Pica refers to the persistent craving and compulsive eating of nonfood substances. Pica is one type of rare eating disorder that seems odd and almost fake to many people, but is in fact a serious and potentially life-threatening mental health condition. While those are certainly worth discussing, there are also more rare eating disorders that are not as well known. Thanks for reading this.The conversation around eating disorders is usually limited to well known conditions like bulimia or anorexia. Anything you may suggest is greatly appreciated. She also has habits of growling at people when they try to stop her from doing any of these actions, although she's never hurt anyone. When she's inside, my family and I keep her in a small area of our house gated off from the rest, because she will eat anything on the floor. She gets plenty of exercise and is outside for the majority of most days. We are hesitant to give her any toys including the ones advertised as unbreakable because she will chew on them long enough to break them and then continue to eat the filling or pieces. We have also been told it may be because she is bored. We have been told by many vets and pet store owners/employees that she may have an iron deficiency, which makes sense, however the supplement we tried for a month seemed not to work. She doesn't have much of an appetite for her regular dry food (we've tried switching it up, she refuses to eat any brand/flavor, she eats wet food without protest), however she does seem to have an appetite for coins (seeing as within two weeks of my family having her she needed an endoscopy to remove 3 from her stomach), rocks, sticks, the metal part of her leash, and even dust and bugs inside the house. My American Stafforshire Terrier mix, who I've had for over a year and a half now, and just turned two in early July, seems to have many symptoms of PICA. Your pet will be giving general anesthesia in both procedures. Curious about which health plan is right for your dog? Head over to Forbes' breakdown of pet insurance. Sometimes, an endoscope can be used to remove small foreign objects that are lodged in the stomach. X-rays or an ultrasound will help identify the location of the obstruction. If your pet has a gastrointestinal blockage, he will have to be hospitalized and undergo surgery. Additionally, a new dietary plan may be recommended. If the veterinarian team diagnosed an underlying disease or condition a treatment plan appropriate for your pet will be discussed with you. The veterinarian may also suggest and recommend a dog behaviorist for pets that may not have been not been properly socialized or have extreme behavior disorders. Provide your pet with plenty of chew toys. Using bitter tasting spray on the objects he is attracted to may deter him. Leash walking your pet will help prevent him from eating rocks and feces. It will be necessary to keep your pet away from the non-food objects he has been ingesting. There are natural herb remedies that may help your dog with anxiety issues and have a calming effect on him. If it is determined that pica is due to behavior issues, your veterinarian may recommend increasing physical activities for your pet. Treatment of pica in dogs will depend if it is a behavior or an underlying medical condition.
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