Staffie And Stones.

[Rob-Roy]

My daughter's staffie dog swallows small stones when we are at the beach.
She is then sick next day and can put up 6/8 small stones. Why is this and
how can we stop it ?

[rsvp]

I would try and get her focussed on something else if you can - a toy of some sort - play a game of fetch -if not then try a sandy beach!

[IggyB]

A muzzle might be the best approach?

[woofgang]

I would stop taking her to the beach! seriously. Any muzzle that would be safe to leave on a dog longer than a few minutes needs to be the kind that she can pant through which also means eat stones through. You might be able to teach a solid "leave it" command but hinestly on a pebbly beach you'd be peeing in the wind. better to keep her off the beach.

[Tilly2]

As someone who had a GSD that ate stones, I agree, wholeheartedly, with woof.

They (stones) can cause dreadful problems. Tell your daughter to take the dog to the park.

[lankeela]

A pIastic BaskerviIIe box muzzIe wouId stop her. Get one from any pet shop, they aIIow drinking and panting but they cannot get anything Iike food or stones through them.

[woofgang]

Lankeela when I googled baskerville box muzzle all the ones that I found would easily allow food or stones through the mesh. all the dog has to learn to do (and they do learn) is to push the muzzle along the ground and scoop the stones through the mesh.

[wildwood]

What about a wire greyhound racing type muzzle and tie - or preferable solder/weld - some fine wire mesh (flywire?) over it to stop the stones coming through.

[woofgang]

please don't think that I an totally anti muzzle, I use one myself when its needed. (Dog hates vet) but i really think a better option is to keep the dog off the beach. Consider it from the dog's point of view. She really really wants to eat stones for whatever reason. How much of a happy experience is it going to be for the dog to be put in a place full of stones where she is physically restrained from eating them. It would be kind of like putting an alcoholic in a room full of booze and chaining them to a chair. It might be what is physically best for them but kinder perhaps to keep them away from their addiction?

[lankeela]

I'd be more concerned about the poor dog missing its trips to the beach!

[woofgang]

but isn't that a bit like the poor alcoholic missing his/her trips to the off licence? Better perhaps to go elsewhwere in both cases.