Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks
Dogs have great appetites and these animals have the inclination to eat questionable (at least to us humans) things. Dog experts call this habit of ingesting non-edible things as pica. Although dog owners find it hard to understand the dog’s propensity to eat non-food items, pica is a normal behavior of dogs. Most dogs would love to gnaw and eat rocks.
Rock chewing is more common in puppies. Puppies have a very curious nature and the mouth is used to learn about their environment. The hard rock will be chewed by the pup as if it were a fruity bubble gum. Eating rocks though is dangerous. Chewing rocks is really dangerous as even if the rock is not swallowed it can still injure the soft tissues of the mouth. Swallowed, the rock can cause diarrhea as it can really affect the delicate digestive tract of the dog. What would be more alarming is the fact that a rather large rock ingested by the dog can be life threatening if an esophagus or an intestinal tract blockage is created.
We know that dogs are voracious eaters. We also know that man’s best friends can develop hazardous and socially unacceptable behaviors. Nevertheless we would still be puzzled why dogs eat rocks. A brain disease can be one of the reasons why the dog eats rocks. If an underlying medical concern was ruled out, the rock eating habit of the pet can be attributed to behavioral problems.
Boredom, anxiety or stress can entice a dog to gnaw and to ingest rocks. Dogs are social animals thus they would crave social interactions with dogs and with humans. If contact with humans or with other animals are not provided the dog will be bored. Boredom is one of the reasons why dogs develop unacceptable behavior. Eating rocks is a sign that the dog is bored. This behavior can also be the dog’s way of getting the owner’s attention.
For proper diagnosis, humans have to have a series of laboratory tests. Dogs don’t need any of these test as these animals can recognize what is wrong with their system. Rock eating is associated with the effort of correcting a nutrient deficiency. When the dog starts to develop a craving for rocks ask yourself if you are being a good pet owner that provides time to bond with the dog and one that gives the dog premium quality food.
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