Pica

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PICA means eating anything inappropriate. In AIHA, pica is sometimes seen when dogs are anemic – they may eat, dirt, fluff, hair or anything they can lick off the furniture, carpets, the ground or floor, or themselves. Licking of forelegs is sometimes seen.  Some AIHA owners have reported that their dog’s feces contain hair, fluff etc when they have a low PCV/HCT and they stop the pica habit when the anemia improves.

Pica in dogs who don’t have AIHA can be due to obsessive behaviour, lack of minerals, other dietary insufficiency or boredom. Humans with anemia have unusual cravings for dirt, ice, coal.

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