Wood Shavings in Kennel - Page 1

My dogs end up ingesting some wood shavings from the litter in their kennel. I try to feed them in a cement area in their pens but they always end up bringing their meal back to the wood shavings and consequently ingest some of it. Is this a bad thing? Anyone else have this problem?

I use pine & cedar shavings in my kennel. My dogs never eat them. They just eat the food in the bowls. Do you leave the food out all day? Or do you put the food bowls in only at feeding time? Perhaps if the food is left out, the horse around the kennel and stir up the shavings, landing in the bowl? If not, I would watch to see if they are actually eating the shavings directly. Too many will BLOCK the intestinal track.

Hucklebuck is correct, wood chips will in fact cause an intestinal blockage. It may help to try and perhaps crate the dogs while eating? Intestinal blockages are nothing to fool around with, not only is it costly surgery, it can kill the dog if you don't notice it in time.

If you have the food bowls raised off the ground and feed dry commercial food then they shouldn't eat the wood shavings, but with meat, yes they tend to take it out of the bowl and drag it round in the shavings! I usually feed my dogs outside of the kennels and avoid his problem.

Most young dogs (1 year and under) in my kennel will sample the shavings or chew on them when they are first put in the kennel. I've asked my vet about this and he said small quantities will generally not be a problem, but if they ingest large amounts, you can get a blockage as mentioned by others. He suggested putting a spoonful of peanut butter in the food for the first few days a dog is in a kennel with shavings because it helps lubricate the digestive tract and helps them pass the wood. I've never had a dog continue to eat/chew shavings past the first couple of days and do give the peanut butter in the beginning. The adults seem to know not to eat them without sampling and I've never had a problem. If feeding raw, I'd feed away from the shavings because they do tend to get meat coated in wood by accident. Has anyone actually had a dog get a blockage from eating shavings in the kennel?

I did when I was using shavings under a a litter of ten week old pups she appearantly had been eating them she ruptured herself inside with a sharp harder piece that came in the bag and died. I dont use them under dogs anymore. May be a little extreme but I only used them under pups my adults are not kenneled and therefore didnt use them anymore. Only pup to have had a problem with it had no clue she was eating them as they were not fed on the shavings did not want meat smell or drippings on thier bedding.

I know lots of people use wood shavings, but in my research they ended up coming up as a bad idea over and over and over. Yes, many dogs do eat them, for a variety of reasons. And that can and has resulted in disaster. Many dogs are really allergic to wood shavings, especially cedar. The cedar is used in pet bed industry not because it is good for the dogs, but because humans like it. Also wood attracts molds/fungus. Fungus can and does also kill dogs, but often it is unrecognized because it has been inhaled. Of course, fungus are ubiquitous in the environment, but there is no reason to help provide the kind of living conditions favorable for growth. For these and other reasons, I would stay away from wood shavings.

I will feed my pups a big hunk on vasaline every morning and night and this will help pass through anything that they have eaten, rocks, woodchips ect. I do use the shavings under the pups as this keeps them from always wanting to poop and pee on the decks or patio of the new owners.Then when the get to thier new homes I just tell them to put out the woodchips where they want the dog to go and they do and the pups will go to that area of the yard and go potty. But I did have a pup eat them and get sick and we had to give her an enama to pass though all the shavings this is when I started giving the vasaline, and I have never had a problem sinse. Heather

it was determined not an impaction that caused death of this pick of litter but was a wood chip cut her inside when she swallowed it vasaline can not help this I only used the shavings under the pups in box and changed three times daily so molds mildews were also not a problem i used pine not cedar as the oil is too harsh for them.

oh that is horriable. I do get my shavings from the feed store, and they are for the show horses in the area, and are pretty fine. I do find that other bags that i have bought out of need, did have these large peices that you are talking about. I stay away from that type as much as I can. I use the mixed pine/cedar, keeps the pups smelling good.