![]() ![]() You will likely need to adapt play and exercise to his slower movements, reduced energy level, declining eyesight and hearing, and any medical conditions he may have. In addition to seeking professional help from your veterinarian and an animal behavior expert (such as a Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, CAAB or ACAAB) for the age-related behavior issues covered in this article, a key contributing factor to keeping your older dog healthy is to continue to play with him, exercise him and train him throughout his life. Many changes in behavior can be signs of treatable medical disorders (please see Ruling Out Specific Medical Problems, below), and there are a variety of therapies that can comfort your dog and manage his symptoms, including any pain he might be experiencing. Don’t assume that your dog is “just getting old” and nothing can be done to help him. Understanding the changes your dog is undergoing can help you compassionately and effectively deal with behavior problems that may arise in your dog’s senior years.īe sure to report all changes you see to your dog’s veterinarian. Aging can also change their social relationships with you and other pets in your home. Their memory, their ability to learn, their awareness and their senses of sight and hearing can all deteriorate. My hope is that you learn, enjoy and benefit from MURPHDOG MAGAZINE.As they age, our dogs often suffer a decline in functioning. My goal is to improve life for dogs and pet parents. My passion is to share my expertise and experience with you. Volunteering at animal shelters and providing a nurturing, safe haven to abused and neglected dogs magnified my insight. I’m skilled in the art of dog grooming, conversant about dog nutrition, and trained my own dogs for commercial work. In addition to my own professional dog training business, I penned a pet advice column for a New York magazine, was asked to teach dog training at Long Island University and audited veterinary medical lectures at the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. I achieved this accomplishment by having thirty years of hands-on experience working in multiple dog-related fields. Being a dog lover does not qualify anyone for top-dog status. It’s important that you know who I am, and what makes MURPHDOG MAGAZINE different. Top Pros are among the highest-rated, most popular professionals on Thumbtack. A Board-Certified Veterinarian Behaviorist may also be necessary. Boredom, stress, need of attention, or even getting rid of evidence to avoid punishment.Īs always, we advise you to take your dog to the vet and have a full check-up, one that includes urine and blood analysis to determine the exact cause. Nutritional needs like deficiencies or hunger from under-feeding or parasites. A puppy from a pet shop or puppy mill, kept in kennel and eats, sleeps, drinks, plays, urinates and defecates in that kennel without much time outside of it. A puppy who learns this from their natural mother who eats feces from her puppies to keep the whelping bed clean. There are many reasons for this unwanted behavior. What about dogs that eat their own feces? Well, there is a name for that too. Some may be so serious that surgery becomes the only treatment.Īny pet parent with a dog that exhibits such behavior, should seek the care and advice of a veterinarian. Most of the above-mentioned items will cause medical harm to your dog’s digestive system. Another reason to always pick-up after your dog. Some will even eat the feces of other dogs as well as their own. I’ve worked with dogs that eat discarded garbage in the street, paper towels, rabbit feces, small broken off tree branches, mulch, candy wrappers, and paper wrapping from fast food. Walking outside, if your dog suffers from PICA, opens the playing field for even more items, particularly if you use an extender leash. ![]() However, the craving to eat “inedible” items will still be present and your dog will hunt for other things to satisfy the need unless you take further action and visit your veterinarian for help. Keeping items out of reach, be it golf balls, eyeglasses, paper towels, or even cat litter, might take some extra time, patience, and creative planning. If your dog likes underwear, for instance, then a high hamper with a hard-to-pry-open lid will help to stop that behavior. Sometimes life with your dog, just like life with any living being, can be made easier with compromise. It’s easier to control what your dog eats inside the home than what might be picked up outside the home. This is a condition seen in kids as well as dogs.Īs our articles are predominately centered around dogs, in conjunction with their families, we will stick with PICA in dogs.Ī dog suffering from PICA will just about eat anything he or she craves. Pica, pronounced Py ka, is defined as “an abnormal craving to eat items not normally eaten.” Merriam-Webster Dictionary. ![]()
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