My dog keeps chewing concrete and wood. Is it a sign of parasites?

This may be a sign of gastric or intestinal pain. You should take him back for a recheck. This is called pica and needs to be investigated. Your vet will need to do blood tests, and x-rays. Mineral deficiencies and intestinal parasites have been indicated and your vet did address that. Your dog may also need a second dose of wormer. Sometimes this is caused by boredom also.

Hello. Eating strange & unusual items is called pica. This might be an attempt for your puppy to address a nutritional problem, deal with parasites or might even be a psychological problem. It might be a good idea to have Tuffy examined & a fecal analysis done to see if you are missing something in his diet, or if your wormer was effective & he is eating odd things for another reason. A fecal analysis would also show if you need to use a different wormer altogether. But I would recommend having Tuffy looked at before he potentially eats the wrong thing & causes an intestinal blockage. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

There are some dogs that love to chew on wood. It isn't ideal, but it can be a very hard habit to break. I recommend providing alternative toys to chew on, but if that doesn't work you might consider collecting branches for them to chew, which is better than furniture. Make sure they are getting plenty of exercise, as bored dogs tend to be destructive. As far as eating their own feces, yes you need to pick it up right away. Here is a great article with more information about this subject. https://www.petcoach.co/article/stool-eating-coprophagy/

Address the underlying cause of anxiety or stress – In some cases, the abnormal consumption of nonfood objects may stem from an underlying stress or anxiety. Trying to determine the cause of your pet’s angst is an important step in eliminating the behavior. To determine the source, careful observation of the behavior, including its frequency, duration, and time of occurrence are important. In many cases, the behavior may occur only while the animal is not under your supervision. In this instance, the use of a video camera may be used to capture the act. Understanding the circumstances in which your pet feels driven to perform the behavior is important to works towards elimination. Another important point to keep in mind is how you interact with your pet on a daily basis. Setting proper boundaries helps your pet respect you as the leader figure. Being conscientious about the use of rewards when interacting with your pet is important to let your pet know that he must be behaving properly and actively participating in maintaining proper behavior to gain attention and rewards from you. Enrichment – You can help reduce this behavior by increasing environmental enrichment. Giving your pet toys that are breed and size appropriate may decrease unwanted behavior by increasing positive stimuli. Redirecting your pet’s energy towards an acceptable outlet is a good alternative. Exercise – With our busy lives, it can be hard to find time to help our pets get sufficient exercise. However, a physical outlet can be an excellent alternative to reduce abnormal eating habits by increasing the level of neurotransmitters that support healthy brain function. Counter-conditioning & Remote Punishment – This technique involves retraining an animal to avoid certain behaviors that they previously sought. For both dogs and cats, placing a discouraging taste or smell on the object of desire will help them avoid eating that object in the future. For example, you can put hot sauce on the wool that you wish for your pet to avoid. Alternatively, association of a negative stimulus, such as turning on a vacuum cleaner at time of the pica, can lead to stopping the behavior. These things by themselves will not address the underlying problem. Medication – As an adjunct to behavior therapy, medication MAY be used to reduce anxiety if the pica is induced by stress. Pica is a complex behavior with many possible underlying causes. Remember to always seek professional advice from your veterinarian when determining the cause of your pet’s motivations.

While modern paints do not contain lead, chewing wood can still cause intestinal injury and even result in foreign bodies. Signs of this would include lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, and/or diarrhea. You should do your best to reprimand Louie if you see him chewing the wall or furniture, and can even try some Bitter Apple spray to deter the chewing. I hope this helps and that all is well!

Pica - eating non food items - is often an indication of disease or poor digestion/absorption of her food and more rarely due to senile confusion. I would recommend a full vet check and blood panel to rule out any medical causes or indication of poor digestion (vitamin B deficiency in particular) as soon as possible

Hacking cough can be related to upper airways infection (kennel cough-type infections) or inflammation of the throat from a wound or foreign body. It is possible that Baylle has throat infection and because of that she is coughing a lot. However, she may have a wound from chewing wood, or a piece of grass at the back of her throat which irritates the throat and makes her cough. I would recommend you to take Baylle to your local vet for an appointment. Your vet may suggest to examine her throat under sedation to make sure thare is no foreign material or a wound from chewing wood there.