But he paws at it and pushes it around with his nose in his yard when it’s playtime. The egg toy is so large that Ruger can’t pick it up in his mouth. That success earned him more rope toys and, eventually, some hard plastic toys such as a jolly ball and a big yellow egg that quickly became his favorite. Instead, Ruger proudly carried the knotted rope around his room, as well as outside on his walks. He worked hard to prove to his caregivers that he could be trusted not to destroy and then eat the toy.

The silly senior boy was beyond thrilled to have something to play with again. “Ruger thought that was the cat’s meow,” says Dogtown caregiver Tom Williams. Finally, toysįirst, his caregivers gave him a large, sturdy rope toy. He was ready to try playing with some durable toys under his caregivers’ watchful eyes. While it wasn’t a magical cure-all, Ruger soon became a lot less interested in eating things that could make him sick. The trials revealed that his pica was unrelated to the food he was eating or how his body was processing it.Īs a next step, Ruger was prescribed a behavior modification medication. To rule those out, Ruger went through two extensive food trials -a hypoallergenic diet and a raw diet. While rooting out the exact cause of pica is tricky, dietary or digestive issues are sometimes the culprit. That way, they could solve it and add some fun back into Ruger’s life. So Ruger’s caregivers, along with the Best Friends veterinary team, tried to pinpoint what was causing his problem. Indoors, his room had to be kept clear of anything (other than food) that he might find tempting to eat, like soft bedding or toys.īesides the cot-like bed Ruger rested on, his room was pretty bare (and pretty boring) for a dog who loves playing with toys and running around outdoors. To stay safe, he needed close and constant supervision from his caregivers whenever he was outdoors. Until his pica could be controlled, there was no way Ruger could play alone in his yard in Dogtown. Since the Sanctuary sits in the high desert area of southern Utah, those risks included lots of rocks and sand. Because he’ll eat just about anything, any environment he lives in comes with risks.

Once he arrived in Dogtown, the worst was behind him, but that didn’t mean that Ruger was home free. With the help of a kind neighbor, Ruger survived for several months before he was rescued. To top it off, the poor senior was found abandoned in an empty house. It seemed that he’d had surgery before to remove life-threatening blockages in his intestines, caused by eating non-food items such as dirt, stones, blankets, towels and toys. But in order to enjoy them safely, Ruger has had to gain control over a condition called pica that had him compulsively eating things that are not food.Įating non-food items can be life threateningīy the time he came to the Sanctuary, Ruger was already a senior who’d likely been struggling for some time with an eating disorder called pica. These are some of his biggest joys in his life. He also loves a good romp in his yard or in the dog park. The 12-year-old dog absolutely loves playing with them and carrying them around in his mouth. Don’t tell Ruger that toys are just for puppies.

Pica eating disorder dogs