“Pica could be related to nutritional deficiencies, metabolic imbalance, intestinal parasites or diseases such as diabetes, Cushing’s, gastritis or inflammatory bowel disease.” ~ Dr. However, with my dogs, I always want to rule out any possibility of a medical reason first. Though that is sometimes true, is that all there is to it? I don’t believe so.Īnxiety, depression, or frustration could cause your dog’s destructive behavior and perhaps pica as well. Typically, pica is chalked up to a behavioral problem. What if your adult dog starts eating everything in sight? She had to learn that some things are meant to be chewed on, and some are not. Cookie, when we adopted her, would chew up anything in sight. There is a difference between chewing things up and actually eating them, too.Ī bored, stressed, or uneducated dog can shred just about anything they find. To complicate matters further, human dwellings are packed with inedible stuff. Some of these things might smell very attractive (to a dog), such as dirty socks or underwear. The rationale in their minds is that if it fits in the mouth, it’s meant to be eaten unless proven otherwise. Puppies, of course, are a different story they are still learning what is edible and what is not, and what better way to learn than by eating random things to find out? Puppies explore the world with their noses and mouths, just like kids do. Why would a dog not know what is food and what is not?