Why does my dog eat wood and dirt, act hungry, and need deworming?

Eating diet can indicate that Red isn't getting enough nutrients, and if he was recently dewormed he may have just loss a lot of nutrients from his parasite load. I am not sure what parasites he was treated for or how bad his parasite infection was, but it can take several week to rid all the worms out of his system. Worms attach the intestines and eat all the nutrients in the pets diet, leaving most pets malnourished or even mildly anemic to some degree, which can in turn lead to dirt eating behavior. Once the parasites are gone most pets will discontinue this behavior. You can also supplement with a daily pet multivitamin (i.e. Hivite, Nutrical) for a few weeks until things go back to normal. Visit your local pet store to see what is available in your area. If there aren't any over the counter options suitable for you, then your vet should be able to prescribe something to help and also determine if his current diet is the best choice for him moving forward. I hope Red returns to his normal self soon. Take care.

This may be a sign of gastric or intestinal pain. You should take him back for a recheck. This is called pica and needs to be investigated. Your vet will need to do blood tests, and x-rays. Mineral deficiencies and intestinal parasites have been indicated and your vet did address that. Your dog may also need a second dose of wormer. Sometimes this is caused by boredom also.

Address the underlying cause of anxiety or stress – In some cases, the abnormal consumption of nonfood objects may stem from an underlying stress or anxiety. Trying to determine the cause of your pet’s angst is an important step in eliminating the behavior. To determine the source, careful observation of the behavior, including its frequency, duration, and time of occurrence are important. In many cases, the behavior may occur only while the animal is not under your supervision. In this instance, the use of a video camera may be used to capture the act. Understanding the circumstances in which your pet feels driven to perform the behavior is important to works towards elimination. Another important point to keep in mind is how you interact with your pet on a daily basis. Setting proper boundaries helps your pet respect you as the leader figure. Being conscientious about the use of rewards when interacting with your pet is important to let your pet know that he must be behaving properly and actively participating in maintaining proper behavior to gain attention and rewards from you. Enrichment – You can help reduce this behavior by increasing environmental enrichment. Giving your pet toys that are breed and size appropriate may decrease unwanted behavior by increasing positive stimuli. Redirecting your pet’s energy towards an acceptable outlet is a good alternative. Exercise – With our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to help our pets get sufficient exercise. However, a physical outlet can be an excellent alternative to reduce abnormal eating habits by increasing the level of neurotransmitters that support healthy brain function. Counter-conditioning & Remote Punishment – This technique involves retraining an animal to avoid certain behaviors that they previously sought. For both dogs and cats, placing a discouraging taste or smell on the object of desire will help them avoid eating that object in the future. For example, you can put hot sauce on the wool that you wish for your pet to avoid. Alternatively, association of a negative stimulus, such as turning on a vacuum cleaner at time of the pica, can lead to stopping the behavior. These things by themselves will not address the underlying problem. Medication – As an adjunct to behavior therapy, medication MAY be used to reduce anxiety if the pica is induced by stress. Pica is a complex behavior with many possible underlying causes. Remember to always seek professional advice from your veterinarian when determining the cause of your pet’s motivations.

I am very sorry to hear about your concerns with Moose. We can see young dogs who do eat foreign objects such as wood or fabric as a habit sometimes related to boredom, stress, or just as a habit. We do, however, worry in some cases that a dog could have a medical condition causing this appetite for foreign objects, called pica. I would recommend an exam by your vet, a fecal exam to ensure intestinal parasites aren't present and contributing to the issue, and possibly some labwork to check for signs of systemic disease such as liver shunt that can cause this appetite for foreign objects. Your vet can also tell you whether or not the diet you are feeding is adequate nutrition for your pup. In the meantime, I would only let him out when supervised so that he cannot ingest these objects, as sometimes they can cause an obstruction and require surgical removal.

This is not normal for a puppy. He may be doing it out of boredom, curiosity or in an attempt to correct a nutritional imbalance. Restrict access to areas where there is dirt if possible. Monitor him for inappropriate licking and correct the behavior immediately. Provide a toy or task as a distraction. If he complies, praise and reward him. If possible, transition him slowly to a better quality puppy food. If the behavior persists, he will need to be examined by your veterinarian.

Hello. It sounds like Willow needs a good evaluation by your veterinarian. Eating unusual objects is called pica & it may or may not be an indication of some underlying condition. At the very least, eating rocks & underwear can lead to an obstruction resulting in surgery. Please consult your veterinarian as soon as possible to see what might be going on with Willow. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can sometimes point out the possibility of a gastrointestinal condition and just like you pointed out it can be some lack of a nutrient or something in the diet. I think a good place to start would be changing his diet to something else to see if that makes a difference. If no difference is noted, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, start by changing his diet to something like a Purina Pro Plan or Hill's Science Diet product that tend to be very complete diets. Also, try to avoid him eating the sand as that could result in gastrointestinal upset or obstruction. Good luck!