eating rocks

[Charlie and Me (and JoJo, too!)]

So we took our nine-month old puppy JoJo to the vet today suspecting that he might have some sort of intestinal blockage.  We have lectured our kids about keeping their toys picked up, etc.  For the most part, we do a pretty good job.   We thought maybe JoJo had somehow gotten a hold of a child's toy or perhaps he had pulled something off the kitchen counter (plastic bottle cap or something).  We were surprised when the vet called and said that JoJo had swallowed a rock and surgery was necessary.  (Maybe we shouldn't have been surprised because this puppy seems to chew on everything!)

 

Anyway, questions to the group:  Is there reason to believe that JoJo will learn from this experience and not swallow any more rocks/stones?  If not, is there anything that can be done to prevent this from happening again (aside from paving our yard in cement, not taking him on anymore walks...)?

[jessica (Rufus)]

hope he gets well soon..... rufus tends to eat the sticks in the yard and pine cones he is 9 months but rocks he would try to chew them when he was 4 to 6 months  but i just told him no and grabed them and watched and blocked him and  picked up the big ones i have a small yard but he does like plants and i need to do a major overhall in spring to uproot some that are toxic

[Charlie and Me (and JoJo, too!)]

I am happy to report that JoJo is back home and is doing well.  Thanks for all the good wishes and suggestions.  JoJo currently weighs about 30lbs; the stone they removed was about the size of a strawberry.  I asked the vet.  He said that sometimes when dogs are rooting around, they'll smell something good and swallow the rock with it.

 

We have a doggie door that the dogs use as they wish.  JoJo usually spends most of the time inside and only goes outside when necessary (to do his "business") and then come right back inside.  I think now we'll start going out with him to make sure he's not getting into trouble.  Glad to see others have had some success in teaching their pups to get over this.

 

[Donna K & Quincy]

Quincy was terrible for eating sticks, rocks and leaves, I alway kept a very close eye on him. Once when we were picking berries and he was off leash he managed to eat  several small sticks, luckily he threw them up later. The good news, as he got older he gave up this behaviour, now when he has a stick he will just carry it and not try to eat it, so there is hope. BTW Quincy was well over a year old before he gave up this behaviour.

[Jersey, Jasmine, Jypsy and Diane]

My neighbor's golden had surgery for eating decorative rocks that were under their woodstove. They did not realize that the dog was doing it, until it got very sick. They rushed it to the veterinary hospital to find out that it's stomach was full of rocks. The dog died on the operating table from too much anesthesia. They were heart broken and refused to pay the bill. Be thankful that you realized what JoJo was doing, and put a stop to it. I hope the problem will be solved quickly and JoJo will be as good as new in no time. Good luck!

[Heather & Brinkley]

Brinkley tried to eat rocks. We never go to the point of him actually swallowing one... but each time we'd catch Brinkley chewing on a rock, we'd remove the rock from his mouth as we said "Brinkley, no chew." We'd then replace it with a chew toy that he was allowed to have.  He stopped going after the rocks after a few weeks of doing this. 

 

Good luck and hope your pup feels better soon.