Why Does My Dog Eat Everything?

If you are noticing that your dog eats things they shouldn’t be, you’re in the right place. We’ll be talking about why they might do that. We love our dogs more than life itself.

We even start to get a bit scared when they eat something that may not be nutritious. Or they may be chewing rocks or other foreign objects that are not dog toys. They could eat things that may contain harmful chemicals and ingredients that could have adverse reactions.

To keep your dog safe, it’s important that you help them eat the right things. A dog’s strange eating habits can be linked to something else. We’ll dig into that further in this guide.

If you are seeing your dog eating poop or something else they shouldn’t be eating, keep reading. Let’s dive right in and answer the burning questions you may have about your dog’s eating habits.

Do Dogs Grow Out of Eating Everything?

The good news is that many dogs will outgrow their strange eating habits. They do start doing this when they are puppies. So it may be a good idea to train them not to eat certain things while they’re young enough.

When they grow to be adult dogs, they can either continue to eat everything or know the difference between what’s good and what’s bad. Canine behavior can be easily developed with the right kind of training.

So you’ll want to train them to prevent trips to the vet so they don’t eat non digestible items that have to be removed via surgery. When you take them outside, don’t allow them to eat rocks, eat dirt, or even eat dead animals.

At a young age, they may even start to eat their own poop. This develops into something known as coprophagia. This usually happens if a dog is constantly stressed, anxious, or even bored.

Instead, you’ll want them to use something else. That’s why it’s important to invest in fun chew toys that they’ll love to play with at all hours of the day. If you have a teething puppy, certain toys will be useful for the benefit of their growing teeth.

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Why Does My Dog Keep Eating Everything in My House?

Despite doing your best not to teach your dog to eat anything in sight, it can be a challenge to actually get them to stop. Once again, this can come down to the behaviors of stress, anxiety, or even boredom.

These issues can be solved with ease. If your dog is stressed most of the time, find out what is causing it. Identify the triggers and minimize them as much as possible.

If they are anxious or bored, you can get them a fun chew toys that they’ll use. If the weather is cooperative, you can consider taking them outside. Let them run around and enjoy themselves.

However, there’s still a risk that they may eat dirt. Or they may eat grass as well. Dogs eat grass when they are dealing with an upset stomach or if they are feeling anxious.

Last but not least, poop eating can still also be a possibility. Later on in this guide, we’ll talk about the ways you can curb your dog’s unusual eating habits. We’ll include some of our own tips and tricks that have been proven to work.

The important part to be aware of is that a busy dog won’t have time to eat anything that’s in front of him (other than the usual food). A tired and busy dog won’t need to worry about eating poop or anything else.

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Signs & Symptoms Your Dog May Have Overeaten

If you are uncertain about whether or not your dog may have overeaten, we’ll be taking a look at the following signs & symptoms they may experience. Here’s what they are:

• Restlessness: This will usually occur when they have overeaten. Furthermore, they may feel like they are unable to lay down comfortably
• Panting or drooling: This will be a little more frequent than normal
• Feeling like vomiting: They could make noises where they may start to throw up including retching with little or no food coming up
• Distended abdomen: If it’s hard to the touch, this is an issue of overeating

If these symptoms are present, the best course of action would be to bring your dog to the vet during regular hours. If there is an emergency vet near you, visit there at any time. The symptoms listed above are connected to what is known as GDV.

GDV is a serious condition that may have the potential to cause your pet’s stomach to twist. If your dog has overeating, the pain receptors in their stomach can stretch to the point where it can cause discomfort.

Ways to Curb Your Dog’s Unusual Eating Habits

The good news is there are ways to curb your dog’s eating habits that seem quite unusual. Let’s take a look at what you can do so you can make sure that they eat something better:

• Tend to your backyard frequently: This includes picking up any rocks, poop, or any non edible objects. If it can’t be found in your backyard, your dog won’t eat it. This will bring you one step closer to making sure your dog kicks the disgusting habit of eating anything in sight including poop eating
• Train your dog: To be more specific, train them to ‘drop it’ and ‘leave it’. Make sure they follow the commands. It may be a challenge for them to listen at first. But they’ll get the hang of it soon enough. When they do, reward them accordingly.
• Increase activities throughout the day: Yes, get them outside and exercise and have fun. Because when they are tired, they won’t even think about eating things that are considered non edible objects. No matter what your dog’s size is or what kind of activities they love, it will help get their mind off the bad habit you want them to stop doing.
• Take your dog to the vet: Your veterinary hospital will do an examination like usual. During the appointment, you want to take about your dog’s unusual eating habits. At the same time, you may also want to spot any signs of illness or changes in your dog’s behavior. If you notice any of this at home, you may want to go to the vet immediately and determine what could be the issue.

What to Do When Your Dog Won’t Stop Eating

One thing you need to do is identify why your dog won’t stop eating. It can be due to certain conditions they may be facing. If your dog is eating more than normal, it can be one of the following conditions:

• Aging (which is normal)
• Cushing’s Disease
• Diabetes
• Hyperthyroidism
• Adverse reaction to medications

This is just a sample list of common conditions that may trigger your dog’s increased eating habits. To confirm if they are dealing with any of these conditions, you may want to schedule an appointment with your vet to determine what it is. Once your vet has made a correct diagnosis, you’ll want to follow the treatment plan that they outline for you so your dog can eat normally again.

Final Thoughts

If your dog has the strangest eating habits imaginable, know that it’s normal for most dogs. However, it is possible to train them not to eat poop or any other items that are not safe for consumption. Dogs will eat almost anything if you don’t train them right.

It’s important to make sure they are on the right diet from the start. Whether they are puppies or if you adopted an adult dog, you’ll want to make sure they are eating healthy. If they are developing weird eating habits or overeating, you may want to talk to your vet and also follow some of the steps listed above to help them stop eating non edible items.