How to Treat Pica in Older Dogs
If your dog has pica and is eating non-food things, like toilet paper or socks, take it to the vet so they can rule out any underlying health problems. Pica can be caused by digestive problems, anemia, Cushing's disease, or diabetes, so make sure you get your dog checked out before you try to address the problem on your own. If your vet rules out a medical condition, the pica is probably the result of a behavioral issue, so try to do things at home to reduce your dog's boredom and anxiety. For example, you can take it on longer walks and set aside time to play with it every day. You might also want to talk to your vet about anti-anxiety medication if the pica persists. In addition to treating your dog's behavioral issues, do your best to keep things that your dog likes to eat out of reach.
Take your dog to your vet. Pica in older dogs can be caused by behavioral or medical problems. Before making changes at home, have your vet rule out possible medical causes. Your vet will perform diagnostic tests to determine if your dog has an underlying health problem: Digestive problems, like stomach pain or stomach tumors Anemia (low iron) Cushing's Disease (overactive adrenal or pituitary glands) Diabetes If your vet finds a health problem, then treating that problem could help stop the pica behavior. Exercise with your dog. If your dog is otherwise healthy, then its pica is likely a behavioral issue. Separation anxiety is a behavioral issue that commonly causes dogs to engage in unhealthy activities, such as pica, to relieve that anxiety. Exercising can help your dog relieve its anxiety in a healthy way without it resorting to eating something inedible. Exercise is also a great way to relieve boredom, which is another common cause of pica in older dogs. Take your dog for long walks twice a day. If you and your dog are athletic, take your dog out for a run. If your dog has arthritis or cannot move around as much as it used to, do not push your dog to exercise beyond what it can comfortably do. Play with your dog. Some older dogs eat inedible items to get attention, even if it's negative attention (trying to pull the inedible object out of the dog's mouth). Playing with your dog can give it the attention it wants from you. Play with your dog in different ways: Play fetch. Practice basic obedience commands (sit, lie down ). Teach advanced tricks, like playing dead and grabbing paw. Give your dog plenty of toys, especially puzzle toys. Having a constant rotation of toys will keep your dog from eating inedible objects when it's bored and you're not home to play with it. Give your dog anti-anxiety medication. Sometimes, exercise and playtime are not enough to relieve a dog's anxiety. If your dog's pica behavior continues, take your dog back to your vet. They can prescribe anti-anxiety medication for your dog. Use the medication along with exercise and playtime to relieve your dog's anxiety and treat its pica. Do not punish your dog. If your dog's pica behavior is caused by anxiety, punishing your dog will increase its anxiety instead of stopping the pica. In addition, if you scold and yell, your dog may start fearing you and hiding the pica behavior. Relieving your dog's anxiety through behavioral changes and medication will be much more effective at treating pica. Keep inedible items out of reach. If you know what types of inedible items your dog likes to eat, put them out of its reach. For example, if your dog likes eating toilet paper, close the bathroom doors. If your dog prefers eating your shoes, keep them in your closet and keep your closet doors closed. If your dog likes eating empty food wrappers, stay diligent about throwing away all food wrappers. Make inedible items undesirable. If you make the inedible items less desirable, your dog will lose interest in eating them. Consider sprinkling a bitter-tasting substance, like cayenne pepper or Bitter Apple®, on those items. Feed your dog a high-fiber diet. Changing your dog's diet could help stop the pica behavior. High-fiber diets promote a feeling of fullness. If your dog feels full, it may not want to eat inedible items. Talk with your vet before changing your dog's diet. Teach your dog the ’drop it’ command. If you see your dog with something inedible in its mouth, the 'drop it' command will train your dog to drop that object. This is especially important if your dog has something sharp, like a rock or stick, in its mouth that could cause major damage to its GI tract. To help your dog learn this command: Practice the command in a quiet area. Give your dog a toy to play with. Give the 'drop it' command and a hold a treat in front of your dog's nose. When your dog drops the toy, immediately reward it with a treat. To increase the difficulty, practice the command in a place with more distractions, such as a dog park. Train your dog to come when called. When your dog drops what's in its mouth, it should leave the object on the ground and come to you. That way, your dog won't be tempted to put the pica object right back in its mouth. Also, if you see your dog approaching something inedible, calling your dog to you will prevent it from eating that object. Follow some helpful tips when teaching this command: Reward your dog with a treat and verbal praise each time it comes when called. Have your dog sit before it receives its reward. Practice daily. As with any type of dog training, teaching your dog the “drop it” and “come” commands will take daily practice. Keep the training sessions short (10-15 minutes) to keep your dog from getting bored. If your schedule allows, have multiple training sessions in a day until your dog learns the commands. End training sessions on a happy note, with lots of praise (petting, verbal praise). Pica can be a problem in puppies as well. If your puppy develops pica, try teaching the “leave it” command and find ways to distract your puppy from non-food items that he wants to eat, such as by offering a favorite toy instead. 
Take your dog to your vet. Exercise with your dog. Play with your dog. Give your dog anti-anxiety medication. Do not punish your dog. Keep inedible items out of reach. Make inedible items undesirable. Feed your dog a high-fiber diet. Teach your dog the ’drop it’ command. Train your dog to come when called. Practice daily. 