Foreign Body and face Ingestion in Dogs (Secret Things). Ingestion of Feces and Foreign Objects in Dogs. Pica and coprophagia are both medical issues that refer to a dog’s craving for and eating of non-food items, respectively. Generally, neither condition is the result of an underlying disease, but it can occur in some cases.
Fortunately, there are treatment options available for both pica and coprophagia, or behavior modification practices that can be implemented if it is a non-medical issue.
Symptoms and Types
You may have seen your dog eating dirt, clay, rocks, soap, or other items that can endanger its health. The largest organ system that is affected by this behavior is the gastrointestinal tract, especially if foreign objects are being swallowed.
You may notice that the dog is vomiting, has loose stools, or has diarrhea. There may be weakness and lethargy in the dog.
Causes
Dogs may eat or other non-food items for several reasons, including malnutrition, vitamin deficiency, increased appetite, or conditions such as diabetes or thyroid disease. Parasites can be another cause of this behavior.
Sometimes a dog will eat their feces if there are undigested articles of food in their stool. Mothers with newborns will also commonly eat the feces of their newborns.
As such, puppies may eat feces as an observation of the mother’s behavior or as part of exploration. In addition, a dog may eat feces as a response to recent punishment, to get attention or because it desires to clean its environmental area.
Medical Causes:
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Diabetes
- Intestinal parasites
- Anemia
- Increased hunger
- Neurological disease
- Vitamin deficiency
- Malnutrition
- Thyroid disease
Diagnosis
Your veterinarian will be looking to distinguish between medical and behavioral causes. A full physical examination will be recommended to rule out underlying medical causes.
If it is not due to a medical condition, the veterinarian will conduct a full history on the dog, including its diet and appetite, handling practices, and information about its environment. This will assist the veterinarian in developing a proper treatment plan.
Treatment
The treatment will also depend on whether the underlying cause is medical or behavioral in nature.
For instance, if it is behavioral in nature, your veterinarian may recommend changing the dog’s environment or using forms of behavior modification, such as a muzzle. Moreover, limit the dog’s access to any non-food items in the home.
Living and Management
It’s recommended that you follow up with your dog’s treatment for the first few months after the initial treatment. This will help ensure that your dog is on the road to recovery and staying healthy.
Prevention
Prevention of this type of behavior will require limiting the dog’s access to non-food items, or applying a bitter or pungent taste to such items to discourage regular consumption or chewing. Keeping the dog’s area clean and disposing of waste promptly will also bar the dog’s access to feces.
In addition, dietary needs must be met to be sure that the dog is being supplied with all of its vitamin and nutritional needs, and to be sure that the dog is being fed the required amount of food.