My dog eats everything! Why does he eat paper and other non-food?

This is a very common problem, especially for puppies and young dogs - they just seem to enjoy ripping up and eating paper. This is not normally a sign of any kind of dietary deficiency or health problem, just something that they do for fun :) I would try and keep paper products put away out of her reach, since ingesting a large amount of paper could potentially cause some stomach upset or even an obstruction.

Young dogs can be very oral and want to chew and play with things. Sometimes dogs develop “favorite” things to chew on. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to immediately stop him. However, frequently changing toys, keeping paper products out of his reach, maybe teaching him to only pick up something to chew or ear if given the release word. This takes time, patience, and repetition, but it can be done. I would also recommend blood work to verify that nothing else abnormal is going on, but likely it is behavioral. Best of luck and keep working at it. He will slowly improve. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Some dogs will eat anything. I've even seen dogs eat glass. Unfortunately you can't train a dog out of this but you can protect them. Keep the house picked up and things kept out of Toy's reach. Kennel toy or keep him in a small room that is 'Toy-proofed" so he can't get into anything. Never leave Toy unattended as he could end up with an intestinal blockage that requires a surgical repair. lastly, one would think feces tasted bad enough BUT there is a supplement called Forbid that can make them taste worse. You feed it to the dog and then when he eats the feces he dislikes it. Some dogs don't respond to this. The other tough thing is most dogs will eventually taste the stool again and may resume the habit again. Forbid is not meant to be given a prolonged amount of time. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

If he is on a high-quality, well-balanced, commercial dog food diet it is not likely to be a vitamin deficiency. In my opinion, he does this because he is a Lab and a puppy. Eating things is common for this breed. They do eat everything. They are bred for hunting and to grab things in their mouth. You need to give him things he is allowed to chew that will keep him busy. Honestly, the best thing to do is to consult with a professional dog trainer and get this problem corrected early before he gets too much older. You are extremely lucky that he passed that plastic bag and it didn't need to be surgically removed. You can try this training on you own but it is not recommended. I promise you will get quicker and better results by working with a trainer. ( https://www.thelabradorsite.com/stop-dog-eating-everything/ ) ( https://positively.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=14004 )

Hello, and thanks for your question. Sounds like Alex is quite the trouble maker! You're right - the best way to prevent them from eating material is to simply keep the house as spotless as possible. Dogs naturally explore the world with their mouths, and some are more prone to eating what they find than others. Teaching Alex the "drop it" or "leave it" command will help when you see him getting into something he shouldn't. I would also recommend crate training Alex and keeping him safely confined when he's alone. In a few extreme cases, I have had patients wear basket muzzles to prevent them from eating what they shouldn't - but this is not usually necessary and is only something I usually consider after a dog has had multiple foreign body surgeries! If you are thinking about going this route with Alex, I would definitely touch base with your vet for guidance. It's important to make sure it's an appropriate fit so dogs can still pant, drink water, etc, and they need to be properly trained to wear the muzzle to minimize stress. Hope this helps!

This is certainly a frustrating behavior and can it hard to control. I have two thoughts for you. 1) Often dogs who eat lots of none food items have mild intestinal upset all the time. I would recommend starting by talking to her vet about this and starting her on probiotics 2) For management, remove all the dog beds from your house and teaching her to wear a basket muzzle while outside and/or only taking her out on leash. Check out this site for more information: https://muzzleupproject.com/muzzle-training/ . I know this sounds extreme, but her current behavior is potentially life threatening. My last idea is to talk to a behaviorist to see if she needs help with anxiety or other behavioral problem. But only after exploring the possibility of intestinal upset with your regular vet. https://avsab.org/resources/behavior-consultant-near-you-2/

Submit a stool sample to your veterinarian to diagnose intestinal parasites or bacterial overgrowth. Puppies frequently acquire roundworms from their mother or environment. The paper likely would not cause an issue unless it was a large quantity. Make sure he continues to eat and drink normally. A bland diet and/or a prescribed dewormer may firm up his stool. Monitor for lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting or persistent diarrhea.