Why do dogs eat panties?
This dog article will answer the major question, “Why do dogs eat panties?” we will also discuss the reasons for dog eating panties, the possible outcomes of eating panties, and how a vet can diagnose such a condition in your dog.
Why do dogs eat panties?
Your dog eats panties because they love the smell of their owners. Panties and underwear have the smell of pheromones due to the hormonal balance in the body. Besides this, your dog will eat panties because your dog is not feeling well. Your dog will also eat panties because of boredom as they don’t have anything to do.
What are the reasons for dogs eating panties?
Following are the reasons for dogs eating panties:
Boredom
The first thing is boredom which is not healthy for your dog. If you do not provide a suitable environment or enrichment to your dog, your dog will feel bored. Dogs are active creatures, they love to run and play and when they are not provided such opportunity, they feel ill and develop certain types of abnormal habits such as eating panties.
Pica
Pica is a medical condition in which your dog will eat non-food items such as panties, rocks, and sand. It is due to the nutritional deficiency of the phosphorus in your dog’s diet. You have to be careful about it because when your dog is hit by pica it will eat everything in the house which can cause severe problems for your dog.
Stress
Any form of stress can induce abnormal behavior in your dog. Abnormal behaviors like eating panties are a distraction that is created by your dog to avoid a particular stimulus of stress in the environment.
Stress can be of different types and it could be due to many reasons. The stress may be due to the change in the environment of your dog or the change in the food. Dogs are touchy animals. They love to have a comfortable environment and when something is wrong or changed in the environment they act weirdly.
Smell of the owner
Dogs are attracted to the smell of their owners. They like the smell of their owners. They have excellent sniffing ability and trust their noses more than their eyes. They love to chew on the things that have the smell of the owner.
What are the bad effects of consuming panties for your dog?
Following are the bad effects of consuming panties for your dog:
Choking
Eating panties can cause choking in your dog. Choking is the obstruction of the esophagus of the body. The esophagus can also put pressure on the trachea, leading to tracheal collapse and the death of your dog.
The fabric in the panties is not digested in the stomach of your dog and it can also get stuck in the esophagus which can cause choking in your dog.
Following are the major clinical signs of choking in your dog:
- Pawing at head
- Head towards the ground
- Loss of appetite
- Breathing problems
- Unable to vomit
Intestinal obstruction
The next problem is the obstruction of the intestine. If the panties slip through the esophagus they will not slip through the intestine. The intestine blockage is a severe condition in your dog. It isn’t painful, and the only solution is surgery.
Intestinal obstruction can lead to the death of your dog if not treated in time.
Following are the major clinical signs of intestinal obstruction in your dog:
- Little to no feces
- Vomiting
- Abdominal pain
- Distended abdomen
- Loss of appetite
- Lethargy
- Weakness
This is a major problem that is a big concern for dog owners.
How can your vet diagnose the obstruction due to eating panties in your dog?
Your vet will perform a clinical exam on your dog to check the organs. He will get an idea of the organs and their condition in the body. Your vet will also go for an endoscopy on your dog to check the obstruction site in your dog.
If your vet has diagnosed the condition, he will prescribe the treatment to your dog and will discuss with you the possible outcomes of the condition. If not, he will go for x-rays to check the obstruction in your dog. The only solution to treat your dog is to perform surgery to remove the foreign body.
As soon as the foreign body is removed your dog will move towards a stable state. You should take good care of your dog.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we answered the major question, “Why do dogs eat panties?” we also discussed the reasons for dog eating panties, the possible outcomes of eating panties, and how a vet can diagnose such a condition in your dog.
