ASK-THE-VET: DOG ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO EAT

DonnaNewPicCroppedQuestion: My dog is always looking for something to eat on the floor and sometimes is not even a food. Now he’s start to eat his own poop. Should I give him some of those super foods to test if he has some nutritious deficiency?

I’m already teaching him to not do those things but he continuous. He just eats dog food twice a day. He’s highly active although I don’t have too much space. He’s 2 years old and is a fox mix.

Answer: Thank you for writing in. It is possible for dogs to have nutritional deficiencies or underlying medical conditions leading to ingestion of food, feces and non-food items (often called pica). It is very reasonable to get your dog checked out by your vet. This is especially true if he is thin or having issues with diarrhea or vomiting also.

Also, dogs who pick up things from the ground are also more likely to have issues with intestinal parasites, so this should be checked out. However, many of these types of food and non-food seeking behaviors are not related to an underlying medical condition.

It is more commonly a compulsive behavior with an oral fixation issue. I would recommend you speak to your veterinarian about some training tools for your dog specifically. Here is an article about poop-eating that may help: Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?

Good luck.
Dr. Donna Spector

Answers provided to pet owners by Dr. Donna Spector should be considered information and not specific advice. Answers are to be used for general information purposes only and not as a substitute for in-person evaluation or specific professional advice from your veterinarian. Communications on this site are very limited and should never be used in possible cases of emergency.

Halo, Purely for Pets will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on any information or content contained in a blog or article post.

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