Have you noticed your dog eating bricks? Has he been chewing on bricks lately? That can be disturbing. For one thing, you worry about their teeth, and for another, what happens is they swallow any of the brick’s material?
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Why Do Dogs Eat Bricks?
Dogs are not known for being discerning eaters. They’re not above trolling the kitchen counter, the wastebasket, or even the kitty’s litter box for something that might be a great snack! While the very thought may make you want to retch, for your dog, such a snack can be a treasure. But why? Especially if he’s well-fed?
It could be caused by a condition called pica. This is a condition that can affect both humans and dogs, though it’s not well understood. Pica makes humans and dogs eat things that are non-food items. This means pica makes a dog (or person) want to eat things that are not food, including bricks, stones, sticks, plastic items, and more.
Pica can be caused by a number of problems:
- Insufficient nutrition
- Boredom
- Anxiety/fear
- Neurological disease
- Thyroid problems
- Intestinal parasites
If your dog is eating bricks, then it’s time to visit the vet for a checkup. The vet will need to determine the underlying cause before it can be treated. They’ll also want to ensure your fur baby’s teeth haven’t been damaged.
Treatment of Pica in Dogs
At the vet’s, they will do a full physical exam of your dog, along with some lab work and x-rays. The x-rays will be done to determine if your dog is filled with pieces of brick and other things. If so, then your fur baby may require surgery to safely remove this material from his digestive tract.
The vet will also go over your dog’s diet and see if there are any underlying health issues causing the pica. If so, these will be treated.
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When you get back home, it will be necessary to clean your dog’s yard of any bricks and other things he may have been eating. This is imperative in order to keep him from eating non-food items again. Remove everything that could present a temptation for your dog.
After treatment and cleaning the yard, it will be necessary to monitor your fur baby. The good news is that once the underlying cause is treated, your fur baby will be feeling great and no longer need to eat non-food items.
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Kyoko
Kyoko is from a family of 3 and moved to New York with her parents and siblings when she was 13. Kyoko is fond of spending a great amount of time with pets, specifically her beagle Luna and cat Missy. Her boyfriend often complains that she spends too much time giving attention to their animals. Kyoko has written dozens of articles concerning pets and is aiming at owning a pet shop one day!
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