How to Stop Your Dog from Eating Paper

Dogs are voracious eaters and a young dog or puppy craves for many things to eat. That is why a dog eating paper is not a new phenomenon or a dangerous one. Dogs eat paper for many reasons. This may be due to pica, medical problems, curiosity, a habit or just plain boredom. Look out for some symptoms when you find your dog eating paper to know what the problem could be. These symptoms are vomiting, abdominal pain, chronic bad breath, diarrhea and collapse. Dog eating paper and other inedible stuff Dogs sometimes eat dirt, rocks, mud, grass and leaves and even paper they can find in the home. These may not have any nutritional value or may be non-edible things and yet the dogs crave for such items. Such kind of behavioral disorder is called pica. Sometime dogs eat paper to highlight an underlying medical problem such as gastrointestinal problems, indigestion, absorption disorder or inflammatory bowel. Dogs may also eat paper due to anemia. Curiosity may sometimes get the better of your dog and it may eat paper. This is especially so with inquisitive puppies wanting to know more about their surroundings and they may tend to eat paper often if they like the taste of it.

During teething periods, puppies tend to chew on paper to soothe the gums and exercise it. Most dogs give it up as they grow but some may find it soothing and continue it into adulthood. When boredom is the reason a dog is eating paper it may need regular exercise; running, jumping and daily walks will help to vent out their energy. Stop dog from eating paper

The first step to be taken to stop dog from eating paper is to keep the paper out of reach of the dog. Spraying non-toxic sprays like Tabasco or applying any bitter agents can also help treat this disorder. Keep the dog busy as much as possible and take it out for regular walks and runs. You could also give the dog some chewable toys preferably large ones. Deter the dog from eating paper by diverting its attention or sprinkling cold water on the dog.

Pica should be treated by a veterinary doctor. The doctor may advise diagnostic tests like complete blood count, urine analysis, biochemical profile, Trypsinogen-like immunoreactivity, abdominal radiographs, and Endoscopic examination. He will then advise medical treatment according to the results of the tests to treat the underlying medical problem.