Why Eating Paper Occurs in Dogs
Dogs may eat paper for a variety of reasons. Something as simple as an upset stomach or behavioral issue can trigger this habit. Other reasons include:
Nutritional Deficiencies
If your dog has nutritional deficiencies, he may crave non-food items, such as paper. The depletion of specific minerals, such as iron, can leave your dog craving paper or paper-like substances. If your dog is lacking iron in the blood, known as anemia, he may seek out this object to consume.
Polyphagia
Polyphagia is a condition in dogs in which they want to eat all the time. If food is not readily available, they may sample non food items in the hope of curbing their appetite.
Anxiety
If your dog is overly stressed and anxious, he may find it calming to chew and ingest paper. If paper is readily available in his environment, he may seek it out and eat it because of the texture. He may also chew paper into shreds rather than actually eat it.
Endocrine Disorders
Endocrine disorders can cause your dog to feel more hungry than normal. Your dog may find things to eat that are non-food items in order to satisfy his hunger, especially if his dog bowl is empty. Cushings Disease leads to polyphasic and can cause your dog to eat paper, such as tissues and toilet paper, or paper towels in addition to regular paper.
Diabetes
Diabetes can make your dog hungrier due to his body not being able to utilise the sugar within the bloodstream.
Calorie-lacking Diet
Dogs that do not get enough food in their diet, or if their food is not the right fit for the dog in terms of calorie content, will make them hungry. If there is not any food for him, or if he is just not getting enough, he may chew and ingest paper to satisfy his appetite.
In addition, pica can also be triggered by emotional issues such as separation anxiety and stress. “We typically think of dogs with separation anxiety as being destructive, but in some cases, they are also eating part or all of the items they are destroying,” Black says. “And boredom will frequently cause dogs with high energy to seek out something to do.”
Pica should not be confused with coprophagia, or the ingestion of feces. “Fecal ingestion is most common in puppies, but often carries over into adult dogs as well,” Black explains. “With coprophagia, it is thought that some dogs simply find the fecal material appealing and actually like the flavor, which makes it a particularly hard habit to break once they get started.”
Osborne also recommends making dietary changes. “Three or four small meals daily are physiologically easier for the body to digest, absorb, and assimilate as opposed to one or two larger daily meals,” Osborne says. “Dogs with pica often have some type of digestive disturbance as reflected in their abnormal dietary preferences, and improved levels of nutrition can help to reduce that behavior.”
Pica is a condition in which dogs crave and eat non-food items. Some dogs may only eat one type of object, while others will eat a wide variety of items. Pica can endanger a dog’s health because what they swallow may be toxic, disrupt normal digestive process, or get lodged in their intestinal tract.
Pica is generally diagnosed as a result of the behavior itself. “There may be abnormalities that can be detected in lab work if the condition is associated with other diseases, but not for pica itself,” Black explains. This is because pica isnt always connected to an underlying medical condition.
Common Medications for Pica in Dogs
Fluoxetine hydrochloride (Reconcile): Reconcile is the veterinary brand of fluoxetine hydrochloride, better known as Prozac in humans. Fluoxetine hydrochloride is type of drug known as a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Reconcile is FDA approved to treat separation anxiety in dogs. It should always be used under the supervision of a veterinarian and in conjunction with a behavior-modification program.
Clomipramine hydrochloride (Clomicalm): Clomicalm is a type of drug known as a tricyclic antidepressant (TCA). Clomicalm is FDA approved to treat separation anxiety in dogs. This drug should always be used under the supervision of a veterinarian and in conjunction with a behavior-modification program.
Dog-appeasing pheromones (Adaptil): Dog appeasing pheromones (DAP), are a non-drug, natural option designed to help dogs with stress and separation anxiety. Available without a prescription, dog appeasing pheromones may come as a diffuser to be plugged into the home, a spray, or a collar that the dog wears.
What To Do If Your Dog Eats Plastic? – 3 Tips To Help Them Out | Why Do Dogs Eat Plastic?
Given the amount of plastic in the average home, it’s not surprising that dogs occasionally choke some down.
Some dogs may eat plastic inadvertently while trying to get their teeth on something delicious, while others may simply find a random piece of plastic intriguing and decide to have a nibble.
This isn’t always a serious problem – very small pieces will often pass right through your dog’s system. But in other cases, it can cause very serious health problems. Some dogs may even die after eating plastic.
We’ll explain the dangers plastic poses below and explain what you’ll want to do if you discover your dog has eaten some.