When Dogs Eat Things That Aren't Food
Pica in Dogs
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Dogs sometimes take to eating items that aren't food. They
can range from bits of toys, fabric, rocks, socks, pieces of vinyl, pieces of
plastic, panty hose and cardboard to name just a few items. Some are
relatively harmless while others can be fatal.
Puppies in particular may lick, mouth, chew or ingest anything
they can find so it's important to pick things up off the floor and put them
away in a closet. They may inadvertently eat something that isn't food but
they will generally grow out of this behavior in a few months.
Sometimes dogs will ingest things like rocks while picking up a
ball or eating something tasty on the ground. They don't deliberately
crave and eat rocks or twigs or dirt and will usually pass these small items
naturally.
Pica, on the other hand, is the persistent, deliberate eating of
non-nutritive items. It occurs in humans, particularly children, as well
as animals and may be a result of zinc or iron deficiency, some underlying
disease or be a psychological problem. It can, at times, be fatal.
A dog ingested a pair of pantyhose without anyone's knowledge.
He showed outward signs of distress but the hose did not show up on x-rays and,
after about a month, proved fatal. Other dogs have died from ingesting a
single large rock. Still other dogs have eaten many rocks and survived
after they were surgically removed. Eating non-food items can cause
blockages, displace the appetite for real food or cause toxic reactions.
If your dog shows signs of pica, keep him away from his source
of cravings. Keep him on leash outside and watch what he puts in his
mouth. Make sure he has a nutritionally balanced diet, plenty of exercise
and safe objects to mouth and chew. Have him checked physically for any
underlying diseases.
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