Articles with pica

Persistent Vomiting and Pica in Dogs: Bridget’s Stomach Upsets. What Would You Do If It Was Your Dog?

What if your dog kept getting sick and try to eat everything in sight? What came first? Eating inedible things or the stomach upsets? It can be a hard thing to figure out. Eating the wrong things can cause vomiting and diarrhea. On the other hand, an upset belly can cause your dog to try and eat things. Potential causes…

by Jana Rade

When Your Dog Stops Eating: Julie’s Story

When a Labrador stops eating and when a Border Collie becomes lethargic, even just a little bit, you know you ought to worry. Julie is a two-year-old Border Collie, and she did both. Stopped eating and had less energy than usual. Julie is a typical girl for her breed. Happy, active, spending a lot of time outdoors, living the perfect…

by Jana Rade

Pica in Dogs: Why Is My Dog Eating Non-Food Things?

The definition of pica is persistent, compulsive eating of non-food things. That does not include things that are food, just not designated for your dog, things that could technically pass as food to a dog, and poop (coprophagia). It does include items that are unquestionably not food, such as sticks, rocks, DVDs, shoes, underwear … in other words, anything and…

by Jana Rade edited by Dr. Joanna Paul BSc BVSc

Jana Rade

I am a graphic designer by day, dog health advocate, dog writer, member of the Dog Writers Association of American and an award-winning author. Jasmine, the Rottweiler of my life, was the largest female from her litter. We thought we were getting a healthy dog. Getting a puppy from a backyard breeder was our first mistake. Endless veterinary visits without a diagnosis or useful treatment later, I realized that I had to take Jasmine's health care in my own hands. I learned the hard way that simply seeing a vet is not always enough. There is more to finding a good vet than finding the closest clinic down the street. And, sadly, there is more to advocating for your dog's health than visiting a veterinarian. It should be enough but it often is not. With Jasmine, it took five years to finally get a diagnosis for her initial issue. Unfortunately, other problems had snowballed for that in the meantime. Jasmine's health challenges became a crash course in understanding dog health issues and how to go about getting a proper diagnosis and treatment. I had to learn and I had to learn fast. Helping others through my challenges and experience has become my mission and Jasmine's legacy. I now try to help people how to recognize and understand signs of illness in their dogs, how to work with their veterinarian and when to seek a second opinion. My goal is to save others the steep curve of having to learn things the hard way as I did. That is the mission behind my blog and behind my writing. That is why I wrote Symptoms to Watch for in Your Dog, which has turned out being an award-winning guide to dog owners . What I'm trying to share encompasses 20 years of experience.

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