# May have eaten rocks - what do I watch for/do?



## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

Thomas over ate a lot yesterday - hubbie thought I was a bad mommy so fed him when he got home. 2 really big meals. So, he's been sleeping and digesting all day. Very unusually calm.

So, tonight, he got a light meal. My husband decided to use the grill for the first time in almost a year. Even though it was a gas grill, it still had little lava rocks in it - covered in any old grease, plus squirrels were living in it too - so covered in squirrel smell. Anyway, he decided to throw the grill out. BUT - he tossed the rocks into the garden for some reason. 

Thomas was in the yard later (I didn't know there were rocks.) He comes up and drops a big rock at my feet. I make him come inside. But now he is acting tired and sleepy again - like he was today when he over ate. 

How can I tell if this is left over bleagh from yesterday or if he ate some rocks? Since he had a light dinner, he may have tried to eat the rocks. His teeth look fine. He was acting like he was trying to throw up, but that's nothing new. Will he throw them up? Should I make him throw up? Should I just watch him and see? How can I tell if he did? (Do dogs act sick when they have stomach aches?)


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

I'm only replying because I had a dog who would eat rocks. I do not know what you should do in that situation, what bad things could happen, if you have to take her to the vet...I don't know.

What I do know is that she would eat rocks and nothing ever happened. She also ate hard cover book covers and the first few chapters, (everyone's a critic), her leather leashes, nasty trash and other things...and they all came out the other end. (Which is how I typically found out that she ate all of this stuff.)

To be honest, I never did see her poop out a rock but I did see her eat them. Not a lot, but again, nothing ever happened. 

Just keep an eye on her and if she's still acting a little different the next day, if it makes you feel better, take her in.


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## Khan (Jan 17, 2010)

I too had a dog that ate rocks. He would poop them out. That's how I realized he was doing it. When he was a puppy still being potty trained I heard this funny noise hitting the bathroom tile floor. It was the rocks! Had he not had an "accident" on the tile floor I never would have know. The rocks that he ate were relatively small, and honestly I never really worried about it. Well, maybe that's not entirely true. Because he went to the bathroom regularly I never worried. 
The rocks he ate were river rocks so they were smooth. I think those lava rocks are jagged which may cause a problem; but again if they are small enough they should pass without any issues.
Oh, and yes, when dogs get stomach aches they tend to quit eating. If he is eating and acting normal I would not worry. If however he stops eating, or pooping it may be something like a blockage which would need to be looked at by your vet.


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## mel2mdl (Sep 7, 2008)

He was much better this morning - typical Boston Terrier - begging, running, trying to play with the cat. I think he just had an upset tummy from eating too much the day before. He will be watched today and hopefully we can avoid a vet visit - was just there Saturday. Thank you for the replies, helps me feel more relaxed.


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## FL Cracker (May 4, 2011)

Yep...they will pass...provided it's not the size of a golf ball...and that still might go. Our pup CoCo was a rock eater...more concrete than anything...something about the lime in it?? Not sure...sea shells too...and we have a LOT of it in our yard. We also have date palm trees, and they bear fruit (also has a hard nut in the middle) in the spring, of course our pup loves them. I did not mind her eating the fruit off them at first (some people make jelly out of them) but one day I saw our pup straining...and out shot two date palm nuts...funny to see her turn around in amazement at the show...but these are the size of a quarter...so I was a bit concerned. Pretty much picked them up after that. One date palm branch can have 500+ nut's on it...so as you can imagine...we had to keep up on it.
Short of correcting...and re-direction there was not much we could do about it...picked up what we could...but for a while there...as soon as she was out...nose was to the ground searching. 
Sure enough...the next day it was in her poop...the rocks, shells, and concrete was small enough to pass...but it was the thought of them all together that had us concerned. Now that all her puppy teeth have been replaced...and we have her on a raw diet...her taste for rocks has declined to pretty much notta. Glad that's over.
Hang in there...and hopefully this will pass (no pun intended). From the looks of your last post it looks like your good to go.


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## RustyStickers (Mar 13, 2011)

My Rusty swallowed a rock several years ago during a walk. I didn't know it. One day he started pacing, trying to vomit and clearly uncomfortable. After a $3,000 obstruction surgery, he was fine! Expensive rock!


Here it is: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/BooKittyMaggie/100_1299.jpg

Here'e his incision: http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b323/BooKittyMaggie/100_1302.jpg


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## lily (May 16, 2011)

you should have kept it and set it in a ring at that price lol,karen


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