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HELP~~4 month old puppy eating rocks!

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Participants in this thread:	beth Kelly Dunbar crystal
beth northern wisconsin 6 posts	Hi all! Our 4month old English Pointer has recently started eating small rocks. A few weeks ago we noticed him mouthing them, but it has turned into crazy eating. I am guessing this is in part with teething since he is trying to chew on everything he possibly can (even trying to chew the glass on the sliding glass door by smooshing his mouth on it). We are trying to redirect and distract since our entire driveway and landscaping under and around the deck are covered in rocks. Is there a product that we could spray onto the area he mainly goes to? He has vomited 2 small piles of rocks the other day and we worry about it blocking his stomach or intestines. So far he is pooping fine and no sign of rocks in the poop. Weird thing is that our 5 yr old named him “Rocky” when we got him in June—-little did we know that the name would be an indication of him eating them! A final concern I have is his gums….they appear to be a very light pale pink. Should they be darker? Thanks for your advice! Beth
Kelly Dunbar Berkeley, CA 65 posts	Do everything you can to keep Rocky off the rocks (literally) during this phase. It is a very dangerous habit. You must break this habit even if it does mean less freedom for Rocky right now. He should be supervised and on leash when he is in your driveway or near your deck, for a few months while you retrain him. I would also feed him entirely out of stuffed chew toys to get him addicted to chewing on something that is more safe and appropriate. You’ll find tips for how to do this here: http://dogtime.com/prevent-chewing-biting-0-6-c…
Jul 29, 2008 8:50pm crystal Columbia, MO 3 posts	Would a bitter barrier spray work on the rocks? You could spray areas that he’s chewed on and make them taste bad – and therefore be less appealing – to him. Just an idea. (It works really well for us and the furniture, throw pillows, etc.) Good luck.
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