What happens if my puppy eats newspaper

Whether they are chomping it or scattering it across the bathroom floor like snow, dogs eat toilet paper for a variety of behavioral or medical reasons. Puppies indulge their curiosity as they investigate their environment with their mouths. Biting, chewing, and eating toilet paper can be a sign of a puppy in search of relief from teething pain.

Adult dogs may also be attracted to toilet paper out of curiosity, as tasting different textures helps them understand their world. Dogs may crave paper because they are missing crucial minerals, like iron, in their diet. Dogs lacking proper nutrition or enough caloric content for their size often try to ingest other substances to satisfy their appetites.

Other medical conditions could be to blame as well, as dogs dealing with gastrointestinal problems, diabetes, or worms turn to toilet paper out of hunger. Dogs may also eat toilet paper simply because they are bored. To a dog, even negative reactions count as attention. The first step to eliminating this dangerous habit is by ensuring toilet paper is not easily accessible for your dog. Hide all extra toilet paper rolls and tissues behind baby-locked cabinets or keep them out of reach.

Keep the bathroom door closed at all times. Since dogs are often attracted to toilet paper rolls because they spin around, it may be helpful to invest in a special toilet paper dispenser that prevents dogs from accessing toilet paper. If your canine companion is munching toilet paper straight out of the trash can, keep cans securely sealed and out of reach.

If your pup is an avid dumpster diver, try keeping the trash can behind a closed door. Routine exercise and ample playtime provide dogs with outlets for all their extra energy. Since dogs require both physical and mental stimulation, Zeigenfuse recommends getting canines involved in AKC dog sports like Agility , Retrieving, and Scent Work so highly energetic dogs can use their hunting instincts and obedience skills.

JavaScript is disabled. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Thread starter pinkpulse Start date Aug 3, Forums PurseForum Community Animalicious. Aug 1, 52 0. Sometimes I think he not only just chews it up but he is eating it. Is this normal behavior?

And most importantly is it safe? Just last night he started chewing on the training pads as well. Has this ever happened to anyone? My main concern is whether this is safe or not. I can manage the cleaning up after the torn pieces but I am worried this may not be safe for him. Dec 30, 10, 2. The newspaper is safe for him to eat, but he should not be eating it.

Try giving him some chew toys to chew on -- not rawhide or Nylabones. They can break off into pieces that can become obstructed in his gut. As for pooping and peeing in his crate. That should not happen. You should take the newspaper and wee wee pads out of the crate.

The crate should be a place to sleep in only. It should also be a just big enough for him to lay in and tall enough for him to stand up in. Your puppy should be pooping and peeing outside. You can use the newspaper outside to help with the transition for that. Now that the search is back up, there are a million threads on potty-training. They all have great advice in them, so use those. Hope that helps, please PM with any questions you may have.

Hi thanks! That was really helpful. He has massive amounts of toys but as soon as he sees the newspaper he runs to it. When he is out in the living room area I place newspaper on the floor for him to use but as soon as he sees it on the floor instead of using it he will lay on it and start chewing on it.

If your dog is lacking iron in the blood, known as anemia, he may seek out this object to consume. Dogs have a much stronger sense of smell than humans, so if they sense your scent on something, they may well feel an urge to devour it as a way to feel close to you.

This might be quite an obvious one, but this is probably more likely to be the case if your dog is bigger, as this will mean that they have a larger appetite that is not quite satisfied by their current portion size.

Your dog might be craving more calories, and only satisfy that craving by eating paper towels and newspaper found around the house. Their hunger could also be a sign of illness, as conditions such as diabetes and high blood sugar levels make your dog want to eat more. Dogs are playful animals, and with paper being a fairly malleable materials with its ability to shred, they might be inclined to chew and consume paper because they see it as a new fun toy!

When dogs tear apart paper and then chew it, it harks back to the ancestors doing exactly the same thing to their prey! Some dog owners report that paper eating suddenly comes out of nowhere with no previous habit for doing so. In cases such as this, it often points to a more serious issue rather than a fun or playful habit.

Your dog can eat paper all of a sudden due to some of the issues listed above relating to pica, but including in total possibilities such as:. Whilst a small amount of paper will lead to an upset stomach at most, large amounts of paper, especially in smaller breeds, can be bad for dogs. So, when it comes to the question of whether it is bad for dogs to eat paper, the simple answer is that size matters as does the regularity.

For example, the size of your dog can play a huge role in whether the amount of paper they consume is harmful. Because some breeds, such as French Bulldogs, have smaller body and organ sizes, eating a dozen paper towels or napkins is more serious for them than it is for a Labrador or Golden Retriever, who have comparatively larger bodies, organs and digestive systems. Whether or not your dog consuming paper is harmful can also depend on the type of paper consumed, although one common problem found amongst all paper-types consumed is the potential for blockage.

Eating newspaper or paper towels, for example, can be bad because as well as causing a huge blockage, it can absorb a lot of bodily fluid and dehydrate them.