In some parts of the world, the consumption of non-nutritive substances is culturally accepted. In women, it is most often seen during pregnancy. Īlthough pica is seen in children, it is also a common eating disorder in patients who are intellectually impaired. The nature of ingested items is variable, including but not limited to earth (geophagy), raw starches (amylophagy), ice (pagophagia), charcoal, ash, paper, chalk, cloth, baby powder, coffee grounds, and eggshells. For diagnosis, the behavior must persist for at least one month, not be in keeping with the child's developmental stage (and age cut off of 24 months or more is suggested by DSM V), and not be socially normative or culturally acceptable behavior. The term is derived from "pica-pica," the Latin word for the magpie bird, because of the bird's indiscriminate gathering and eating a variety of objects for the sake of curiosity. Managing anxiety - if your dog is anxious or has behavioural issues, such as separation anxiety, which drives their pica, it is important to address them.The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) defines pica as eating nonnutritive, nonfood substances over a period of at least one month. Using interactive treats such as a KONG, filled with a little peanut butter and then frozen, will keep them occupied for a period of time Mental stimulation could involve hiding treats or teaching them a new trick. High energy breeds, such as collies, spaniels or huskies, may require more exercise. For adult dogs, a minimum of a one hour walk or interaction a day is recommended. Make sure they have appropriate levels of exercise and mental stimulation to reduce boredom. If your dog does tend to eat things they shouldn’t, be careful you do not leave them unattended in environments where they can easily pick things up If pica is a particular problem in your dog, it is worth having a consultation with a vet, who may recommend screening for any underlying health issues with investigations, such as a blood test Do not use a muzzle that stops your dogs from being able to pant and cool down A correctly-fitted basket muzzle is recommended to ensure that they can pant. In extreme cases, using a muzzle, such as a basket muzzle might be useful in certain situations like on walks to prevent scavenging. If the picking up of unwanted items is a learnt behaviour, it may be worth consulting with a dog coach or behaviourist to discuss techniques to reduce this The following steps will help reduce the behaviour and prevent it occurring in the first place:Įnsure your dog is being fed a high quality diet appropriate for their life stage and is a healthy weightĭo not reinforce any behaviour which involves picking up items, try to exchange any item they have with something else like a toy or a treat. Some dogs have very compulsive behaviour that is difficult to resolve. For example if the owner laughs or fusses the dog for picking up certain items this may reinforce the behaviourĪny condition or medication that increases hunger - diabetes mellitus, treatment with steroids (particularly at high doses), appetite stimulants such as mirtazepine, malabsorption syndromesĭiet related - an unbalanced or low quality diet may cause your dog to crave things they are not receiving in their normal diet, so ensure you are using a high quality complete diet appropriate for your dog’s life stageĬertain clinical diseases - some conditions have been associated with pica, such as anaemia, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI), liver disease and anaemia The list below suggests some of the possible triggers:īehavioural causes - stress/anxiety, boredom, learned behaviour. Causes of pica in dogsĮstablishing the cause of pica in your individual dog can be difficult. Read our article on gastrointestinal foreign bodies for more information on this topic. Pica becomes a problem when it is repeated and compulsive. For example, puppies will often eat things they shouldn’t and often use chewing when they are young as a way of exploring the world they live in. Some of this behaviour can be considered normal. You can read more about pica in cats here. It is much less common in cats, who tend to be much more fussy about what they consume.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |