Pica of the dog, all the remedies

Curated by Maria Rita Insolera, Naturopath

Dogs, very often, have the habit of ingesting whatever happens to them at the nose. This disorder is called pica . Let's find out better.

What is pica

"Pica in the dog" means the ingestion by the animal of substances not intended for food purposes.

Such behavior can be dangerous for our 4-legged friends. In fact, cases of suffocation, poisoning or internal injuries are not rare.

This is why it is necessary to know how to recognize pica symptoms as well as the causes and remedies.

Symptoms of pica

A dog with pica can have several symptoms . Besides the fact of noting that the dog ingests practically everything he has, even vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or hyperactivity are alarm bells.

In other cases it is possible to notice that the animal eats outside the established times, looks for food in the garbage or has difficulty breathing (suffocation).

Dog Pica: prevention and natural remedies

Dog pica is a fairly common phenomenon in puppies but tends to disappear in adult individuals.

When this does not happen it is necessary to intervene, investigating the cause of the behavior in the first place. It will be good therefore to resort to a correct re-education and changes in the diet, avoiding leaving objects and substances unattended that the dog likes to ingest.

A valid tip is to trim objects with natural oils or other bitter substances that are not harmful to the dog and keep it under control both indoors and out, to avoid recurrence in this incorrect behavior.

When you notice the animal attracted by something to eat, it is good to distract it and reward it with something more palatable but less dangerous.

This should stimulate a conditional behavior in the animal that at the next opportunity, rather than ingesting anything, will prefer the reward of the master.

For the pica of the dog a Bach flower treatment may be useful. The Bach flowers indicated to treat this behavioral disorder are the following: