Pica refers to a condition causing dogs to obsessively eat or mouth objects that are not considered normal food like rocks, dirt or fabrics.
Definition
Anxiety, nutritional deficiency, dental disease, attention seeking, scavenging instinct or compulsion are possible motives behind pica in dogs.
Causes
Attempting to eat inedible objects risks vomiting, bowel obstructions or poisoning posing severe health hazards to pica prone dogs.
Dangers
Owners often catch dogs in the act chewing or ingesting abnormal items like drywall, rocks, grass or even feces unexpectedly.
Symptoms
Address suspected triggers, restrict access to tempting objects, monitor unsupervised time and train impulse control.
Prevention
Show the stolen item then offer an approved chew toy instead while verbally praising wise decisions not to re-ingest banned objects.
Correction
Medication, supplements, behavior modification strategies may be required alongside identifying and managing any underlying condition.
Treatment