# wood eatting



## jenfer2134 (Aug 25, 2010)

I have a 4month old puppy, and i'm trying to figure out why she is eatting wood... It could be anything from; bark, sticks, and wood. when she eats the wood she picks up the remaining pieces and eats them like there a treat!! We give her plenty of raw hides but its usually the same ones because all she does is hide them all. The rawhides that we do give her are about 2pointer fingers longs and their a stick, or some pig ears. so I need help ... i guess my questions are; 
1. is this a normal behavor for german shepherds? 
2. Or does she do this because she's not interested in the normal raw-hides that she gets or are they to small for her?

Please help me... THANK YOU>>>>:smirk:


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

she could be lacking something in her diet. thats actually one of the causes dogs eat poo. its a nutrient deficiency. i would suggest giving her large rawhide, something heavier, to keep her interest. Also you know those beef bones you can get at pet stores that look like they just slaughtered the cow and wrapped it up? Those have flavor that your pup may find more appealing than rawhide. They're more expensive but worth it if it gives your pup something safe to chew on. Keep an eye on your pup and try to keep stick and such away from her. She should be chewing on approved items which are generally safer than most but still carry some risks.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

She's just a baby in a new world and is pretty much trying everything she sees out. Trying stuff out in puppy terms meets to taste and bite. 

I know when lucy was that age that she was constantly picking up things and chewing on them no matter what they were. It's because they're so new to this world and everything seems so fun and curious.

Just keep an eye on your puppy and make sure she doesn't pick up something she's not supposed to have. Keep her busy with lots of treams and toys for distractions. Just keep an eye on her at all times.


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## PDXDeutschhund (Sep 22, 2010)

I've noticed Dutch has an affinity for sticks. I don't think he's trying to eat them, but boy does he love to pick them up and chew on them. 

Funny thing about pets trying to find nutrients in strange places... my Fiance has two cats and one of them LOVES to eat toilet paper. It's the funniest thing ever.


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## Lucy Dog (Aug 10, 2008)

PDXDeutschhund said:


> Funny thing about pets trying to find nutrients in strange places... my Fiance has two cats and one of them LOVES to eat toilet paper. It's the funniest thing ever.


I really don't think that these puppies are trying to get nutrients from sticks. I mean unless these pups are being starved, and i'm pretty sure they're not. it's just something new to them and they're treating these sticks like they would any new toy.


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## PDXDeutschhund (Sep 22, 2010)

Lucy Dog said:


> I really don't think that these puppies are trying to get nutrients from sticks. I mean unless these pups are being starved, and i'm pretty sure they're not. it's just something new to them and they're treating these sticks like they would any new toy.


That may be so.... but a cat.... eating toilet paper.....


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Rawhide isn't a great idea, find some other thing for her to chew- bully sticks are good. My pups love sticks too, they pull the bark off of them but I don't think they actually consume wood.


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## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

My blue heeler used to eat large sticks on our farm like they were bones ! Right down to the splinters and he was as healthy as jane fonda . I say let your dog chew ....


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## kiya (May 3, 2010)

I would discourage the wood chewing, I've heard horror stories about splinters of wood getting lodged in thier mouths.


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## jenfer2134 (Aug 25, 2010)

thank you everyone for your reply... it helped out alot..


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## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Yup, my girl is part beaver too. I heard from the breeder that her siblings are too. She doesn't eat a lot of it but loves the feeling in her mouth .... and she's all grown up. Could be an enzyme or mineral deficiency but don't know. She is very healthy and eats Orijen. Maybe SOME grain in her diet wouldn't be a bad thing (?)


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## JustMeLeslie (Sep 15, 2010)

Both of my dogs love chewing on sticks. You just need to monitor the puppy to make sure nothing gets lodged in its throat. I buy the wood sticks in the rabbit section for my puppy and she just loves them. They are safe for all critters not just rabbits. I also buy the apple wood sticks in that section. I always monitor her whether it is sticks outside or the wooden ones I buy. My dogs get good food and supplements and vitamins so it is not a nutrional thing. They just love chewing on wood.


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## fgshepherd (Sep 1, 2010)

PDXDeutschhund said:


> my Fiance has two cats and one of them LOVES to eat toilet paper. It's the funniest thing ever.


That is funny! My cat used to like to chew on my emery board. She'd chew it a bit, then lick off all of the grittiness, leaving me with basically a popsicle stick. Coo coo!!:crazy:


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## Deuce (Oct 14, 2010)

It's a dog thing  I agree with what was said before about the large bone as opposed to the rawhide. I've never owned a dog that showed any interest in rawhides.


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## Dennq (Jun 21, 2010)

My friend gives his Labs. green wood from apple trees that he has trimmed. Dunno but it's not something I would do.

Be careful with cherry trees, their leaves and cherry stones.
They contain cyanide a powerful toxin.


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## KaiserGSDLove (Oct 21, 2010)

Pig ears are bad for dogs they can cause stomach problems


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## Stevensondrive (Jul 20, 2010)

I wish I knew where Brutus got all his sticks. he has a huge pile in the middle of the yard. He love to chew on sticks, 2x4"s, the deck, rocks, and just about anything


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## lisgje (Sep 3, 2010)

My previous GSD would chew wood and spit it out,, not eat it. Chance eats it. Then he throws it up the next morning, pretty gross. I try to keep all sticks out of the yard and since I have a wood stove, have to bring in wood one piece at a time to put in the stove or he will grab huge pieces of wood and try to chew them up like a beaver. Bully sticks are a great alternative. Not a fan of rawhides as when they get down to a certain size, they get stuck in his throat, (they get very sticky). I can always tell if he has gotten into wood as he pukes it up the next morning, usually around 4 AM. Ick.


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