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Pica syndrome treatment5/20/2023 If the vet suspects a medical cause for the pica, he or she might recommend other tests, such as blood work and a urinalysis. The vet will also ask about the dog’s general lifestyle and living environment, like how many people and other pets live in the home, how much time your dog spends alone daily, how much and what type of exercise your dog gets, and other questions that might help the veterinarian narrow down the cause of the pica. Your veterinarian will also collect a complete history, asking you detailed questions about your dog’s eating habits, including what food you feed, how frequently the dog eats, and how much. If you or your veterinarian suspect your dog is exhibiting signs of pica, the veterinarian will first perform a complete physical exam to evaluate the dog’s general body condition and look for signs of disease. In some cases, pica might occur as a side effect to a medication, such as steroids, that a dog is taking for an unrelated medical condition. Pica can also occur as a result of anemia, gastrointestinal parasites, and liver disease. In medical cases nutritional imbalances, endocrine diseases (such as diabetes or thyroid disease), or diseases of malabsorption or maldigestion can cause pica, adds Collier. “Stress, boredom, and anxiety (particularly separation anxiety) may cause a dog to be destructive and ingest things such as bedding, items of clothing, or items from the trash,” Collier says. The root cause of pica in dogs can be behavioral or medical.īehavioral pica is sometimes called stress eating.
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