[rebfein]

I'm seeking some help with one of my dogs who eats everything in front of her.

A couple of months ago, both my dogs got sick. I'm not sure how they contracted a virus, but I had the delightful experience of two weeks of doggy diarehha and vomit, before the medicine the vet prescriped did the trick.

During this time, I got rid of all the food and started fresh with everything, food supplements, everything and sanitized all their dishes and belongings. However, India continued to have a problem with very soft stool (I'll never eat soft serve ice cream again!).

Now, India has always been a grazer (i.e. she'll eat anything in sight). I mean it, she's eaten dates off palm trees, the seeds from the same trees, almost anything on the ground, even in some instances cat poop. I even had to give her a Heimlick manuver when she ate a brownie BEFORE I could stop her. Needless to say, she didn't like that, but the brownie came back up. When I'm out with them, I keep watch for items around us that may be a problem for them, food, trash, cats, traffic, etc.

My issue is (and I hope one of you has a viable solution) that short of putting a muzzle on her, what can I do to stop her from doing this? She's a very friendly and sweet natured dog and loves to say hi to people. I just don't want her getting sick again.

Any opinions, suggestions or assistance would be appreciated.

 

[Lillith]

Basket muzzles are great options for grazers. You can look up 'muzzle training' to teach your dog to enjoy the muzzle and not see it as a punishment. Also, work on a good 'leave it' cue. Use good treats like deli meat or cheese, something super awesome and super rewarding.

Also, make sure you manage her surroundings where you can and keep anything she might want to eat off the ground. Don't know if this is possible in your yard, but you can use fencing to keep her out of garden spaces or try to pick up fallen fruit before she gets access. Then she can have at least one safe space where you don't have to worry if she has her muzzle on or not.