# Samson and his Rock issues



## gold'nchocolate (May 31, 2005)

I can't help you...Biscuit pooped out a pair of toddler size 4 girls underwear the other day and this morning he threw up the other pair that I was waiting for...LOL.

Edited to add: I know that it can be a serious problem--especially rocks--YIKES---but the muzzle sounds like a good solution for when you can't be watching him every second. They sure do cause a lot of worry, don't they?


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## Granite Gold Goldens (Feb 19, 2008)

*samson and rocks*

To Samsons' owner,

Good luck w/ basket muzzle. We years ago we had a beautiful 6 month old male, who had surgery to remove a rock. Since our kennel yard is nothing but rocks (better than mud) we used the basket muzzle. It didn't workl, six months later another surgury was needed to remove a rock. He has since been placed in a companion home. We researched, trying to find a reason..bordom? missing from diet?. Many ideas no sulutions. Some of our current dogs get rocks while trying to eat grass through the fence. I do find that many goldens eat rocks...and it seems to run in bloodlines. Our vet used an x-ray from one of our dogs during their open house..."Got Rocks". I knew immediately which dog it was. This is just my research. During bathroom conversation at a dog show, a well known handler said that here's nothing to be done to prevent rock eating...except 24-hr watching. At their kennel they just wait for signs of illness and then x-ray, if a blockage, then necessary surgery. I hope all rocks pass...this time..and future. 

Jennifer


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## Aprilpa (Mar 24, 2008)

Sorry you are still going through this. My own two rock eaters haven't vomited or pooped any out lately and I haven't caught them with any in their mouths, but I found two rocks on the deck the other day, and can only assume they were the ones that had them. :doh: I can't possibly remove every rock from my yard, they dig new holes and find new ones every day. The basket muzzle sounds like as good of an idea as any that I have heard. I just keep hoping this is something they will outgrow. Will keep my fingers crossed that it is the same with Samson.


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## BeauShel (May 20, 2007)

Poor Samson and you. I think that would have to hurt each time he passes them. Hopefully the basket muzzle will work for him and teach him to leave them alone. I just dont understand the fascination with rocks. Bama likes to play with them but hasnt eaten any.


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## ksuer (Feb 26, 2008)

I feel for you and your "rock" issue. We are going through the same thing. Our 10 month old, Andy, has thrown up a couple of small rocks but we had a BIG scare that involves rocks a couple of weeks ago...

My husband, obviously not thinking, ran to get gas and since he was only going to be gone about 15 minutes did not crate Andy. When he returned he found where Andy had gotten into a box of shotgun shells and had chewed open two of the shells. (Thank goodness he didn't chew the other end because they would have exploded in his face.) Anyway, since the shot is lead my husband immediately carried him to the vet and I met him there. The vet put something in Andy's eyes to induce vomiting. When everything was finally out the vet put on gloves to go through it and found 4 huge rocks, a stick, a label from something, a long strip of material (we have no clue on that one), and a bolt! I have no idea how he ate all this without my knowledge because Andy almost never goes outside without me watching even though we have a fence (I'm sensing that my husband is the culprit here also). The vet said he would probably see us for surgery soon because there is no way he could have passed those rocks! 

The only humorous thing about the whole event was the vet said it was like opening up a shark...he was surprised he didn't find a license plate in there! 

Anyway, my husband learned a valuable lesson without Andy actually getting hurt. He no longer leaves the house without crating and goes outside with him now. I almost feel like I need to get periodic x-rays to see what's knocking around in Andy's stomach!


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## SoGolden (Jul 17, 2008)

Oh My Gosh! Our yard is an oasis surrounded by river rock and I worried because Harry won't leave the mulch alone! :uhoh:


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Oh Samson, why do you do it? Raleigh once pooped out an argyle sock with the pattern still perfect. They are soooooo dumb for such smart dogs.


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## norabrown (Jul 20, 2007)

Well, I've been reading up on this problem and it's called Pika. I guess my sweet boy needs a doggy shrink!

It is usually done by a dog not getting enough attention. People....I only work 4 hours a day!!! And even then, they are not home alone. Granted, my son is sleeping cuz he works night. And they have each other.

But....I believe the rock eating incident (this time) took place over Labor Day weekend which was very busy for DH and myself. We had something every day starting with Friday night. So....they were not loved on as much as usual.

Heaven forbid I ever get a full time job. But at least now I have a real excuse for my husband. Ha ha ha


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## Aprilpa (Mar 24, 2008)

norabrown said:


> Well, I've been reading up on this problem and it's called Pika. I guess my sweet boy needs a doggy shrink!
> 
> It is usually done by a dog not getting enough attention. People....I only work 4 hours a day!!! And even then, they are not home alone. Granted, my son is sleeping cuz he works night. And they have each other.
> 
> ...


 
I have read the articles on Pica and why they do these things too. And for the majority of dogs who would take up rock eating, I would be more prone to agree with their reasoning. If my JRT or doxies started hauling rocks around and eating them on a regular basis, I would think that something was definately amiss. 

But with the Goldens, they always want something in their mouth, so it isn't surprising that when they are outside they find the rocks. When the apple trees were dropping apples into the fenced area, they stopped worrying about rocks and started finding as many apples as they could. I can't believe they didn't get sick from the shear volume of apples they had! :doh: Since this issue has been a common problem with the goldens on these boards (rocks, underwear, socks etc), I have to wonder if their obession with eating strange items, doesn't have more to do with the fact that they are such an oral breed vs. them being candidates for therapy! LOL!


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## saulisa'n'ruby (Nov 21, 2008)

LOL, I would think I would rather my ruby eat a few rocks as opposed to what she is eating currently.....KITTY POO.... when she's outside on her own, she goes and sniffs it out comes back in with potty breath, really gross!!!!


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

I agree with the idea that it isn't necessarily that something is missing from their lives or their diets, but that it's just darn fun to get into stuff. Fergus has rock radar. He can look at a perfectly normal patch of dirt and know that there is a rock 3 inches underneath. He mostly rolls them around in his mouth and chews on them ("great" for hs teeth no doubt). Drives me nuts, but he has a ball doing it. The only way to get him to give it up is to distract him with food so he drops it. He is happiest with something - ANYTHING - in his mouth. 

I do understand your fears and frustrations given that he eats them, though. With Fergus, I worry more that when he's chewing on one with his head thrown back that he's going to drop the little sucker down his windpipe and choke on it.


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## GoldenOwner12 (Jun 18, 2008)

when Shelleywas younger she like to chew on rocks but when shes finshed chewing she spits them out. I haven't seen her with a rock in her mouth for a few days now hopefully she is getting out of chewing rocks.


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## KatieandAngie (Dec 24, 2008)

From Wikipedia

Unlike in humans, in dogs or cats, pica may be a sign of immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, especially when it involves eating substances such as tile grout, concrete dust, and sand. Dogs exhibiting this form of pica should be tested for anemia with a CBC or at least hematocrit levels. [2][3]

Just in case you want to check it out


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> Oh Samson, why do you do it? Raleigh once pooped out an argyle sock with the pattern still perfect. They are soooooo dumb for such smart dogs.


Was that Raleigh? I had it in my head that it was Joplin. Or was it Joplin who ate that cellophane-wrapped candy bar off the gift bouquet?


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

Lol- Brian, you are right; that was Joplin on both counts. Sorry Raleigh dog!


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Lucy ate a little, elbow shaped piece that came in some doll set my niece, Emma, got for Christmas. She was worried she had killed Lucy because her 14 year old shih tzu died of old age last year. I called her two days later to let her know that it came out with little discomfort. She didn't want it back.


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Ljilly28 said:


> Lol- Brian, you are right; that was Joplin on both counts. Sorry Raleigh dog!


I doubt Raleigh would mind. 

I'll admit something much more embarrassing: when I found that sock in the yard, I did have a moment, a very brief one, where I thought about just washing it a couple of times and putting it back in circulation. We didn't, though!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

It's amazing some of the things I have picked up (recycled) in the yard here at the pet hotel. 
One was a pair of very lacey pink panties, still quite unharmed. The culprit was a female golden. When I asked her owner about it, she said, hmmm, I don't OWN any pink panties....never did figure that one out!
The one that totally floored me, though, was a golden mix who pooped out an unharmed popsicle stick. Go figure!




Ljilly28 said:


> Oh Samson, why do you do it? Raleigh once pooped out an argyle sock with the pattern still perfect. They are soooooo dumb for such smart dogs.


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## martinrt (Jun 24, 2008)

My dogs both pick up rocks, but when they find they can't chew them up they usually spit them out, at least to my knowledge. Well Allee was once x-rayed for a potential blockage for eating a whole cob or corn but there was nothing in the belly, so I think she doesn't swallow. Aston on the other hand once pooped out a rope about 3 feet long and the thinkness on my pinky. The only reason I know the details of the rope is because I had to disect the poop to see if I could figure out what the bright blue thing in it was...I have no idea where that rope could have come from, but glad it made it's way out. Why do Goldens feel the need to eat anything and everything? I just don't get it.


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## Celeigh (Nov 29, 2007)

tippykayak said:


> I doubt Raleigh would mind.
> 
> I'll admit something much more embarrassing: when I found that sock in the yard, I did have a moment, a very brief one, where I thought about just washing it a couple of times and putting it back in circulation. We didn't, though!


It's amazing how dogs and kids change your definition of "disgusting". My threshold for disgusting is pretty high with two goldens. It cracks me up that there are people who think a dog licking a plate that is normally used by humans is gross and unsanitary. If they only knew!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Celeigh said:


> It's amazing how dogs and kids change your definition of "disgusting". My threshold for disgusting is pretty high with two goldens. It cracks me up that there are people who think a dog licking a plate that is normally used by humans is gross and unsanitary. If they only knew!


That's why I didn't wash the sock! It didn't feel like such a bad idea, but I knew I had to draw the line somewhere!


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

yes, at training class the other day we were standing around munching donuts and discussing the texture of poop and the appearance of different types of worms....then someone commented that only "dog people" could continue to eat while carrying on that conversation!




Celeigh said:


> It's amazing how dogs and kids change your definition of "disgusting". My threshold for disgusting is pretty high with two goldens. It cracks me up that there are people who think a dog licking a plate that is normally used by humans is gross and unsanitary. If they only knew!


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## tippykayak (Oct 27, 2008)

Well, once you clean giardia diarrhea out of a Golden's pants for the fifteenth time, what's really that gross anymore?


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## Adriennelane (Feb 13, 2008)

Celeigh said:


> It's amazing how dogs and kids change your definition of "disgusting". My threshold for disgusting is pretty high with two goldens. It cracks me up that there are people who think a dog licking a plate that is normally used by humans is gross and unsanitary. If they only knew!


I know. People sometimes act appalled when I tell them that Lucy often rinses the dirty dishes in the dishwasher for us. She knows the difference between the clean and dirty ones. She has no interest in clean dishes at all. In fact, Bart uses her to tell whether or not he can unload the dishwasher when I can get him to do the dished. I have no problem with it because they're heavily sanitized in the dishwasher.


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## moverking (Feb 26, 2007)

Oh, this will steer a bit off topic, but not really...

My two pups haven't been too bad about eating rocks, just an occasional lick/chew....now if it's a lump of coal, they'll fight each other for it _and_ me trying to get it out of their mouths.

However, my daughter's BF swallowed her 'Promise Me' ring last year....of course I 'Ipecac'd' him right after he did it with no results:satan:....took about two weeks to retrieve it....


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## Rhapsody in Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I hate to start so grim, but you will want to watch that coal. Our neighbor's dog ate coal (I am not sure how much) from a bag sitting in their garage. He died from this.

Since I have 3 dogs under the age of two, we have beem "trained" to watch them constantly for what they put in their mouths. 

We removed an old cherry tree last summer because the patio was a mess with them tromping on fruit that had fallen. We also replaced a rather large bed of mulch with sod because they would get mulch all over the place. The new grass seems to be the best solution.


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## My4Boys (Dec 14, 2007)

Baxter too knows the difference between clean and dirty dishes, and last night I just said to my partner that we should let him get a job cleaning dishes because he's a pro! 



Adriennelane said:


> I know. People sometimes act appalled when I tell them that Lucy often rinses the dirty dishes in the dishwasher for us. She knows the difference between the clean and dirty ones. She has no interest in clean dishes at all. In fact, Bart uses her to tell whether or not he can unload the dishwasher when I can get him to do the dished. I have no problem with it because they're heavily sanitized in the dishwasher.


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