Eating Inappropriate Things
Why does my dog eat feces?
Coprophagia can have underlying medical causes including, but not limited to IBD, intestinal parasites, diabetes, and thyroid disease, or the behavior can be attention-seeking. Once medical causes are ruled out, behavior training is the next step. The first step is to be ready with a disposable dog bag and take your dog out on a leash to defecate. Once he defecates promptly pick up the feces and dispose. If your dog is in a yard, frequent (multiple times daily) yard pick up is necessary. There are also products that can be added to the dog food that discourages coprophagia, however, it should be noted that to be successful, you should give all the dogs in your household this product.
Why does my dog eat grass?
There are many potential causes for your dog to be eating grass. Sometimes there is a nutritional deficiency; sometimes it is behavioral with underlying boredom or OCD like tendencies. Some dogs eat grass and then vomit. While eating grass is not inherently harmful, if the grass is treated in any way with pesticides, fertilizers or herbicides, then this could be harmful for your dog. Sometimes changing to a higher fiber diet may help decrease or eliminate grass eating behaviors.
Why does my dog eat inanimate objects?
Dogs have been known to eat many different types of inanimate objects. As with eating grass, there are occasional underlying nutritional or medical conditions causing pica, however, sometimes it can be psychological as well. If your dog is known to have pica, it is best to keep their preferred objects inaccessible to them to keep them from harming themselves.