Puppy Vomiting
Discussion
Louis (6 months old) has been vomited several times (ok now) but each time we have found bits of sticks in the vomit. The 1st time looked like a piece of garden cane so garden has been cleared of canes. Now we have found ordinary sticks in his vomit. It's a good size garden with a number of mature trees so immpossible to clear every suspected stick. I don't feel like supervising him each time he goes out, will these damage him? (always quite small pieces)
Anyone any ideas as to how to control stick eating? or best to just let him get on with it and clear up the vomit? Is he likely to just grow out of it?
Anyone any ideas as to how to control stick eating? or best to just let him get on with it and clear up the vomit? Is he likely to just grow out of it?
Sorry to say there is always a risk with this type of behaviour. A lot of dogs do it but when it becomes an obsession it can risk harm. We had a dog in the other day very poorly from eating sticks, he was close to being opened up but managed to vomit the offending sticks, he still needed if fluids and medicines to help recovery.
I'm afraid supervision is what you need to do, esp at this age so that you hopefully won't need to when he's older. He's still very young and needs your guidance. Maybe worth putting something like mustard/tobasco sauce on some sticks he may try and chew but distraction methods probably best, make what you have more fun than a stick.
I'm afraid supervision is what you need to do, esp at this age so that you hopefully won't need to when he's older. He's still very young and needs your guidance. Maybe worth putting something like mustard/tobasco sauce on some sticks he may try and chew but distraction methods probably best, make what you have more fun than a stick.
DocArbathnot said:
Anyone any ideas as to how to control stick eating? ?
Remove any sticks from him, keep an eye on him at all times so he can't get sticks and eat them. Then get something he doesn't like the flavour of and coat a stick with it. Let him find that stick. Might put him off.You could try this stuff, more bitter than a bitter thing:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bi...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/?ie=UTF8&keywords=bi...
Aw, poor silly pup!
Letting him think most sticks are covered in manky stuff, perhaps, as others have suggested? And distraction, as well - which if nothing else is more fun for you, OP, than just "supervision" when in the garden.
Every time he shows interest in something stick-like, distract him with something COMPLETELY AMAZING! (Tennis ball, squeaky toy, demented owner; your choice!
)
One of ours became quite obsessed withlogs/tree-trunks/branches sticks - we went cold turkey with him. No sticks at all while he was in that phase, which was achieved by distraction.
Now, he can take them or, erm, take them.
(Seriously, though - distraction worked for us. If sticks are always less exciting than something else, by virtue of you making it so, pup eventually lose interest in them.)
Letting him think most sticks are covered in manky stuff, perhaps, as others have suggested? And distraction, as well - which if nothing else is more fun for you, OP, than just "supervision" when in the garden.
Every time he shows interest in something stick-like, distract him with something COMPLETELY AMAZING! (Tennis ball, squeaky toy, demented owner; your choice!
) One of ours became quite obsessed with
Now, he can take them or, erm, take them.
(Seriously, though - distraction worked for us. If sticks are always less exciting than something else, by virtue of you making it so, pup eventually lose interest in them.)
Hmm... slightly trickier, I suppose.
Is it possible to create a "toilet corner", and train him to toilet there? (Added benefit of not having to scour the garden for poo!)
...he will need either supervision or help via distraction if it's a continued habit, though. Chewing sticks has the potential to make them quite poorly as Bex has alluded to. "Ruptured innards" being the phrase that makes me go all
... sure there's other hazards from it too, though!
I see your point r.e. distraction going too far... has he got a "leave" command?
Is it possible to create a "toilet corner", and train him to toilet there? (Added benefit of not having to scour the garden for poo!)
...he will need either supervision or help via distraction if it's a continued habit, though. Chewing sticks has the potential to make them quite poorly as Bex has alluded to. "Ruptured innards" being the phrase that makes me go all
... sure there's other hazards from it too, though!I see your point r.e. distraction going too far... has he got a "leave" command?
He has a "leave" command, sticks sre a bit too tempting though.
I'm going to get some outside chew toys. I've seen a sort of throwing thing that looks like an atom and a decent frisby (his teeth went straight through the last one quite hard plastic)
His Current outside toys are a bit boring, so this might help.
I'm going to get some outside chew toys. I've seen a sort of throwing thing that looks like an atom and a decent frisby (his teeth went straight through the last one quite hard plastic)
His Current outside toys are a bit boring, so this might help.
DocArbathnot said:
He has a "leave" command, sticks sre a bit too tempting though.
...this leads me to rather suspect that he doesn't "have" the command quite yet! Still, six months is super young!DocArbathnot said:
I'm going to get some outside chew toys. I've seen a sort of throwing thing that looks like an atom and a decent frisby (his teeth went straight through the last one quite hard plastic)
His Current outside toys are a bit boring, so this might help.
Kong frisbees are quite good - they tend to get punctured a bit, but it doesn't seem to affect the frisbee-ness of it too much.His Current outside toys are a bit boring, so this might help.
...erm... will a frisbee help him go to the loo?!
Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff