[lilyh]

We have a 16 week old English Setter Puppy. Sometimes I catch Annie eating pebbles, dirt, grass, etc. Could switching her food help?

When we got her from the breeder she was eating Purina Large Breed Puppy Chow. We switched her to Wellness Core Puppy but her stools were incredibly loose despite supplementing with pumpkin etc, so then we switched her again to Nutrisource Large Breed Puppy. Any suggestions of the next food to try? Not sure her diet is related at all to her non-edible nibblings, but thought I would run it by the forums to get your thoughts.

Thank you.

• This topic was modified 11 years, 2 months ago by lilyh.

[theBCnut]

When dogs eat things that are not food it is called pica. There are several different reasons for pica. It can be because of a mineral lacking in the diet, in humans it is usually zinc. It can be because of absorption issues, in which case probiotics and digestive enzymes should help. It can be an oral fixation, like a 2 year old putting everything in their mouth, and the only thing for that is extremely close supervision and a rock solid “leave it” command. If it is an oral fixation lots of good things to chew on instead and age are really helpful.

[Cory E]

Definitely.

According to this article: https://goldenretrieverlove.com/why-is-my-puppy-eating-rocks-what-can-i-do-about-it/, one of the major reasons why dogs eat rocks is because of nutrient deficiency. Our dogs would try to bridge that gap by eating anything they can, including stones. You might want to check with the vet to know which kind of food is good for him at this age.

[Patricia A]

Might be TOO simple of a solution, but are you feeding adequate amount of food for her size? Also a growing puppy should be eating at least two or three times a day.

[Nadia K]

My pup is a year old. We have the same issue as you. We can never let her go freely in our large fenced in yard as she loves to put everything in her mouth. Rocks, leaves, mulch, acorns, sticks, grass etc you name it. Ours understands the leave it command and will do it in a controlled setting in the house. But when we are outside and I tell her to leave it she looks at me as if I am talking Portuguese. I think she is just so intrigued with all the “treasures” she finds outside. Hopefully in time she will outgrow this.

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