Curbing grass eating

Food, Fitness and how to keep them healthy.

Postby DeeNtheChillas » May 25th, 2010, 10:45 pm

I cannot get Valentino to stop eating enormous chunks of grass out of the yard (mowing clippings) and then yacking it all up later that day. I try while we are walking (always on-lead) to prevent him from eating it by walking quickly, correcting him when he picks it up, only going out to do the business and then back inside but God only knows what his father is letting him do while I'm at work...

He has been a grazer since the day I got him (and before that, I remember from visiting him at his foster's) but ever since he was put on S/D he acts like he's starving 24/7. S/D isn't great for growing puppies, and I know S/D can make them behave like they are ravenous at all times, so I'm hoping his urine analysis next week will show no remaining crystals so he can get back on his normal food. (He's been on the S/D for a week today).

Other than eliminating the clippings - which isn't really feasible - what can I do to curb this behavior? If he has to be on S/D beyond next week I'll probably lose my mind anyway (I hate feeding it...) without this adding to it!
Dee and the furry babies:
Lizz (11 y/o beagle x toy fox terrier)
Blazer (7 y/o chihuahua x boston terrier)
Valentino (less than a year old pit bull)
Tyler and Victoria, the kitties
and the 'chillas
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Postby amazincc » May 25th, 2010, 11:03 pm

Faust HATED S/D... wouldn't touch it.
Do you think it's *feeling hungry* that's making Valentino eat grass? Mine usually do it when they try to settle their stomachs...
Have you tried adding unseasoned green beans for volume (to make him feel fuller), or is that a no-no for his condition?
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Postby DeeNtheChillas » May 27th, 2010, 8:20 am

I think the grass is what he's trying to eat to fill himself up - :|

Unfortunately, he can only have S/D and nothing else, with no exceptions.
Dee and the furry babies:
Lizz (11 y/o beagle x toy fox terrier)
Blazer (7 y/o chihuahua x boston terrier)
Valentino (less than a year old pit bull)
Tyler and Victoria, the kitties
and the 'chillas
Humble Acres Chinchillas
http://www.humbleacreschinchillas.com
DeeNtheChillas
Snot Nose Bully Pup
 
Posts: 118
Location: Western NY

Postby LMM » May 27th, 2010, 8:23 am

Hey Dee, why is it that he can have S/D with no exceptions?! Is it from the UTI?
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Postby DeeNtheChillas » May 27th, 2010, 11:44 pm

S/D is for eliminating the struvite crystals. He's on antibiotics for the UTI.
Hopefully he'll be off of it and back on his puppy food Tuesday if his UA comes back normal...
Dee and the furry babies:
Lizz (11 y/o beagle x toy fox terrier)
Blazer (7 y/o chihuahua x boston terrier)
Valentino (less than a year old pit bull)
Tyler and Victoria, the kitties
and the 'chillas
Humble Acres Chinchillas
http://www.humbleacreschinchillas.com
DeeNtheChillas
Snot Nose Bully Pup
 
Posts: 118
Location: Western NY

Postby call2arms » May 28th, 2010, 8:49 am

Royal canin Urinary SO (available at the vet) is also good for dissolving struvites, and usually dogs like it more than s/d. Ask your vet if it's ok for him?
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Postby Ino » May 28th, 2010, 10:25 am

Ino & the neighbor's dogs have the grass (and occasioanlly mud) eating habit too (especially after it rains), but I have noticed when they take the Ark Naturals pet wafers (I will link below to the ones the holistic vet put Ino on), the grass & mud eating is much less frequent. He was actually put on them and a mineral pill by the vet because of his nail breaking but they did seem to help with a lot of things. The neighbor's 12 yr old GSD seemed to really benefit- her skin was doing better (she kept getting dry spots) and she had a UTI that the antibiotics cleared up but her urine was still dark and was burning her skin on her legs and feet until she started taking them. I am not sure whether some of it was coincidence, but it did seem to make a lot of the symptoms on both of them better. It may be the antioxidants, but I dont know. The link is to the company website (I get the smaller bottle, which is cheaper from my vet) but maybe ask your vet if they are safe once the struvite thing clears up. I do not know if these will interfere with his treatment or not- so the vet is best to ask about it. Here is the link http://www.arknaturals.com/product.aspx?pid=375
I hope Valentino feels better soon!!!
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Postby DeeNtheChillas » May 29th, 2010, 7:47 am

Val loves the S/D - I have no issue getting him to eat it. It's the grass eating that's the issue! lol
We carry SO at the clinic but only the feline because any dogs we put on S/D seem to eat it without issue. The cats are a different story. Any time we've gotten SO in for the dogs it sat on the shelf and expired... too bad too, because that comes in a dry version!

No vomit since the night I made this post, knock on wood. We've been hyper-vigilant when he's outdoors. Hopefully doing so will get us through to Tuesday when I do his next urine analysis...

Thanks for the supplement link too. Dr. Mount should be able to tell me what she thinks about this too, if it continues after he's off the S/D. I can ask her anytime - since I work with her - but Blazer has an appointment coming up when I could talk to her as well.
Dee and the furry babies:
Lizz (11 y/o beagle x toy fox terrier)
Blazer (7 y/o chihuahua x boston terrier)
Valentino (less than a year old pit bull)
Tyler and Victoria, the kitties
and the 'chillas
Humble Acres Chinchillas
http://www.humbleacreschinchillas.com
DeeNtheChillas
Snot Nose Bully Pup
 
Posts: 118
Location: Western NY


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