rewarded for leaving it behind instead. Teaching other things such as drop/trading what's in her mouth for a reward, may also help. You should still be walking her, but you can keep an eye on her during your walks, and if you see her start to eat something, move her to another area, or remove the item from her mouth. If she's very mouthy and likes to carry toys, you can also bring a toy along on your walks for her to keep in her mouth and potentially deter on other things. If she does get into something she shouldn't and is ill, having your local vet's number on hand is always best as even the most vigilant of owners and well-trained of dogs can sometimes get into things they shouldn't.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can of course be an issue as she could eat something tha perhaps upsets her stomach or even worse that causes an obstruction. The best thing is to teach her by continuously letting her know that that is unacceptable behavior. Otherwise, another option is using a basket muzzle when going outside which may prevent her from getting things in her mouth. Good luck and have a great day!

One leaf can cause lower level toxicities like vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Multiple leaves can cause fatal heart arrhythmias. To be on the safe side, I would recommend inducing vomiting by a vet even with her history of digestive upset since this toxin will also cause digestive issues. An anti-nausea shot can be given after Goldie vomits to try to prevent any worsening of the vomiting at home. You may also talk to your vet about medications to soothe her stomach (like gastroprotectants or antacids or probiotics). You can also call ASPCA poison control for further advice ((888) 426-4435).

Try keeping a toy or something that makes noise with you (you can put some pennies or pebbles into an empty soda or tin can and tape it closed to make a shake can that you can rattle or drop next to her to startle her into stopping) when you go outside with her. When she starts to eat weeds, squeak the toy or clap your hands to make noise to distract her from what she is doing and tell her 'drop it' or 'leave it'. As soon as she stops what she's doing give her a treat or the toy to play with. Over time this should give her the idea that she gets a nice treat when she listens to you when you ask her to stop. If she does not stop you may need to take her outside only on a leash so you can control her trying to eat weeds until you can break her of the habit. Some species of plants can be highly toxic to dogs (lilies, sago palm are two common toxic landscape plants) so teaching her to stop is a good thing.