My French Bulldog Eats Rocks: Dogs usually eat a lot of odd items that don’t make sense. However, how unusual your French Bulldog’s eating habits of choice may be, keep in mind this is fairly typical behavior, especially for pups.
Though rocks and other nonfood items may be hazardous when ingested. Some of the most common reasons your Frenchie is eating rocks is boredom, attention-seeking, or a medical issue.
Why Do Dogs Eat Rocks?
Rock-eating behaviors have been well observed, though not well comprehended. French Bulldogs that consume rocks and other strange items are seen to display ‘Pica’ – a condition observed in a wide assortment of breeds, ages, and genders.
Pica is closely related to coprophagy, which is the practice of eating excrement. That being said, there is an important difference. Pica only includes consuming inanimate objects with no nutritional benefit, like rocks, sticks, and plastic.
Here are some of the reasons your Frenchie is into rocks.
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Boredom
Your French Bulldog is looking for amusement, mental stimulation, or recognition from its owner. Some Frenchies can benefit from this method because when you notice them eating rocks and react, your Frenchie gets the attention he is after from you.
| This is an easy problem to solve. Buy purchasing some chew toys and take more walks and game time. |
Frustration and Stress
Frustration and anxiety can also motivate your young Frenchie to behave compulsively. Keeping your French Bulldog locked up in a small crate the whole day when you’re at work does not help.
Anxiety is a significant source of obsessive and odd behavior in dogs. They might let out their pent-up frustration by choosing to eat rocks. If your Frenchie has stress in their life, they might also try pica.
| Greater physical and mental stimulus with activity can reduce boredom, anxiety, and stress for these problems. Dog daycare can assist with socialization and help stop tedium or anxiousness if nobody is at home throughout the day. |
| Long-lasting chew toys can distract attention from rocks and other objects that Frenchie may want to consume. Many repellents are available on the market that can prevent French Bulldogs from trying to eat nonfood items. |
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Nutritional Deficiency
In such instances, your Frenchie is trying to acquire minerals, magnesium, or other vitamins, which it does not get in adequate amounts from its current diet. It’s similar to the unusual eating habits that many pregnant women have experienced.
| A trip to the vet may uncover that your Frenchie has a vitamin deficiency; you will hopefully have a better understanding of how this affects your dog. But also of how to rectify the problem as well as how to prevent it. |
| Your vet may suggest a prescription medicine to have your Frenchies’ vitamin levels back to where they are supposed to be. |
Neurological Disease
Illnesses of the nervous system and the brain could also induce your French Bulldog to do very weird stuff, like chewing on rocks. Therefore, your vet needs to give your Frenchie a proper neuropsychological evaluation to rule out such problems.
Intestinal Parasites
Intestinal parasites may cause unusual appetite in your Frenchie. Luckily, your vet can effectively solve this issue by conducting a fecal evaluation. Common parasites are comparatively able to cure, although the procedure could take a while.
Thyroid Problem
Your French Bulldogs thyroid generates hormones that affect an array of biological systems; if the hormone levels struggle, your Frenchie may react in many ways. Thyroid issues are among the things that most veterinarians will evaluate when assessing a dog with pica.
What Are The Dangers Of Dogs Eating Rocks?
Although there are a lot of behavioral issues that could pose a threat to your Frenchie, eating rocks is definitely among the most dangerous, so you’ll have to deal with this as quickly as possible.
Only one rock is needed to get trapped in the small intestine and cause a traumatic, life-threatening obstruction. Even in less sensational situations, your Frenchie can still break a tooth or injure its mouth by eating unusual objects such as rocks and dirt.
Symptoms
| Not Eating and Drinking: If you believe your Frenchie has eaten a rock, then monitor their eating and drinking behavior. If they usually eat their food quickly and drink half a bucket of water at a time, they now notice that their response to food and water has altered. If they have little or no interest in their food and water, this may signify an issue. Permit their food to remain accessible all night and see if they eat it eventually. If they avoid their food and water entirely, they may be experiencing an intestinal blockage and have to see a veterinarian immediately. |
| Lethargy: Observe your Frenchie, see if they are acting differently after eating a rock. If your normally active French Bulldog is not willing to walk or have a play outside, this may be a sign of an issue. Your Frenchie may seem excessively tired and not show their normal level of enthusiasm when you attempt to play with them. If you notice substantial changes in your Frenchies’ activity and activity levels, please contact your veterinarian as soon as you can. |
| Vomiting: Again, watch your Frenchie see if they vomit after eating the rock. If the rock poses a major issue to them, they may vomit or try to vomit to bring it up. If the rock blocks their intestines, your Frenchie may probably wind up throwing up any food or water that it tries to eat or drink. If your French Bulldog vomits and does not dislodge the rock, take them to the vet as soon as you can. |
What Can You Do About Your Dog Rock Eating?
As you are now aware of the reasons and hazards that a French Bulldog eating rocks can cause, it’s now time to look at some of the solutions to help identify and discourage this behavior.
Supervision
Closely controlling your Frenchie is vital if they have been known to eat rocks. If your French Bulldog tries to consume rocks when you take them for a stroll, then you’ll have to be cautious of places along the way where your Frenchie could come across rocks or pebbles.
If your French Bulldog is slow to respond to your commands, you might like to consider putting them on a leash. You will find it easier to control them and move them away from any rock crossing their path.
Check Your Yard
It will be important to clean up the yard area for any nonfood items and rocks that could entice your Frenchie to have a snack. If you’ve carefully scoured the area for rocks, you ought to be able to prevent your French Bulldog from discovering something hazardous.
Boredom
The amount of physical activity your Frenchie needs can vary from dog to dog. Make sure your French Bulldog has enough regular exercise as this will help with boredom or restlessness. If your Frenchie is alone throughout the day, try finding extra time for walking and regular playtime while you’re home.
It’s a good idea to give your Frenchie a range of exciting chew toys that could prove to be more exciting and interesting than rocks. In general, it can be helpful to purchase several different types of dog toys so that you can give your French Bulldog a lot of choices to distract them.
If your Frenchie already has found a rock, try taking it away and giving them a chew toy instead.
You should also encourage your French Bulldog if they play with their toys. Rewarding your Frenchie for positive actions can help them understand which things they should be playing with and which they must not be, and shifting their actions in this way can be quite successful.
Teach Them Drop It
Training your Frenchie the Drop It command is another important step, and this is one of the first instructions you should educate every new dog or puppy.
If you’re sure that your Frenchie will obey the Drop it command, you may let your French Bulldog off the leash because you’re secure in knowing that any nonfood things and rocks they will leave or let go of whenever you ask them to do so.