Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 127

Pica is the consumption of non‐nutritive items such as fabric, paper, and plastic. There is little research available involving companion animals and pica. However, a literature search for pica as a clinical sign links it to a variety of disease processes, including portal caval shunts, iron‐deficiency anemia, pyruvate kinase deficiency, ehrlichiosis, gastrointestinal disorders, neurologic damage, feline infectious peritonitis (FIP), and other medical conditions (Thomas et al. 1976; Black 1994; Goldman et al. 1998; Marioni‐Henry et al. 2004; Kohn et al. 2006; Kohn and Fumi 2008; Bécuwe‐Bonnet et al. 2012; Berset‐Istratescu et al. 2014). Both cats and dogs can be affected. Pica has also been described in horses, cattle, sheep, and other domestic species (Houpt 2011). In rats and mice, pica has been associated with gastrointestinal disturbances and may be an adaptive mechanism used to cope with gastrointestinal upset (Takeda et al. 1993; Yamamoto et al. 2002). In a recent case report, a 5.5‐year‐old dog with a 4.5‐year history of pica (eating rocks) resolved when diagnosed and treated for mild hip dysplasia (Mills et al. 2020).

There is some indication in the literature that oriental cat breeds (Burmese and Siamese) may be represented in numbers higher than the general hospital population, suggesting the possibility of an underlying genetic predisposition for pica (Blackshaw 1991; Bradshaw et al. 1997; Overall and Dunham 2002; Bamberger and Houpt 2006). To date, the evidence for a genetic basis is purely correlative.

Underlying medical causes for pica should always be investigated and ruled out through appropriate diagnostics. A behavioral diagnosis of an abnormal repetitive disorder is made by excluding all possible medical conditions. If financial constraints limit testing, a clinical trial with appropriate gastrointestinal protectant drugs is indicated prior to using any kind of psychoactive substance. Behavioral enrichment is indicated, and behavior modification can be attempted (Blackshaw 1991). There is a single documented case study that successfully used behavior modification to diminish the occurrence of pica in a cat (Mongillo et al. 2012).