The take-away message about pica in dogs and cats… Pet parents will likely find it helpful to partner with a board-certified veterinary behavior specialist to help determine the cause of their pet’s pica. Other techniques for treating pica include counter-conditioning and the use of medication. Of course, something as simple as using a basket muzzle when a pet isn’t directly supervised can be effective. Emesis was successfully induced to allow the patient to vomit up the swallowed feminine hygiene products.įor patients with anxiety, determining the source of an animal’s stress is of paramount importance…and often easier said than done. This is a dog who ingested multiple tampons. Early Weaning – Suckling on inanimate objects is occasionally observed in kittens that have been weaned too early.As a coping mechanism, they may redirect their anxiety to other inappropriate behaviors, including eating dangerous objects. If we don’t provide an appropriate substrate on which our pets can chew, they’ll find their own items, a fact that may not be associated with the safest outcomes. Teething – Puppies and kittens, like infants, like to chew on things when they’re teething.For example, Siamese and Burmese cats are over-represented for suckling and eating various fabrics, particularly wool. Evidence suggests a genetic link in some animals. Their compulsion may manifest as ingestion of inappropriate objects. Compulsion – Just as with some humans, compulsive disorders do occur in our pets.Boredom – When our pets don’t receive adequate enrichment – physical and mental stimulation – they may choose to consume dangerous and non-nutritious objects.For this reason, veterinarians will recommend evaluating non-invasive blood and urine tests to screen for abnormalities Nutritional Deficiencies – There is some evidence pica is associated with underlying medical conditions, including mineral deficiencies.Pets choose to eat unusual objects that have no nutritional value. So, affected dogs still feel hungry, even after a big meal.As some of the sequelae of pica can be life-threatening, Iįeel strongly it’s essential veterinarians determine the reason why some of our But the mutated POMC gene doesn’t appear to send that message. Normally, the gene regulates appetite by sending a signal to the brain once a dog has eaten enough. If your pup has always had a voracious appetite, their genes-or a mutation of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene, to be precise-might actually be to blame.

This may be due to age-related physiological changes that reduce their ability to properly absorb nutrients or digest food. Some dogs just seem to get hungrier as they get older. Steroids and other drugs are known to increase appetite in dogs as a side effect. They often try to compensate by eating more and may show signs of nutrient deficiencies, such as a lackluster coat or inexplicable weight loss. Diabetes mellitus, intestinal worms, and other health conditions prevent dogs from properly absorbing nutrients from food-causing them to essentially starve despite eating regularly.

And some dogs respond by obsessing over resources (i.e., food). Did you add a new pet or person to your pack? Move houses recently? Anything that disrupts a dog’s routine can make them feel stressed, insecure, and/or anxious. Sudden variances in appetite are sometimes due to: Several factors can affect your pup’s relationship with food.

Ehat causes dog pica