Something here for Miss Daisy...
So, is a dog that obsessively licks concrete and craves dirt, well, normal?
Some might think that is just what some pooches do. Others wonder why.
And then there is the Texas A&M University veterinary professor Michael D. Willard, who knows why.
His scientific explanation: Concrete-licking, dirt-craving dogs have something called "pica," an abnormal appetite caused by a nutritional deficiency.
"True pica is defined as compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt, plaster, gravel, flaking paint or laundry starch, and can be compared to the unusual cravings in pregnant women due to nutritional deficiencies," he said. "Why does a pregnant woman want to eat mustard on vanilla ice cream?"
Other weird dog habits such as chewing on rocks and ingesting underwear or socks, however, Willard said, should not be confused with pica -- that's just pure boredom.
So, is a dog that obsessively licks concrete and craves dirt, well, normal?
Some might think that is just what some pooches do. Others wonder why.
And then there is the Texas A&M University veterinary professor Michael D. Willard, who knows why.
His scientific explanation: Concrete-licking, dirt-craving dogs have something called "pica," an abnormal appetite caused by a nutritional deficiency.
"True pica is defined as compulsive eating of non-nutritive substances, such as ice, dirt, plaster, gravel, flaking paint or laundry starch, and can be compared to the unusual cravings in pregnant women due to nutritional deficiencies," he said. "Why does a pregnant woman want to eat mustard on vanilla ice cream?"
Other weird dog habits such as chewing on rocks and ingesting underwear or socks, however, Willard said, should not be confused with pica -- that's just pure boredom.
