Puppy obsessed with eating walls

[Izwebusr]

Hi Everyone:

 

I was hoping there might be some information out there that can be useful. Our puppy (13 weeks) is obsessed with eating the cement wall. Usually he picks a part that has moisture and eats the paint and the cement. He might be attracted to the fungus that I am guessing must form in humid walls. But he even starts chewing in parts of the wall that are not visibly humid. He has already made himself sick (vomiting and diarrhea). It is impossible to watch him 24 hours a day and we do our best but any time he is left alone, he will find some part of the wall to eat.

 

I am feeding him Cibau for puppies ("super premium" dog food) and I am not rationing it. That is, he eats what fills him every meal and he gets three meals a day. I am therefore pretty sure he does not do this because he is hungry. As a matter of fact, I have seen him go after the wall seconds after finishing his meal and leaving the kibble on his plate.

 

This is absolutely frustrating and we are concerned that he is poisoning himself. Not sure what to do!

 

Thanks

[Gloria Atwater]

I see you've made a couple of posts about your pup's problems. I'm very sorry you are experiencing such heartache.

I'm no expert on this sort of thing, but it sounds like an obsessive-compulsive behavior. This has nothing to do with hunger but rather something gone a bit wrong in his state of mind. Does he have plenty of proper toys to play with? Is he getting time outside to play and romp? Are you working with him on baby obedience training? His attention span will be very short, so you don't want to drill him, but you can do lots of little things with him during the day. Are you interacting with him regularly, play and pets? Boredom can contribute to such things - plus he is also teething.

Meanwhile, please get him a crate and possibly also an x-pen to create a larger "safe" area. If you can't be home or can't supervise him, he must be confined. He's too young to have free run of the house, anyhow, as puppies his age can also get hurt chewing wires or ingesting bad things around the home.

But you might also ask your vet about nutrition, if there's anything he might be missing. I don't know the brand of dog food you name.

Anyhow, some more details per my questions might be able to help us help you.

~ Gloria

[Gloria Atwater]

P.S.
For anyone else reading this, I think I found the dog food and it gives nutritional info:
https://www.dogspot.in/cibau-medium-breed-puppy-food-08-kg/

Cibau Medium Breed Puppy Food - 0.8 Kg

If you have a medium breed pup, you will require food that meets the nutritional needs of this medium sized breed dog.Cibau Medium breed puppy food has been specially designed to meet the nutritional needs for Medium breed puppies who weigh upto 11 - 25 kgs and are between the age of 8 months - 18 months. The food is present in the form of kibble that is packed with natural ingredients that support and promote the growth of a strong muscoskeletal structureand a healthy digestive system. The nutritional content also helps in develop strong cognitive functions that make the pups sharp. Micro nutritients present in the kibble also promote soft shiny fur and a good skin. The food also builds a strong immune system. Chewing of kibble is also helpful in maintaining a good periodontal health. This is a complete food and does not require any additives

Features

• Ideal for medium breed puppies who are between 8 months - 18 months of age
• Contains a balanced nutritional content to support muscoskeletal growth and cognitive development
• Kibble form keeps away periodontal problems
• Helps maintain soft skin and shiny fur
• Helps build immunity and a healthy digestive system

• Quantity -800 grams
• Breed - Medium breed
• Breed Lifecycle - Puppies from 8 - 18 months of age
• Type: Non vegetarian
• Ingredients - Dehydrated chicken meat (36%), rice (25%), corn (15%), chicken fat (14%), dehydrated fish, dried beetroot pulp (3%), fish oil (3%), vegetable oil (1%), sodium chloride, dried brewer’s yeast (0.3%).

[Izwebusr]

Thanks very much for your reply. I should have added that information in my original post, sorry.

 

The puppy gets plenty of attention and interaction. He is almost always with someone. He gets exercise by chasing balls, playing chase, or just running in the yard. He has plenty of toys, including chewing toys. He particularly likes stuffed animals which he growls at and bites. He also chews a lot on rawhide snacks (by the way, is this safe?). I also train him in short sessions. He has learned sit, shake, stay, lay, come here, go to your crate. He has also come a long way in being toilet-trained. As his housebreaking reliability increases, he has increasing freedom in the house and usually stays close to one of us by either interacting, napping close by or just keeping each other company.

 

He does have a crate and we use it to housebreak him and to keep him safe when we can't watch him for short periods of time. For longer periods, we hesitate to leave him there for so long (say over a couple of hours).

 

As always, thanks for your help.

[Maja]

My fist BC reacted to household conflicts (arguing, tension) by licking walls. Maybe somebody is under pressure in the family? My BC are very sensitive to this sort of thing. E.g. one of them is a migraine detector before I have any inkling of it coming.

 

Of course there is also the option that it is simply one of silly things that puppies do, like rock chewing.

 

However, Gloria's info on the food indicates that the puppy is too small for this food.

[denice]

I think pups are like toddlers, everything goes in the mouth. I would think it is due to being a pup and liking to chew. Sometimes they are are drawn to corners of things, maybe due to location, height, texture...

I would try a kong with a bit of peanut butter or something else that he might like to chew on that is fine for him to do that. I stay away from rawhides myself.

If you do not want to crate I would get an x pen that is still safe but a bit larger so he can entertain himself safely

[DutchBorderfan]

This to me simply sounds like a puppy that is teething..

It really hurts, and it helps to chew / scrape etc.

 

My puppy scraped the drywall off as well, and that stopped after a few weeks.

 

I got her to lay off the walls a bit by giving enough different soft chewy stuff: nylabone, soaked in broth, I even soaked washcloths in broth and froze them so she could cool her mouth a bit. That helped a lot.

 

And indeed: just get a crate and start crate training immediately. You'll safe your puppy and you a lot of frustration.

 

Also: I don't think a puppy of 13 weeks has a high likelihood of compulsive behaviour, the world is new and exciting and stimulating enough to not be bored. I wouldnt worry about that.

 

Try crating, and help ease the pain of teething, if that doesn't work (and it probably will), see a vet.

[terrecar]

If you do decide to use a stuffed kong (my dogs love these), please read the ingredient list before using peanut butter. There are a few brands of peanut butter that contain xylitol, which is quite toxic to dogs. Some of the brands are listed here:

 

http://www.preventivevet.com/xylitol-products-toxic-for-dogs

[Izwebusr]

Thank you all so much for your posts full of information and things to try.

 

We have had lots of visitors in the past couple of weeks because of the holidays and some are actually staying with us. Maybe this change in routine and surroundings has been hard on the puppy and he is acting out. If they are that sensitive, this could be a cause. We should return to normal by the weekend and hope that helps him.

 

The frozen washcloths seem like a great idea. I will try that as well.

 

As for the food, I think the details posted might be for a slightly different version. The bag says the food is for puppies from 6 to 41 weeks.

 

Thanks for the tip on xylitol. Had not heard of that risk. We've only given him a bit of peanut butter once to try to get him hooked on the kong. From us he usually just has kibble and dog snacks for training. On his own, he swallows dirt (when he is in the garden) and cement from the wall!

 

About crating, we do use a crate to housebreak him, transport him (to vet), and he sometimes naps there out of his own preference. However, come to think of it, he does spend little time actually locked in the crate. Maybe we should increase that.

 

Thank you all, once again.

[D'Elle]

My basic philosophy when it comes to puppies is to make it impossible for them to do what they are not supposed to do. It should not be difficult to keep him away from the walls that he is chewing.

 

Several good possible reasons for the chewing have been suggested, and any of them could be true, but the main thing is: keep him away from the wall.

 

There is no harm in keeping a pup in a crate for hours at a time if that is necessary and if the dog is getting lots of proper attention and exercise at other times. An X-pen is an even better solution for an older pup because it gives more freedom of movement and space than a crate does. A pup of that age should never be left unsupervised in an open space, even for a few minutes. There are too many ways that the pup can get into trouble - read: danger. I once got distracted while in the same room with a puppy of about the age of yours and in less than a minute she had chewed through multiple electric cords. It was just good fortune that none were plugged in. I learned my lesson.

 

Eating a cement wall is very unhealthy....and I cannot help but worry that the paint you refer to might contain lead. Even if it does not, it is toxic. It's up to you to protect this little guy.

 

I know that you are having a few different issues with this puppy, and hope that all can be resolved. Please keep us informed. We all wish you the best of luck with him.

[DutchBorderfan]

I second everything D'Elle says.

 

If it's just try wall and no paint: I'm under the impression that drywall itself, so basic plasterboard, is not toxic, however, it can clump together in the stomach / intestines, and then form a blockage, so make sure to monitor your pups bowel movements, and if he's eaten a lot, I would go see a vet.

[Gloria Atwater]

Definitely border collies are sensitive to changes in their environment. Lots of visitors and changes in routine are very likely to cause the pup to change behavior. Remember, border collies were bred to be on the farm where there is not a lot of changes and not many people or outside stimulus. Reading your other responses, it's possible he's just overstimulated by all the visitors and his puppy brain got too full. Even people playing with him and being nice to him can be a lot for a puppy to take in.

Is the dirt eating and cement wall chewing a new behavior? If it is, then I'd say it could just be due to all the activity around the house or possibly teething, rather than being an obsessive behavior. The frozen washcloth is a great idea!

As for crate time, I am a firm believer in crating when you can't watch a puppy. As you're seeing with the wall and cement chewing, he could hurt himself or cause serious intestinal upsets. He can certainly learn to take his naps and down-time in a crate, and you might also look into X-pens. They give him more room but keep him away from things he should not chew.

Bottom line, it's your job to remove his access to things he isn't allowed to chew on. Whatever it takes, it will be better for him and may save his teeth, his health and certainly your house!

As for peanut butter, I believe that so long as you stick with prominent brand names like Jif of Skippy or the like, and avoid any that say "lower suger" or "natural sweeteners," you should be okay. I read that the xylitol is presently only used in a few odd brands, but not by the prominent, well known regular brands.

 

~ Gloria

 

Thank you all so much for your posts full of information and things to try.

 

We have had lots of visitors in the past couple of weeks because of the holidays and some are actually staying with us. Maybe this change in routine and surroundings has been hard on the puppy and he is acting out. If they are that sensitive, this could be a cause. We should return to normal by the weekend and hope that helps him.

 

The frozen washcloths seem like a great idea. I will try that as well.

 

As for the food, I think the details posted might be for a slightly different version. The bag says the food is for puppies from 6 to 41 weeks.

 

Thanks for the tip on xylitol. Had not heard of that risk. We've only given him a bit of peanut butter once to try to get him hooked on the kong. From us he usually just has kibble and dog snacks for training. On his own, he swallows dirt (when he is in the garden) and cement from the wall!

 

About crating, we do use a crate to housebreak him, transport him (to vet), and he sometimes naps there out of his own preference. However, come to think of it, he does spend little time actually locked in the crate. Maybe we should increase that.

 

Thank you all, once again.

 

[alligande]

My puppy is now 9 months old, when we got him at 10 weeks he spent a lot of time in his crate. He was either playing with us, outside with us or in the crate. This prevented him from making house training mistakes and getting himself into mischief. Over time we build up how much time he spent out of the crate, at 9 months he sleeps out of the crate at night but still goes in when left at home alone. He has always been a good puppy, but even good puppies get into mischief as they are curious playful creatures, and just when you think they have forgotten all about a favorite forbidden item, you find them with it (my husband rescued my underwear as I was typing this ) basically puppy raising is all about vigilance.

[D'Elle]

About the peanut butter: I would avoid brands like Jiff or Skippy because they are full of sugar, which no dog, especially a border collie puppy, needs. Most commercial brands also have multiple chemicals in them.

 

The only brand I buy for myself or the dogs is Trader Joe's because the only ingredient is peanuts. You can find other brands that have only peanuts in them but they usually cost more than T. Joe's.