If items are toxic, they can cause poisoning. Swallowed objects not only pose a choking hazard, they can become lodged in the esophagus, stomach, or intestine, causing life-threatening blockages that require surgery to remove. Pica can be extremely dangerous for pets. Labrador Retrievers and Siamese and Birman cats seem to experience pica more frequently than other breeds. There may even be a genetic predisposition for pica in some breeds of dogs and cats. Psychological causes of pica can include: Nutritional deficiencies can sometimes lead to pica in dogs and cats. Side effects of corticosteroids or anti-seizure medication.Endocrine disorders, such as Cushing’s Disease.Inflammatory Bowel Disease and other gastrointestinal disorders.Pica can be caused by many different things, but there are usually 2 main categories: medical and behavioral. Poop-eating even has its own medical term, “coprophagia” – and it can be a very hard habit to break.Īnything else deemed “non-edible” that is sought out and eaten more than once by a pet is considered to fall into the pica category. These delicacies, which are mostly popular with dogs, are attractive to them because they often simply just enjoy the taste. Two items that don’t fall into the pica category? Trash and poop. Items that carry their human’s scent, like socks, underwear, and hosiery, tend to be particular favorites. Some develop a fondness for one particular item, while others will swallow a wide variety of objects. Pets with pica develop an appetite for some pretty bizarre things, including rocks, dirt, clothing, cat litter, plastic bags, rubber bands, hair ties, even electrical cords and drywall! Pica is a surprisingly common type of eating disorder that causes pets to compulsively crave and eat non-food items, and it can affect both dogs and cats. But what if that “anything” included things that didn’t actually qualify as food? We all seem to have that one friend who can eat anything. only shares products that we strongly believe in and feel would be beneficial for our readers. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)ĭisclosure: This post contains affiliate links, and if you click on them and purchase a product, we will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window).Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window).Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window).Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window).Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window).Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window).Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window).Coger says, “both because of possible serious underlying causes and before it becomes a habit. “I would add that any new, unnatural behavior, such as dirt eating, should be acted upon quickly,” Dr. It’s also possible that your dog could ingest a parasite along with the dirt, which can cause a range of additional health issues. Sharp sticks could puncture the linings of your dog’s mouth, throat, intestine, or stomach. “Depending on the dirt, dental damage or wear could also be a concern.” If the dirt has rocks in it, for example, it could cause damage to your dog’s teeth and cause obstruction in the throat or any point along the digestive tract. The dirt could also contain pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxins that could reach toxic levels if enough dirt was ingested,” Dr. The main risk is impaction of the intestine (hardened stool that gets stuck in the body due to long-term constipation) if your dog eats a lot at once. Bloodwork to look for underlying abnormalities may be helpful in pinpointing a cause.”Īs you may expect, there are risks to letting your dog continually eat dirt. “Changes in stool would be another sign that a vet visit is in order. “If is frequent, intense/manic in nature, or large quantities are consumed, then it’s time to go to the vet,” she says. Coger notes that while stomach and gastrointestinal issues could be to blame for your dog’s interest in dirt, canines are more likely to seek out grass in these cases.
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