# shredding and eating sticks



## Michelle Laurette (Apr 1, 2007)

Anybody out there with dogs that like to eat twigs and sticks? 

Collette likes to hold onto them with her front paws and there the upright stick to shreds and then eat the remnants. This can't be good for her. I stop her each time I catch her but she keeps doing it whenever there she sees a stick on our walk. She's starting occasionally eating the kindling we have in a basket by the fireplace. I don't want to have to move these, if I don't have to, as it's convenient for fire making.

BTW, she never retrieves sticks (or balls or anything else); she's not interested in that game.


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## Rosco's Mom (May 1, 2007)

Rosco is the stick eating/chewing KING! Everytime i let him outside, he goes straight for a stick. Tears them to shreds....


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## Michelle Laurette (Apr 1, 2007)

Does he ever get sick? What does this do to his stool? I'm worried about both these but more about a sharp stick hurting Collette's mouth and the ensuing vet bills.


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## Rosco's Mom (May 1, 2007)

As of yet Rosco hasn't gotten sick from chewing on sticks. and i actually never really looked at his poop close enough to tell.....


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## cubbysan (Mar 13, 2007)

When I first got Brady, I told her that he puts every stick in his mouth. She was very stern with me about making sure he does not chew sticks, which is almost impossible. The can get stuck or puncture his insides.


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## JLJ (Nov 18, 2006)

My dog also LOVES sticks and chews on them but I don't think she really swallows them? I am sure some of the stuff goes down but definately not the whole thing. She also goes crazy for wood chips (landscaping type for around trees) She goes crazy to chew on them but again, I don't think she is swalllowing too many
She has never gotten sick from them I know that for sure!


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## Rosco's Mom (May 1, 2007)

JLJ said:


> My dog also LOVES sticks and chews on them but I don't think she really swallows them? I am sure some of the stuff goes down but definately not the whole thing. She also goes crazy for wood chips (landscaping type for around trees) She goes crazy to chew on them but again, I don't think she is swalllowing too many
> She has never gotten sick from them I know that for sure!


Rosco is the same way....most of the stick ends up in shreds all over the front porch rather then down his throat. I tried to get him to stop....but eventually gave up because it was pointless.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Our Keira pup loves that game. Starlite will shred palm bark (not sure what it's really called? Large, flat reddish colored cardboard like sheets that come off palm trees). Keira loves that too- I allow it- it's not hard or sharp, and it shreds like a fiber. They love it!

Keira kills pinecones, too- but she doesn't *eat* any of the above.


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

Word of caution- chewing a stick is one thing- but NEVER- EVER- allow your dog to run and play with a stick (unless it is a gigantic driftwood of Oakly style...)

Dogs, incuding one of my own, have been killed from tripping up while running with a stick. My Labrador was playing with hers, and she slid on wet grass. The stick punctured the roof of her mouth, went into her brain, and killed her in a horrific way right in front of me when I was a teen.

In a less god awful accident, I had a Greyhound running with a stick along side another greyhound tear the other dog open in a three inch gash by accident when they ran too close to one another and the non stick holding dog tried to grab the stick... it scratched him right down the side. He needed stitches. 

My dogs are in big trouble if they try to run or play with sticks unless I initiate the game with a stick (LOG) I consider large enough to be safe.


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## Thor's Mom (Feb 25, 2007)

Thor LOVES to shread sticks. We call him our mulch-machine. Fortunately, he doesn't swallow them. I'd be a bit worried if he did as I have heard horror stories of puncture wounds from pointy stick pieces.

ACC thanks for your warning about running. So sorry to hear about your pup, that must have been awful.


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## Bailey & Bentley (Feb 25, 2007)

Both my guys love sticks and anything else they can find to eat. I get scared only because I saw a show on ER Vets where this lab had a stick caught in his throat and they had to perform a dangerous surgery to get it out.


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## DUSTYRD2 (Feb 28, 2007)

Nugget loves to check on sticks also, especially bamboo stalks, and unfortunately he just spent 2 days at the animal hospital because of it. Scared the bejeepers out of us as we thought we were going to lose him, he went downhill so fast. He dehydrated in a matter of hours and initially the vet couldn't figure out what the problem was - ran blood tests, tox screens and did full xrays. Everything came back normal so now they're talking exploratory surgery! Well sometime during the first night he was there he had a poop that had sticks and matted hair in it. So they figure that's what was causing the problem - the sticks had irritated his pipes and caused an inflamation in his bowels. He's home now with antibiotics and a bland diet and is a whole lot better but not quite 100% yet.
That was sooooo scary and now we watch him like a hawk in the yard. Hopefully, he grows out of it. Dusty used to be a big stick & pine cone chewer too but he never had any problems and eventually just grew out of it.
I'm kicking my butt now for not keeping up the pet insurance too!

ACC - thanks for the info on dogs running with sticks. I never thought about that danger at all. DUH!!


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## AquaClaraCanines (Mar 5, 2006)

To prove I am not just a paranoid nut:

home


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## goldenluver (Feb 26, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Our Keira pup loves that game. Starlite will shred palm bark (not sure what it's really called? Large, flat reddish colored cardboard like sheets that come off palm trees). Keira loves that too- I allow it- it's not hard or sharp, and it shreds like a fiber. They love it!
> 
> Keira kills pinecones, too- but she doesn't *eat* any of the above.


Shianna loves shredding those too. We have plenty in our yard.


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## Nellie and Sophie's mom (Mar 10, 2007)

Nellie loves shredding sticks also but doesn't eat it thankfully. Unfortunately sometimes the stick is attached to a living tree. We lost a camellia, a lilac, a laceleaf maple and a dogwood that way this year. I put fences around them now and I don't care if she takes our kindling and firewood to chew on as long as she leaves the living things alone. She also shreds any toy that isn't hard rubber and even some of them. Our new foster dog is just as bad as she is. We have shredded piles all over the house.


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## Michelle Laurette (Apr 1, 2007)

AquaClaraCanines said:


> Word of caution- chewing a stick is one thing- but NEVER- EVER- allow your dog to run and play with a stick (unless it is a gigantic driftwood of Oakly style...)


My hubby thought I am paranoid about the eating with sticks/running with sticks thing. He thinks I'm an overprotective mom but I'll show him all of your comments and hope he becomes a bit more prudent.

Thanks for all the feedback.


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## Chaucer and Mom (Feb 26, 2007)

Chaucer loves to chew on sticks. During our walks he loves to pick up large sticks or sometimes branches. He carries them as if they were cigars. He holds the ends so he can take an occasional nibble.

I tried for months and months to stop him from eating sticks. But nothing worked. Of course when he's on a leash, I can control the stick interaction. It's another thing when he's hanging out on the lawn.


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## DaisyMay's mom (Feb 27, 2007)

Daisy loves twigs, sticks, mulch, dirt, anything she can put in her mouth. Hasn't made her sick yet. Just keep an eye on her as much as you can as you can't totally control what she eats outside.


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## Alpenglunen (Apr 4, 2007)

Sounds a bit neurotic to me. Sticks aren't really food, though I guess they could be a natural toy. I'd venture to guess those pups performing these behaviors with sticks are not being exercised very thoroughly. Retrievers like sticks, but a stick is a different object than a toy or ball, or food. A little more migration exercise on a regular basis, and I bet the activity will no longer happen.


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## Brinkleysmom (Dec 17, 2005)

Alpenglunen said:


> Sounds a bit neurotic to me. Sticks aren't really food, though I guess they could be a natural toy. I'd venture to guess those pups performing these behaviors with sticks are not being exercised very thoroughly. Retrievers like sticks, but a stick is a different object than a toy or ball, or food. A little more migration exercise on a regular basis, and I bet the activity will no longer happen.


For me with Brinkley personally, I have found this to be true. She used to do that with sticks, until I started taking her to the park longer and more often. The sticks have stopped completely. She will chase them and carry them but gets bored with them and would rather have a tennis ball.


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