Eating paper is one of the less acceptable habits of our canine friends. What makes a dog eat paper? Dogs are renowned for their excellent scenting abilities and these animals have also gained a reputation for being voracious eaters. It would be understandable if the paper eaten has traces of food on it.
The attention grabbing smell of hamburger wrappers and pizza boxes will never be ignored by the dog. What about a book, a newspaper or a toilet paper? OMG! Dogs really do have the propensity to develop weird behaviors. Dogs are very curious animals and the sound of tearing paper would be very interesting to these animals. A pet owner that has burned the midnight oil to prepare for a presentation will be dismayed to see that the working papers became the breakfast of the pet.
What kind of destruction do you think your pet can do if it is left alone at home all day? Bored dogs will find something to while the time and because dogs would not know right from wrong, the boredom will result to destroyed belongings. Newspapers, books, toilet paper, the telephone books or anything lying around will become interesting”toys” for the dog. Dogs have the inclination to chew and the texture of papers as well as exciting tearing sound will be very attractive to a playful dog. Chewing paper is most common in puppies. Eating paper and other things will be noticed in teething puppies as chewing is believed to soothe sore gums.
The paper eating habit of the dog can be a symptom of a medical problem. The dog’s inclination to eat paper is commonly blamed on the behavioral problems. But some dogs that have the propensity to eat papers are known to suffer either from anemia or from a gastro intestinal disorder. The habit of eating papers can be the dog’s way of dealing with a malabsorptive or maldigestive disorders that hinders the absorption of nutrients.
Eating paper similar to the ingestion of other non-food items will be dangerous for the health of the dog. Eaten paper is hoped to be excreted by the pet the normal way. If this does not happen, the dog will be in for some serious medical concern and the pet owner would also have to face hefty medical bills if the dog has to have surgery.
Sarah’s Dogs provides more information on why dogs eat paper as well as dog first aid.