Although it may seem strange to us, dogs can find eating paper appetizing. This unusual behavior can be accompanied by the ingestion of other inappropriate objects and is usually a cause for concern for owners, since it can pose a he alth problem for our dog.
If you are wondering why your dog eats paper and you want to try to find a solution, on our site we encourage you to continue reading this Article.
Why is my dog eating paper?
Paper eating is an inappropriate behavior that is part of the so-called pica disorder We understand pica as a disorder characterized by that the dog has the impulse to ingest elements that are not part of its diet and that could even harm its he alth. An example is coprophagia (when they eat feces, either their own or that of other animals), the ingestion of soil, clothing, etc.
This behavior can have different causes. For this reason, let's see what the main ones are and what can explain why your dog eats paper:
Boredom
Many times, this problem is associated with the dog being bored at home and for this reason he needs to look for alternatives to keep himself entertained. These cases occur especially in dogs that spend many hours alone or to which not much attention is paid and/or they need more activity, such as not playing with them enough or not taking them out for walks as much as they should. This lack of activity can, in turn, lead to frustration and anxiety in your dog, which will result in other inappropriate behaviors and a nervous mood.
Separation Anxiety
Destructive behaviors, including tearing up newspapers, toilet paper, etc., can also be associated with a separation anxiety problem. Similar to the previous case, this behavior occurs in dogs that spend hours alone, but also are very dependentemotionally from their human companions, so that if they do not meet with them, a high level of anxiety and stress is generated, which is manifested in behaviors such as destroying different household objects (not just paper), excessive barking when the owner leaves the home… For more information on this, we recommend you read: "Separation anxiety in dogs - Symptoms and treatment".
Nutrient deficiency
A nutritional deficiency can lead to appropriate eating behaviors, such as trying to eat paper or derivatives such as cardboard. And you can even try to eat other things, like dirt or feces. So, if you notice that your dog eats toilet paper, newspaper, cardboard and other materials, don't hesitate to check his diet to see if this is the cause.
Find the right paper
If the paper your dog ingests are used napkins or are stained with some type of substance, it could be that the odor they give off is appetizingfor your dog and for this reason ingest it. It would be common, for example, if it came from the kitchen or the garbage can.
Clinical pathology
Your dog may have started eating paper due to some illness, such as stomach pain, a thyroid condition, diabetes…
These cases occur mainly in adult or elderly dogs, although we do not rule out that it can also occur in puppies, suddenly. If you suspect that it may occur for this reason, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible so that it can be ruled out.
Why is my puppy eating paper?
It is natural for puppies to bite and destroy all kinds of objects within their reach, including paper, especially newsprint, which is the most used to educate them to do their necessities before being able to go outside. You may also end up ingesting it in the process (especially if it has an appetizing smell). This is because the development of teething is usually painful and they need to bite objects to calm downFor this reason, we must provide our puppy with specific toys that it can chew on, such as resistant toys with prizes inside, which are usually attractive to them because they provide them with food. And in turn, avoid dangerous or valuable objects being within reach.
On the contrary, when we see our puppy inappropriately biting something, we will never scold him or take it away roughly, since we will only get him to take distrust and hide when you get an object to avoid, so, that we take it away. We will also avoid chasing him, as he can treat this as a game, learning in the process to unduly draw our attention by biting objects when he is bored.
In these cases, when we see that the puppy eats paper, for example, we will draw his attention so that he is the one who addresses us, and we will teach him to let go, showing him a toy that is interesting and that he can bite to get him to drop the paper. When he does, we will reward him and give him the toy. In this way, we will redirect the behavior by providing him with more appropriate play alternatives, allowing him to carry out this behavior that is part of his puppy nature.
For more information about why puppies have this need to bite, we recommend reading: "Is it normal for a puppy to bite everything?"
What if my dog eats paper?
This behavior can pose a great risk to your dog's he alth, since eating toilet paper, newspaper, cardboard, etc., could obstruct its respiratory tractand therefore choke you and even cause internal damage to your stomach or intestine.
For this reason, don't hesitate to take him to the vet if you notice that your furry tries to vomit, coughs, seems to have something stuck in the throat or has difficulty breathing, has diarrhea or, conversely, cannot defecate.
What to do if my dog eats paper?
That your dog eats paper can be an inconvenience to achieve a harmonious coexistence with him. But in addition, as we have mentioned, it is also a risk to his physical he alth and an indication of psychological discomfort. Therefore, it should not be ignored. In these cases, we must take our pet to the veterinarian to help you determine the cause of this behavior, ruling out that it did not have an organic origin. In the event that it is a purely behavioral disorder, the procedure that we advise you to follow to prevent your dog from eating paper will be the following:
Prevent your dog from having paper within his reach
Keep all kinds of paper out of your dog's reach, such as cardboard, toilet paper, napkins, newsprint… For this reason, it is advisable to watch what places your dog has access, blocking the bathroom or kitchen door and closing the garbage can, for example.
If he is a puppy and cannot go outside yet, you can choose to use underpads instead of newspaper. If he still eats them, then you should schedule your time to be present when he relieves himself and make sure he doesn't eat anything wrong.
Improve your dog's physical well-being
Once you have the situation under control, you should try to find out where your dog's well-being is lacking. You may not be providing a adequate diet and, for this reason, you will have to find the most suitable diet for your dog based on its breed, size and exercise physical performed. In this aspect, the best thing you can do is consult the veterinarian.
On the other hand, your dog may need to do more exercise If so, we recommend that you walk your furry dog at least three times a day or that you take a very long walk (at least an hour and a half) and another shorter one. Keep in mind that there are dogs that need more exercise than others and, therefore, the most active breeds may not have enough walking for two hours a day.
Keep your dog entertained
It is also advisable to keep your dog tired through cognitive exercises. That is, you must provide activities that stimulate him mentally through games and environmental enrichment. You can, for example, divide the portions of food that we give him per day and try to give them in a way that poses a challenge: through smell games, intelligence games or as a reward for learning behaviors. Also try to pay more attention to your furry and give him more time to play, always without paper in between to get him to lose interest in him.
Environmental enrichment is also of vital importance if your dog spends many hours alone at home bored, for this reason you should give him attractive toys that provide him with prizes, so that you will discourage him from playing with other elements of the environment. home, like toilet paper.
If your dog has this habit constantly or as a result of a more complex disorder, such as anxiety, it is recommended consult an ethologistthat can help you solve the problem from the point of origin.
On the other hand, if you suffer from separation anxiety, this video may help:
