‘What do I do if my dog is picking up stones (or other objects) chewing and possibly swallowing them'?
This is a problem lots of dog owners struggle with, particularly if they have puppies. This is also a subject close to my heart as my English Springer Spaniel was a stone ‘picker uper’ which, in itself wasn’t a problem, until one day he actually swallowed a garden stone that became lodged in his small intestine!
The ingestion of non food objects, such as toys, sticks, stones, plastic and clothing (the list goes on and on) is known as PICA.Coprahagia(the eating of faeces) is one of the most common forms of pica. Some inedible items, if they are small enough, may very well travel through the digestive tract and pass out in the faeces just as it went in, or they may vomit the object. There is a significant chocking risk with anything inedible, particularly if they are trying to ingest quickly to prevent you having it! However larger objects may cause a blockage which can result in your pet becoming very unwell followed by emergency surgery to remove it. Pica is not just exclusive to dogs - cats, large animals and even humans can suffer from pica (think pregnant ladies eating coal)!
WHAT CAUSES PICA IN DOGS?
Pica is common in puppies, they explore the world by putting things in their mouth, this is why it is vitally important to dog proof their environment and why puppies should be under constant supervision. As puppies become older they often grow out of this phase but some dogs continue into adulthood so, understanding why pica may occur can be the key to resolving the problem.
Most cases of pica in dogs is behavioural in origin, although some cases have been linked to medical conditions.
Some common behavioural issues for pica:
Stress and anxiety
Boredom
Fear of being punished (in the case of poo eating)
Separation issues
Attention seeking
It is also thought that pica belongs in the compulsive behaviour camp (dogs can suffer from a form of OCD called canine compulsive disorder - CCD)
Other things often seen in CCD behaviours:
Tail chasing, persistent licking, persistent barking, pacing – being unable to settle, tail chasing, light chasing, fly snapping – snapping the air as if they have seen something, hallucinations – where they often stare in to space or have bouts of sudden fearful behaviour. If dog’s suffer from one form of CCD it may lead on to others.
Medical issues that could lead to Pica:
Imbalance in gut microbiome and other digestive issues
Malabsorption of nutrients
Long term medical conditions such as diabetes, thyroid, liver and pancreatic disease
Internal parasites
Blood disorders
Side effects of some medications or vaccination
Symptoms that your dog may have Pica:
You may notice your dog eating something he shouldn’t or he may be grabbing things when you are out on a walk. However it may not be that obvious so other things you can look for are:
Presence of non-food items in your dog’s poo – not a thing we relish doing but regularly checking poo can alert you to pica or maybe that your dog has worms or other medical conditions going on, if say for instance the poo is an unusual colour, smells awful or is flattened rather than being a usual sausage type shape.
Diarrhoea or vomiting – seemingly ‘out of the blue’
Picky appetite or seeming more hungry than usual
General lethargy – lacking their usual ‘get up and go’
What to look for if you think your dog may have ingested something:
If you see your dog swallow something he shouldn’t the first thing to do is contact your Vet immediately, please do not try to make the dog sick yourself, this can lead to other complications. Vets are available 24/7 so it is possible if the object hasn’t been in the stomach for too long an injection can be given to induce vomiting under supervision.
If you haven’t seen your dog ingest anything but maybe he is a known to eat inedible objects or you find something chewed and parts are clearly missing these are some symptoms you can look for:
Any unusual behaviour
Stretching, yawning, drooling or lip licking
Off their food
Vomiting (or trying to with nothing produced)
Changes in faeces either diarrhoea or colour change
Straining to pass faeces with nothing, or very little produced
Unusual items in the faeces
Eating grass
Drinking a lot (or on the flip side drinking very little or nothing)
WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT PICA?
Get a Vet check. Make sure there is no underlying medical reason that needs addressing.
Ensure your dog is receiving good balanced nutrition from a diet that is suitable for his species, age, lifestyle and any health issues. In my personal opinion the best diet you can feed your dog is a good quality, balanced raw diet.
Raw diets however do not suit all dogs and all owners, therefore a balanced, good quality cooked diet would be preferable in those cases. Dry diets come with nutritional challenges and if dry is the only diet your dog can tolerate, or you are prepared to feed, please consider supplementation. This should be done knowledgeably so please contact a qualified, experienced professional who can give you unbiased advice on how to make your dog’s diet the best it possibly can be.
If you would like help and advice with a suitable diet for your dog or are considering raw and would like more information, please feel free to contact me. I am qualified in dog nutrition and keep up to date with current thinking.
Make sure your dog is getting plenty of appropriate exercise and mental stimulation. This will differ from breed to breed and your dog’s personality.
Keeping everything ‘low key’ with plenty of opportunities for your dog to rest undisturbed at home. Clients often think the way to tire a dog is to give lots of stimulating exercise and runs up and down the garden after a ball. Actually the opposite is often true and far more successful. Gentle, quiet games that provide mental stimulation help to calm your dog which in turn can help with issues like pica.
Provide safe toys and natural chews that your dog can’t swallow.
If your dog grabs items when out on a walk keep him on a long line so you have control over what he can and cannot access and for the more ‘avid consumer’ consider muzzle training your dog. Muzzle training of a ‘basket type’ muzzle should be under taken gradually and at your dog’s pace – never force a muzzle on your dog this will lead to anxiety and your dog either refusing to wear a muzzle or being scared of it.
Manage the environment. If your dog is obsessed with eating something specific make sure he does not have access to it. If your dog is eating stones in the garden consider fencing off the area or, if that is impossible, fence off an area where he is allowed to go and make sure you clear it of all things inedible before you let him in to the area.
Make sure your dog is never unsupervised when in the garden, they can get up to all sorts when your back is turned, even for a few seconds – if needs be make a run in the garden where you know he is safe, or take him out on a lead.
Become ‘ultra tidy’ make sure there is nothing left lying around for your dog to get hold of. Engaging children with this can be unusually effective, especially if they don’t want their games controllers chewed!
Try not to make it a game, something your dog considers fun, for example, pinching something and running off with it with you in hot pursuit can easily turn in to pica. Sometimes dogs will swallow things so you cannot have them back, the more they do it, the more attention they get from you the more rewarding the behaviour. If the object is of little value and will not make them unwell if they chew it up and ingest it like tissues, then pay them no attention whatsoever, let them have the tissue but ensure you are more vigilant next time and do not allow access to them. Make sure your dog is having plenty of your attention in other ways.
If the object seized is of upmost value or is dangerous and you NEED it back quickly, the object should never have been accessible to the dog in the first place, but if by accident they have got hold of something you could try an exchange for a high value piece of food. You run the risk that the dog will swallow it in order to get the food but it is worth a try. Keep everything low key, try not to flap or screech at the dog- this won’t help and is likely to excite him making it more likely he will swallow it.If he does swallow something contact your Vet for advice.
Teach a good ‘leave it’ command, train this gently and respectfully so that your dog has a reason to leave what it highly prized and focus on you.
I was very lucky with my dog, I had no idea he had swallowed a garden stone which became lodged in his small intestines. I recognized the signs that my dog was unwell and sought Veterinary attention quickly.
It ended up with him having to have an emergency operation to remove the stone at 9pm on a Bank Holiday Monday, I’m sure you can imagine how much that cost! He was very unwell following surgery but the story has a happy ending, he recovered with no lasting effects. This happened when he was 9 months old, he is 12 years old now and he hasn’t ingested anything since, but I am always vigilant and keep an eye on what he is doing.
NEED MORE HELP?
If you are struggling to find the root cause for your dog’s behaviour, contacting a qualified canine professional who can help you unravel what may be behind your dog’s pica issues may be the best course of action for you and your dog. In my holistic practice I have found that Botanical Self Healing in Dogs has been really helpful for dogs suffering from pica. The awesome power of plant medicine, when offered mindfully by a qualified practitioner and assisting you to understand what may be going on emotionally for your dog can really make a difference. To find out more click here.
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Tracy Brind 
