Help! My dog eats non-food items and vomits. Is it pica or behavior?

Question

I have some concerns about my dogs health. He is still active and eating, drinking, and pooping normally. However, he has been vomiting every couple days. It's usually either plant material, wood, or fabric. I do not know where he keeps eating these things or why he continues to do so and then vomit. Can I do anything to stop this behaviour or is this a symptom of something else? I don't know why he likes to eat things that are not food. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Large (61lb +) | Male | neutered | 5 months and 21 days old | 80 lbs

Jessica Keay, DVM · Accepted Answer

I am very sorry to hear about your concerns with Moose. We can see young dogs who do eat foreign objects such as wood or fabric as a habit sometimes related to boredom, stress, or just as a habit. We do, however, worry in some cases that a dog could have a medical condition causing this appetite for foreign objects, called pica. I would recommend an exam by your vet, a fecal exam to ensure intestinal parasites aren't present and contributing to the issue, and possibly some labwork to check for signs of systemic disease such as liver shunt that can cause this appetite for foreign objects. Your vet can also tell you whether or not the diet you are feeding is adequate nutrition for your pup. In the meantime, I would only let him out when supervised so that he cannot ingest these objects, as sometimes they can cause an obstruction and require surgical removal.

Help! My dog eats non-food items and vomits. Is it pica or behavior?

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