These changes can include increased physical activity, improved mental stimulation through puzzles and games, and behavioral training.Īnother important way to care for your dog with pica is to be sure you are careful with what your dog is exposed to in their environment. Depending on the behavioral condition, your veterinarian will likely make recommendations to reduce stress, anxiety, and boredom in your dog. Pica caused by behavioral disorders can be very challenging for veterinarians and owners to manage. Often, after common medical causes are ruled out, your veterinarian may further explore the possibility of a behavioral cause such as stress, boredom, or anxiety. Sometimes a combination of these approaches will be recommended. If the pica is due to a nutritional imbalance, your veterinarian may recommend a certain type of diet, different amounts of food, nutritional supplements, and an adjusted feeding schedule. If an underlying medical condition, such as diabetes mellitus, is diagnosed, treating the root cause of pica will be the cornerstone of treating compulsive eating. After performing a physical exam and thorough history, your veterinarian may recommend baseline blood, urine, and fecal tests as well as imaging such as radiographs or an abdominal ultrasound. If you suspect your dog has pica, an important first step is having your veterinarian thoroughly evaluate your dog for possible causes. Image Credit: Zontica, Shutterstock How Do I Care for a Dog With Pica? Your veterinarian will perform a complete physical exam and may recommend certain diagnostic tests to understand the possible causes of pica in your dog. Your veterinarian will want to take a thorough history of your dog’s behavior, lifestyle, daily activity, and living environment. If you suspect pica in your dog, it is important to consult with your veterinarian to try to understand the possible causes. Separation anxiety may cause a dog to become destructive with objects in their surroundings, including damaging bedding and toys, sometimes resulting in the dog ingesting some of these materials or objects.įor other cases of pica, a dog is suffering from an underlying medical condition such as nutritional imbalance, hormonal disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, internal parasites, or is simply taking medications that can cause an insatiable appetite (such as steroids or phenobarbital). The underlying stress may be due to stress, boredom, or anxiety (particularly separation anxiety or the anxiety that results from being apart from their owner or left alone). For dogs who suffer from behavioral pica, the dog is “stress eating” non-food objects.
Pica can be the result of an underlying medical or behavioral condition in dogs. Dog caretakers should be clued into the common signs of canine pica. Some common secondary problems associated with pica include toxicity, gastrointestinal upset, or in severe cases where an item cannot safely pass through the gastrointestinal tract, they are at risk for a life-threatening intestinal blockage.Īt the very least, pica is an annoying behavior for dog owners, and on the extreme end, pica can be a life-threatening and financially costly behavior. In addition to the gross factor of consuming feces, young puppies and adult dogs that suffer from pica also put themselves at risk for secondary health issues. Puppies also often have coprophagia, but most eventually grow out of this gross habit. Much like human babies, young puppies explore the world with their mouths, so they are especially prone to opportunities to consume non-food items. Coprophagia is considered normal in nursing female dogs as they will lick their newborn puppies’ anuses to stimulate bowel movements in the young pups. One common type of pica is coprophagia (the consumption of feces). Dogs with pica might have a special affinity for consuming one type of item (e.g., their owner’s socks) or they might indiscriminately consume all types of non-food items. Common items ingested by dogs with pica include wood, rocks, plastic, toys, and clothing.
Pica in dogs is a health condition in which dogs compulsively consume non-food items. Because some items can be toxic or too large or sharp to pass through the intestinal tract safely, pica can be quite dangerous for dogs as well as worrisome, frustrating, and costly for dog caretakers. Pica results from either a behavioral or medical condition that leads a dog to repeatedly consume non-food objects. Pica is a condition in dogs characterized by compulsive behavior of ingesting non-food items, such as clothing, toys, wood, and rocks.
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