Transtorno do apetite depravado (Síndrome de Pica) em um felino

The psychological disorder of allotriophagy, also known as pica syndrome, can affect humans and animals. This eating disorder is characterized by chewing and ingesting objects without nutritional background, such as plastic, paper, fabrics, toys, wires, cables, among others. The present work aims to report the case of a feline affected by pica, having undergone exploratory laparotomy surgery to remove the foreign body. This behavior occurs more frequently in canines; however, it can occur in domestic cats, but in neither case is it considered a natural behavior and may be associated with clinical and behavioral causes. Although it is still little investigated by science, this behavioral disorder may be linked to nutritional deficiency, gastrointestinal problems, anxiety, stress, emotional dependence, separation anxiety, among others. Therefore, there is a need to diagnose pica syndrome in order to determine the ideal method of treatment.