Pica explained: Why dogs eat things that aren't food, and what...

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    Pica explained: Why dogs eat things that aren't food, and what you can do to stop them

    ABC Radio Canberra
    By Penny Travers
    Posted about 4 hours ago


    PHOTO: Pica is common among puppies and certain dog breeds. (Flickr: Christina Hart)

    MAP: Australia

    Dogs love to chew all manner of things, from shoes and toys to sticks and plastic cups.

    But when they start to ingest non-edible items such as socks, underwear or even rocks, something can inevitably become stuck.

    The eating of substances that have no nutritional value is a disorder known as pica, and it is common among puppies and certain dog breeds such as labradors and dachshunds.

    "A dog's sense of smell is up to 10,000 times better than ours, so they're just attracted to everything," Canberra veterinarian Michael Archinal said.
    "If you give a dog spaghetti bolognaise, it can smell every single ingredient in the whole spaghetti bolognaise.
    "Whatever they're detecting in whatever they're eating — socks, underwear, shoes — there's a smell that they're attracted to."
    Signs your dog has eaten a foreign object

    • Lack of appetite
    • Changes in typical behaviour (eg becomes mopey or depressed)
    • Vomiting
    • Changes in bowel movements (eg diarrhoea, constipation)
    • Lethargy
    • Painful abdomen

    What causes pica?

    For puppies, chewing and eating all sorts of things is part of their neurosensory exploration and they will usually grow out of it.

    But some dogs are just perpetually hungry.

    "Labradors, from the day they're born to the day they die, want to eat something," Dr Archinal said.

    "Genetically they've got three genes that don't switch off when they've had a meal, so they're constantly hungry and will eat anything given the chance."

    PHOTO: Labradors are notorious for chewing and eating anything and everything.(Flickr: riaan_cornelius)

    Boredom and loneliness can also leave dogs looking for something to do.

    "We had a dachshund come in one day that got into a bag of concrete powder," Dr Archinal said.

    Hormonal issues such as overactive adrenal glands or diabetes can also dramatically increase a dog's appetite and cause pica.
    Corn cobs, plastic toys among objects that get stuck

    Dr Archinal said anything that did not typically dissolve in a dog's stomach could cause a blockage.

    He said plastic bags used to defrost meat and corn cobs were common causes.

    "People tend to throw corn cobs in the compost bin and, while most other things the dog can digest, a corn cob is like wood and it will often get stuck, especially when they're cut in half or thirds," Dr Archinal said.

    PHOTO: If you suspect your dog has eaten something it should not have, take it to the vet as soon as possible. (Supplied: Manuka Vet Hospital)

    Plastic toys can also easily get stuck.

    "I had a rottweiler once who swallowed a golf ball, and it would intermittently block the intestine and then roll back into the stomach, so every few days [the dog] would vomit," Dr Archinal said.
    What to do if your dog swallows something odd

    If you know your dog has eaten something it should not have, take it to your veterinarian as soon as possible to discuss treatment options.

    Dr Archinal said in some cases, such as when a dog had eaten socks or underwear, they could support the animal with pain relief and fluids to pass the object.

    If your dog has been unwell and an X-ray shows an object is already stuck in the stomach or intestines, an endoscopy or surgery is usually needed.

    PHOTO: If an object becomes stuck in the intestines, surgery is usually needed to remove it. (Supplied: Manuka Vet Hospital)

    In the case of a dog ingesting poisons or pesticides such as snail bait, the vet may be able to induce vomiting if the animal receives treatment within two hours.
    How to prevent your dog from eating foreign objects

    The best way to keep your dog from ingesting foreign objects is to take preventative measures.

    If you know your dog is prone to eating certain items, then eliminate access.

    Put your clothes away, do not leave rubbish lying around, store chemicals and pesticides out of reach, and cover compost bins.

    "These dogs will find anything, anywhere. Prevention is the only option," Dr Archinal said.
    "We had a dog that would continually go in the backyard, dig up rocks and eat them; it would have 20 or 30 rocks in its stomach at one time.
    "How are you going to stop that? Well this dog, unfortunately when it was outside the house, had to wear a little basket muzzle."

    PHOTO: Underwear, socks and shoes are popular items on a dog's chewing menu.(Submitted: Elizabeth Stevenson)

    If you suspect your dog's pica is caused by loneliness or boredom, try increasing the animal's physical activity and mental stimulation.

    And if your dog has suddenly developed a taste for something odd, take it along to your vet as there may be a metabolic cause that needs addressing.


    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-12/pica-why-dogs-eat-foreign-objects-and-what-you-can-do/8433730
 
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