Last week I yapped about coprophagy, the comsumption of feces, the reasons your good dog may be a pawfessional poo hunter & a few solutions to this behaviour.  You can read about it by pawing this link, Is Your Dog A Coprophagist?  This week I will dogscuss Pica.

Eating things that are not food is a disorder called Pica. The most common thing a dog suffering from Pica will eat is rocks but they might eat other things such as clothing, cardboard or plastic. Obviously this can be very harmful to the dog.

Compulsive pica does not apply to puppies, who are naturally curious & explore the world through their mouths. Fortunately, with a little discouragement from their caregivers, puppies grow out of this behavior by the time they’re one year old.

There are generally two causes of pica in dogs. First is a lack of nutrition, either from eating poor quality food or from poor digestion due to an underlying medical condition. The second cause is a compulsive disorder often triggered by boredom.

According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), compulsive behavior won’t go away on its own. Your good dog will require special training to curb this potentially dangerous behavior. Pica can be a serious problem because items such as rubber bands, socks, rocks, & string can severely damage or block your dog’s intestines.

Being proactive in curbing the behavior by engaging your dog in activities that are fun & rewarding is pawsitively recommended. Tug games & sports such as agility can be a fun way for your good dog to burn off steam & reduce boredom. Crating or having a space that you can control your dog’s choice of chewing when you’re away from home is another measure to safeguard your good dog from eating the wrong things when you’re away.

Another pawsome strategy to make things us dogs shouldn’t  chew less appealing is to spray taste dogterrents on those things your dog is most likely to eat. Pawducts such as Bitter Apple or Bitter YUCK! can be pawchased at most pet supply stores. When first using a dogterrent, apply a small amount to a piece of tissue & place it directly into your dog’s mouth. Allow your dog to taste it & then spit it out. See if your dog reacts & finds the taste unpleasant. If so, your fur legger will begin to associate the smell with they don’t like in their mouth. Spray the non-food objects that he or she usually eats & reapply the deterrent every day for two to four weeks to reinforce the avoidance behavior.  Nose, there are some of us dogs who are not dogterrent by Bitter Apple.

If you think your good dog may be suffering from Pica you should have a thorough examination by your vet. A complete blood screening, a biochemical profile & urinalysis will be required. Abdominal x-rays should also be done to dogtermine if there are any gastrointestinal abnormalities such as a tumor or foreign bodies that were ingested and stuck in the stomach or intestines.

If Pica is a compulsive disorder, proper training, more play time & plenty of exercise may be the key. A Knotty Chaw Chaw or Mighty Gnaw may be ideal for playing tug or fetch.  Our Mighty Gnaw or Big Gnaw all hemp toys would pawvide a wagnificent chew for good dogs who chew out of bordom. *Note:  always supervise your good dog when introducing a new chew toy*

 

 

Have a pawsome week, CEO Olivia, Dot, Jerry Underfoot & Eddy💜

 

 

PS 🐾 Looking for wagnifient healthy & furbulously fun toys or pawsibly a supplement for the well being of your pawtacular good dog or cat? Shop Naturally

Join my pack at knottytoysforgooddogs.com