The other day a friend mentioned her dog got sick after eating a bunch of rocks and grass. I’d be looking for a cause instead of locking my dog in an empty crate to prevent them from eating everything. I always give my dog the benefit of the doubt. Your dog might suffer from GI issues, stomach pain, tumors, an endocrine condition, diabetes … When dealing with pica, look for the fire. High cortisol, a stress hormone, is another form of fire that the dog is trying to put out. Pica can be a symptom of high blood cortisol levels, whether artificial, such as a dog being on steroids, or internal, such as a dog suffering from Cushing’s disease. That certainly qualifies as fire.Īnother friend’s dog would fall into an “eat everything” rage when on steroids. It took many veterinary visits until Bridget was finally diagnosed with chronic pancreatitis. Enough grass to explode, blankets, toys … it was believed she was doing that to make herself throw up. The better question is, how elusive is the fire, really? Enter Bridget. What can be this elusive fire the dog is trying to put out? We ended up dabbling into integrative veterinary medicine for a different reason, but we did that because conventional medicine could not provide an answer or a solution to Jasmine’s problems. When you’re approach doesn’t get good results, it’s necessary to change a point of view. “The dog was trying to put out a fire, literally.” ~Dr. Trying to manage the problem has become frustrating enough for the owners to consult with an integrative practitioner. I remember a story from Four Paws, Five Directions about a dog who would wolf down everything in sight to get sick and even require surgery. “Pica could be related to nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalance, intestinal parasites or diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s, gastritis or inflammatory bowel disease.” ~ Dr. However, with my dogs, I always want to rule out any possibility of a medical reason first. Though that is sometimes true, is that all there is to it? I don’t believe so.Īnxiety, depression, or frustration could cause your dog’s destructive behavior and perhaps pica as well. Typically, pica is chalked up to a behavioral problem. What if your adult dog starts eating everything in sight? She had to learn that some things are meant to be chewed on, and some are not. Cookie, when we adopted her, would chew up anything in sight.
There is a difference between chewing things up and actually eating them, too.Ī bored, stressed, or uneducated dog can shred just about anything they find.
To complicate matters further, human dwellings are packed with inedible stuff. Some of these things might smell very attractive (to a dog), such as dirty socks or underwear. The rationale in their minds is that if it fits in the mouth, it’s meant to be eaten unless proven otherwise. Puppies, of course, are a different story they are still learning what is edible and what is not, and what better way to learn than by eating random things to find out? Puppies explore the world with their noses and mouths, just like kids do. Why would a dog not know what is food and what is not?
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