Your dog may start eating toilet paper for several reasons.
But before we go into the causes, it’s essential to know that eating toilet paper leads to severe health problems and high medical costs.
Your canine friend will have a healthier, happier, and longer life if you prevent or stop this habit.
So why do they do it?
In a nutshell, if you observe your dog eating toilet paper and tissue, he may be teething, hungry, bored, or just being naughty.
He may also copy this behavior from other dogs, or his hunting instincts are excited.
Unfortunately, he may also be suffering from a health condition associated with eating non-food objects.
As much as training can halt some of these habits, you may have to go to the vet if you’re concerned about your dog’s health.
According to PetMD, eating toilet paper can run risks in your dog’s intestines, making them clogged up with non-food non-digestible substances, which will cost you a buck in the vet visits.
Also, be extremely cautious if the tissue has had contact with chemicals or cleaning products that may be poisonous to your dog.
Although toilet paper and tissues will most likely not hurt your dog, the size of the dog and the amount eaten would determine the effects.
Sometimes, they tear up the tissue papers and minimal amounts. But, most of the time, they enjoy making a mess.
However, it’s crucial to observe your dog’s behavior and routines to determine why they are eating toilet paper.
The reasons below will give you some insights as you investigate further and recommend ways of stopping or treating the behavior.
Reasons Why Your Dog is Eating Toilet Paper and Tissues?
Below are possible reasons why your dog is eating toilet paper and tissue.
It is fun!
If your dog is chewing on tissues or anything else around the home, they may be simply having a good time!
Dogs, like humans, are naturally curious, and the only way they can learn is via trial and error.
Biting and chewing on tissues is a means for them to recognize that they are at home and free to explore.
It Has a Smell of the Dog Owner
The fact that toilet paper smells like you is another reason your pet is eating it.
Your body fluids are in almost every area of the home, including the bathroom, where you clean up after a workout and touch the tissue paper frequently.
Dogs have a smelling capability of 10,000 to 100,000 times more effective than humans in deciphering olfactory smells.
All dogs are known to be aware of their owners’ odors, and some can’t resist the desire to sample anything that smells like them – it’s even better if the item is soft and spongy – and toilet paper is precisely that.
Your Dog Has Teething Pains
When dogs are teething, they will often be seen chewing on soft items to relieve the pain.
For example, because toilet paper has a smooth and chewable feel, it is often preferred by dogs as a means of relieving discomfort.
When puppies engage in chewing items like that, they develop obsessive chewing behaviors that must be broken later.
Access to the Toilet
Dogs frequent the toilet bowl in search of a quick drink, especially if they’re not served with water in their bowls.
In some cases, if your dog doesn’t like its water dish, they’ll drink from the toilet bowl with ease.
They get to try out different things in the toilet during these trips, like tasting the tissue papers.
If they like the taste, they will make it a routine run.
Your Dog Is Hungry
Have you ever heard of the saying that a lion will eat grass in the absence of meat?
Well, your dog will also eat tissue paper in the absence of food.
If your dog has been waiting for you to return home to replenish the food dish and you have failed to do so, he may acquire a taste for the closest soft and chewable object – tissue paper.
Pica
Pica is a medical disorder that occurs when animals or people consume non-food things.
It is characterized by odd food intakes, such as grass, excrement, plastics, or toilet paper.
Such a condition and its associated behaviors are due to malnutrition or a deficiency in essential minerals.
Pleasant Taste
Occasionally, your dog is solely interested in what has been wiped up with a kitchen napkin.
In certain instances, the paper towel was used to remove the extra bacon grease from the pan after the bacon had been cooked, and it’s oozing with flavor.
Naturally, the dog will gnaw on the paper towel just because it is delicious to him!
Your Dog Is Just Bored!
There’s nothing else to read in between the tissue roll, and your dog can’t read either – so why not eat!
Tearing and chewing up tissue may provide mental stimulation to get through a boring day, and your dog knows it.
Of course, it is entertaining for your dog to chew on everything and anything they can get their teeth into around the home.
Is It Dangerous For a Dog To Eat Toilet Paper?
Your dog’s overall health will suffer if he eats any non-food things.
This isn’t to say that if you see them eating toilet paper and tissues, you should hurry them to the emergency vet.
Because toilet paper is quickly disintegrated, it is not hazardous to your dogs in tiny amounts.
The tissue pieces absorb the dog’s saliva and become soft, allowing them to move smoothly through its digestive tract.
Your dog’s feces, on the other hand, will be noticeably different if he consumes too much toilet paper.
You’ll see some toilet-paper shards. As a result, it’s always a good idea to be cautious and keep your dogs away from paper products.
This is because they may need veterinary assistance if they eat significant quantities of toilet paper or if the pieces become trapped in their digestive tract.
How Do You Stop Your Dog From Eating Toilet Papers and Tissues
- Please remember to lock up after using the restroom so that your dog does not have access to it.
- Remove discarded Toilet tissue, napkins, and kitchen towels from your furry friend’s reach.
- If your dog has developed a liking for tissues, now is the moment to teach them not to eat them. You might create a pleasant cage for him or her by filling it with chewable dog toys that can help relieve their desire to chew.
- Dogs get bored, did you know? To keep them from participating in bad behaviors and habits, you must keep them occupied and interested. If you notice your dog going for the toilet paper, take him outside and play a game like fetch with him. To attract their attention, throw a ball or a toy at him. Providing alternatives is an excellent approach to assist them in breaking the habit.
- Nutrition may be a factor in your dog consuming tissue; thus, you should enhance your dog’s nutrition by providing all the necessary food types in all of their meals.
- Make yourself available to your dog and pay attention to them. Dogs may act out as a way of expressing their need for their owners’ attention!
Bottom Line
It is preferable to prevent than cure.
Try to keep your dog away from toilet paper as much as possible since this will likely put an end to the habit.
Finally, if none of these methods work, talk to your veterinarian about how to stop your dog from chewing toilet paper and tissues.
The vet may be able to identify additional factors influencing your dog’s tissue-eating behavior and refer you to a trainer who can assist your dog in changing this tendency.
If t’s a medical condition, your vet is also in a better position to help.