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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>HI, Janice and <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Nancy</st1:place></st1:City>,<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'>This is a post I wrote to another list
about having a rock-eater. I know I’ve sent one or two to the DD, but I
can’t pull up anything except recent posts on the archives, so this one
will have to do. Sorry, I’m on grant deadline today, so you’re both
getting “recycled” info. If you have any specific questions that I
haven’t addressed here, drop me a line and I’ll respond tonight or
tomorrow...<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I thought I would write to you, since I <br>
have Surprise the Rock-Eating Basset. She has had surgery four times, and <br>
has had at least three other rock-passing incidents that I am aware of, <br>
probably more.<br>
<br>
So, I do have a couple of pieces of advice....<br>
<br>
1. Get her insured. Now! At <a href="http://www.petcareinsurance.com">www.petcareinsurance.com</a>,
you will find an <br>
accidental injury policy that is very inexpensive - Their Quick Care policy <br>
specifically covers surgery for "ingested objects". It's about $10/ month,
and <br>
they pay up to $2,000 for surgery for rocks, socks, and other items that <br>
have to be removed surgically - your only cost is $50 deductible per <br>
surgery. They covered my girl Surprise after she had already had two <br>
surgeries, and they didn't blink an eye at covering her next two surgeries - <br>
a total cost of $3,500 that they reimbursed, and although I was convinced <br>
they would cancel me after the 2nd surgery, they never have. I figure I can <br>
cover her for life for what I would pay for one more surgery. Don't wait for <br>
her 2nd surgery - at the rate she's going, she's going to need another one, <br>
so don't delay. There's a two-day wait period for the insurance to be <br>
effective.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Go fill out the application for insurance, and then come back and read
the rest of this. I’m really not kidding.<br>
<br>
2. Take this very seriously. There are only so many times your vet can go <br>
back in and remove objects. Each surgery carries a real risk - not only the <br>
immediate risk of surgery and anesthesia, but the long-term risk of <br>
adhesions. A relative of my girl Surprise ate a large number of rocks, had <br>
surgery to remove them, and a year later developed adhesions from the <br>
original rock surgery, his intestine got looped under an adhesion, and he <br>
ended up losing five feet of his intestine. He will be on a home-cooked diet <br>
for the rest of his life because of the damage to his digestive system.<br>
<br>
3. Put her on concrete or concrete block. She's a proven rock eater, so you
clearly cannot trust her not to keep eating her way towards the ground.
It's not just rocks that can damage the intestines - even without harmful
preservative chemicals, wood does splinter and break up and can lead to
intestinal perforation or blockage.<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>Until you can contain her, block her access to the yard unless you are
standing there watching her. Put a muzzle on her if you must, (a cage muzzle is
best for long-term wear) but don’t trust that entirely. Surprise’s
last rock-eating surgery was the result of her getting the muzzle off during a
20 minute phone call I was on with my mom, and eating a BIG rock. Thank god she
was insured at that point – see point number 1 above and go buy her
insurance right now...<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
I built Surprise a 40 X 40 foot fenced concrete block patio. It's a pain in the
<br>
butt, because *all five* of my dogs now have to wait until I open the gate <br>
to go out into the fully fenced 1/3 acre yard to play - but I cannot take <br>
the risk of further rock eating by Surprise, so she cannot have free access <br>
to the yard.<br>
<br>
My co-owner has her sister, who also has a taste for rocks. She had a <br>
different solution - her dogs have access only to a gravel yard. She went <br>
down several feet, laid landscape cloth, then screened dirt, then sand, then <br>
pea-gravel, which will pass through as long as they don't ingest huge <br>
amounts at one time. <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><br>
Sorry to be the voice of doom - but I cannot tell you what it's like to wait <br>
out a fourth surgery, not knowing if your beloved bitch will pull through <br>
one more time. I've been very lucky, because Surprise has lived and <br>
thrived - but only because I opted to install industrial-strength <br>
protection!<br>
<br>
RE: Causation - I've heard the minerals stuff, and I feed a high quality <br>
diet and supplement with minerals and vitamins. A lot of this is what people <br>
have heard about human pica. Not sure if it works the same way with dogs...<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>I talked with one Bloodhound breeder who had a <br>
number of her rock-eating dogs tested for irritable bowel syndrome (she had <br>
punch biopsies of the bowel done while they were under anesthesia for rocks <br>
and/or spays) and she says that she found 100% correlation between <br>
rock-eating and irritable bowel syndrome. I haven't personally seen any <br>
indication of irritable bowel problems in my girl, so I'm not convinced on <br>
that and I'm not going to put her under to do the biopsy when she's had so <br>
many abdominal surgeries already....That's all I've heard on causation so <br>
far...<br>
<br>
Good luck....Feel free to write back if you have any questions.<br>
<br>
Sylvie McGee<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'>HeavenScent Bassets and<br>
Cascadia Basset Rescue<br>
<a href="mailto:sylviemcgee@comcast.net">sylviemcgee@comcast.net</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=navy face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:navy'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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