Name: Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND
Pets species and breed: white boxer
Pets age and weight: 2 yrs/63pds
Pets health status: Very Healthy
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Nature’s variety instinct
Animal owned for: 7 months

“My female white boxer, Lola eats toilet paper, tissues, paper towels. Is this a vitamin/mineral deficiency? Just not sure what she is lacking? Has had this problem since I took her home from the animal shelter. She was there for about 2 months. I do give her doggie dophilus and vitamin B-12 with folic acid sub-ling. Hopefully you are able to help her out with a product to take. Thanks for your help.”

Dr. Rhona Feldstein, ND

The Answer:

“Thank you for your question. The behavior Lola is exhibiting is called pica. Pica is the craving and ingestion of nonfood items. Pica is not usually (although it can be) an abnormality of the digestive system or a nutritional deficiency. It is most commonly a psychological abnormality. The diagnosis is made when a dog does not just eat an object once, but rather seems obsessed with consuming certain materials. In Lola’s case, it appears to be paper products. Pica is commonly diagnosed in dogs that have been crated/caged for long periods of time (you said Lola was at the shelter at least 2 months) or have other psychological or anxiety issues.

It is important that Lola be checked for some of the medical issues that can cause pica. These include:

• Primary gastrointestinal or digestive problems such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).

• Iron deficiency anemia. This can happen as a result of chronic intestinal bleeding, parasitism (intestinal or fleas/ticks), etc.

• Endocrine problems (although unlikely given her age) such as diabetes mellitus and cushings disease. These conditions cause polyphagia or increased appetite and dogs often exhibit pica.

Most often, however, pica is a behavioral problem.
The diagnostics we usually recommend to evaluate the conditions above include a CBC (to check for anemia), a chemistry panel (to help evaluate proteins and other factors that can be low with intestinal malabsorption), urinalysis, fasted TLI (tests for pancreas insufficiency), vitamin B12/folate levels (as a crude measure of intestinal malabsorption), fecal test for parasites.

If these tests (or others your veterinarian may recommend) are normal, pica is diagnosed as a behavior problem.

I believe all pets should receive a daily vitamin-mineral supplement as a bit of an “insurance policy” against nutrient deficiencies. Even if a dog is eating a high quality natural premium dog food that is intended to achieve optimal health; picky or poor appetites, or competition in a multi-dog household may lead to one dog not getting quite enough. Supplements can also help counter the aging/degenerative process that goes on in all pets. I am very familiar with Halo supplements and highly recommend them.  I like to alternate the Daily Greens with the Vita-Mineral Mix to provide an excellent supplement of vitamins and minerals. For a fatty acid supplement (for great skin/hair and digestive health) I like their Dream Coat.

As far as Lola, if her lab work turns out to be normal (which I expect it will), the best “medicine” for her is avoidance. For example, locked lids on garbage cans to prevent access to paper products. There are psychoactive medications and certain behavior modification treatments you can also try. I recommend asking your veterinarian for advice on these.”

Good Luck.
Keep us posted.

Dr. Donna Spector

Name: Joyce Mason
Pets species and breed: Cocker Spaniel
Pets age and weight: about 3 years, 30 pounds
Pets health status: fair
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: several
Animal owned for: 6 months

“Muggsy is a rescue dog. He has a chronic problem with his digestive system. He seems OK for two or three weeks, then goes off his feed, acts miserable, stools become very soft and have bright red blood on them. In a few days, he acts better and stools become normal. When I first got him, he ate Science Diet C/D food. I didn’t like what I read in the ingredients list, so I changed to Burns, chicken and brown rice. That didn’t help, and the vet insisted that he eat Science Diet I/P. (If I go to her again, she will again want him on that food.) Next we tried VitaLife duck and oatmeal. He is just getting over another episode. I talked with a K9 cusine adviser, and we wondered if a non-grain food would help. Please help us. He smells really bad sometimes, especially when he comes in from outdoors. Would a zinc supplement help with this? The drainage from his eyes seems excessive, and it quickly hardens into a solid mass. Does he need a vitamin supplement? He is such a sweet and loving dog that I really want to help him feel good.”

The Answer:

“Thanks for your questions Joyce.  We hope to get Muggsy feeling better soon!

While possible, it is unlikely that Muggsy’s problem is with the grains.  The symptoms you describe in Muggsy are classic for a young dog who is not getting enough fiber in their diet.  Fiber is very important to the health of the colon and before I tried anything else I would try to increase the fiber in his diet.  There are natural sources of fiber including psyllium husk, canned pumpkin (not flavored) or you can even add metamucil to his food.  There are also some commercially available high fiber foods.  Ask your veterinarian for their suggestions as well.

It is important to choose dog foods with high QUALITY ingredients.  Poor quality proteins (rendered meats/meals/some by-products) are less digestible than real muscle meat and these poor quality proteins are often associated with adverse food reactions (diarrhea, stomach upset, etc).  Artificial colors, flavors, dyes and preservatives can also be associated with adverse intestinal and skin reactions.

If Muggsy continues to have problems despite fiber supplementation, I would ask your veterinarian about the possibility of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) as Muggsy is the right age for this condition.  See my article at http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-in-Dogs.html to learn more about IBD in dogs.

I would not recommend a zinc supplement in Muggsy at this time.  I think a high quality vitamin supplement is a good idea in most pets.  The excess eye drainage is not uncommon in Cocker Spaniels and may result from eyelid abnormalities (ectropion) or blockages of the tear ducts.  Ask you veterinarian about checking for these things before you start medicating him unnecessarily.”

Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector

Name: Kathy Beth Moraino
Pets species and breed: Canine – border collie/retriever
Pets age and weight: 1.5 years/60lbs
Pets health status: Excellent
Are they spayed or neutered? Yes
Brand of food: Taste of the Wild and a raw food diet
Animal owned for: 1 year

“I was inquiring about a premium dog food recommendation. My dog has SIBO. He has done well on a raw dog food diet and on does best on a kibble that is venison. I feed him kibble in the morning and raw meat/organs/bone at night. I feed the kibble just to make sure he is getting all the vitamins and minerals he needs. He was originally eating Wellness Venison but rejected it after a month. He liked Taste of the Wild Venison and bison at first, but then rejected it after a month. I was wondering if you could recommend a brand of food for him. Pre-made raw food is too expensive to feed all my dogs. Thank you.”

The Answer:

“Thanks for your question Kathy.  I am glad you are supplementing the raw dog food diet with a well balanced dog food to provide your dog the right nutrient profile.

It is important to choose a dog food with high QUALITY ingredients.  Poor quality proteins (rendered meats/meals/some by-products) are less digestible than real muscle meat and these poor quality proteins are often associated with adverse food reactions (diarrhea, stomach upset, etc).

Another ingredient to watch for is fillers.  Fillers are usually carbohydrates like corn and rice that are added to a food to “fill” up the bag and add calories.  It is cheaper for pet food companies to use these fillers than other types of carbohydrates and protein.  When included in dog foods (in excess) these fillers can have negative metabolic effects and often contribute to obesity in pets.

In addition to these things, I choose dog foods based on a number of factors, including:

• Recognizable ingredients.  Real meat (no by-products) and real vegetables when I read the label and look inside the food.
• Natural foods–by definition means they cannot contain artificial dyes, colors or preservatives
• Alternate carbohydrate sources like sweet potato

The food you have been feeding (Taste of the Wild High Prairie Canine Formula) contains bison, venison, lamb/chicken/fish meals, and potato/sweet potatoes so I know what ingredients he seems to do okay on.   A couple of names you might try include:

• Evo 95% Venison Canned Dog Food
• Nature’s Variety Instinct Venison

If your dog continues to reject each new diet that you provide, you should see your veterinarian.  Many dogs with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) actually have an underlying inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) condition that may require medication to treat.  See my article at http://www.halopets.com/pet-education/pet-articles/Inflammatory-Bowel-Disease-in-Dogs.html to learn more about IBD in dogs.”

Hope this helps.
Dr. Donna Spector