My dog eats stones and destroys things. Is it Pica or a medical issue?

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.

It may due to boredom or an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency. If she continues, she could cause a gastric or intestinal obstruction which may require emergency surgery. Review her diet with your veterinarian to confirm a balanced diet. Provide extra playtime and a variety of toys and activities to keep her distracted from eating rocks. Restrict access to areas with rocks if possible as well.

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.

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.

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.

Puppies absolutely do like to get into things they shouldn't, as frustrating as this can be. Exploring their environment, including rocks, is in most cases a normal developmental stage. To keep Atlas safe from the possible harmful effects of eating or chewing on rocks, such as broken teeth or intestinal concerns after ingestion, such as blockage, try to remove rocks from her environment as much as possible. One reason why puppies are known for their destructive or explorative tendencies is they are in need of more stimulation, or experience anxiety when separated from you. There currently are several toys on the market which will interact with Atlas and release treats, that can be used while you are out. Atlas also possibly benefit from plenty of exercise, as well as puppy socialisation classes. Though less likely, there is also a possibility that Atlas could have something else wrong that causes him to seek out strange foods. For instance, metabolic disorders, parasites, and vitamin deficiencies can all be underlying causes. In order to rule out these causes a trip to the veterinarian would be needed. The vet would check on the parameters of Atlas's blood, and check a fecal sample for parasites. Hope that was a helpful answer! Warmest regards and best of luck to you both

Pica - eating non food items - is often an indication of disease or poor digestion/absorption of her food and more rarely due to senile confusion. I would recommend a full vet check and blood panel to rule out any medical causes or indication of poor digestion (vitamin B deficiency in particular) as soon as possible