My 6-month-old lab puppy keeps eating rocks. How do I stop it?

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

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.

Labs get into things frequently, this is their nature. They will ingest just about anything. I would recommend monitoring him closely when she is out playing and discouraging him from putting things in her mouth that she shouldn't. Give her a Kong toy or similar chew toy to occupy her time. When you are not home it is best to keep her in a crate so that she does not get into things he shouldn't. You can also try spraying a product called Bitter Apple or Yuk gel on things that she likes to put in her mouth to try and deter him from doing so. Best of luck with your puppy Bella and getting her to stop putting things in her mouth that she shouldn't. We want to try and prevent a foreign body ingestion and possible obstruction as best we can. As she grows she should get better at not doing this. Take care!

Hi there and thank you for using pet coach to address your concern. I would recommend using bitter apple spray and apply this to the rocks to prevent red from chewing on the rocks. If it is a big enough problem to the point where he is interested in swallowing the Rocks, I would invest in a basket muzzle whenever he is outside going to the bathroom near the Rocks so that he does not swallow the rocks and cause an intestinal obstruction. If you end up resorting to the basket muzzle, you will need to get new sizes of basket muzzles as he outgrows the previous ones. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Puppies are kind of like kids, they explore things with their mouths. There is nothing wrong with Mayor. However, I would recommend that you keep a close eye on him and prevent him from eating rocks. Dogs will ingest rocks (or several small pebbles at once) that are too big to move through their intestines and will cause a blockage. He should always be supervised outside (and inside!) until he (hopefully) grows out of his puppy stage and eating things he shouldn't.

Unfortunately, rocks of certain sized can get stuck in the GI tract and cause an obstruction so just watch him closely. An obstruction will usually cause vomiting and a lack of appetite. I actually had to surgically remove a rock from my own personal dog. Silly dogs will eat anything. Since he has a tendency to eat rocks, I would consider putting him in a crate when you aren't able to supervise him outside for his safety. I understand this may not be possible, just understand that he could obstruct if he eats a rock that is too large. In the meantime, I would feed him a high fiber canned food for a couple of days to help him pass this rock. I hope this helps!