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| Dogs that Eat Poo - Coprophagia |
If
your dog eats their own poo or even the poo of other dogs, you are
likely to see it as quite a disgusting habit and wish to do something
to stop it. If your dog is in the habit of eating faeces you will
be less eager to cuddle close to your dog and certainly less likely
to want doggie ‘kisses’. Also their habit may restrict
their freedom as you are more likely to keep your dog on lead at
walkies time. From a health point of view you may worry what germs
and diseases your dog could be picking up.
But
before we tackle how to nip this behaviour in the bud, we
should first stop and consider why a dog might eat faeces.
Firstly
it is important to realise that coprophagia (eating faeces)
is actually quite common. Horse or rabbit dropping would usually
be preferred but other dog poo will suffice if no other faeces
are available.
Nutritional
deficiency is commonly believed to be a reason for poo eating,
so it is important to rule this out first. However, a dog
fed on a good quality complete dog food should already be
getting all the nutrients they require. If you are feeding
a low quality food then try selecting a |
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better
quality brand.
See our Dog Food Reviews if you need
any assistance. If you feed a home-cooked diet then make sure that
the correct proportions of food groups and correct nutrients are
being provided.
Another possible clinical cause of coprophagia could be a digestion
problem. In other words, you are feeding the correct nutrients but
your dog is not able to digest what it needs. Your vet will need
to examine your dog and rule out this possibility.
Poor
digestion due to fast eating may in turn result in poor nutrient
absorption. Instinctively the dog may then try to reprocess
it by eating up his nutrient rich poop.
The wishbone design in the centre of the specially designed
Eat
Better™ ergonomic dog food bowl has 3 apexes and
connecting ridges, which serve as an obstruction to deter
the dog from making a clean sweep of the food. It moderates
the dog's eating pace. |
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One particular nutrient often thought to lead to poo eating is a
lack of vitamin B. Supplementing your dog’s diet with Vitamin
B could therefore help, but please note that this should not be
required if your dog is already fed a good quality complete food.
However, if supplementation is required, try conditioning tablets
from the pet shop or brewers’ yeast from the health food shop.
Other reasons for eating faeces are behavioural based. Your dog
may simply do it because it is an instinct or is even a pleasurable
activity. In this case, your disapproval will have little effect
since the pleasure gained from eating the poop probably outweighs
any displeasure from an unhappy owner.
It is worth mentioning that variety is the spice of life. Don’t
discount the fact that a scavenging dog may simply be bored with
his usual diet, making them more likely to seek out more novel food
sources. Therefore, introducing some new food
sources to their diet could help. Try adding small amounts
of raw meat, raw offal, fish, egg yolk, green leafy vegetables,
or brown rice.
Eating poo seems revolting to us but many wild animals eat
faeces, especially at times when food sources are scarce.
The dog’s instinct is that of a scavenger. Faecal matter
can contain many nutrients and be a surprisingly good source
of protein. A dog that eats faeces may therefore just be seeing
poop as another food source – waste not want not. Clinical
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reasons
aside, it is often thought that this is the most common reason why
a dog eats faeces. The dog will start by recycling their own poo
and generalise to eating any poop they come across.
Assuming that clinical reasons for the coprophagia have been ruled
out and assuming the issue is therefore a behavioural one, how can
we stop our dog from eating poo?
Many people simply muzzle their dog during walkies. This will only
work if you muzzle your dog each and every time it is likely to
encounter poo, unless you are lucky and the use of the muzzle breaks
the habit. That aside, the use of a muzzle doesn’t actually
teach your dog not to eat poo, nor does it address any underlying
medical problems or behavioural issues. Having said this, it can
be a relatively simple solution to a difficult problem. If you do
decide to use a muzzle then pick a light weight basket design that
allows your dog to pant and breathe normally.
If your dog gobbles up his own poo or the poo of other dogs
in the household, some suggest feeding small amounts of pineapple
in with their usual meal. This can apparently put them off
eating the end product. Courgette is also said to make stools
taste unpleasant.
Another solution for a dog who eats their own poo is simply
to clean it up as soon as they have toileted. You can hope
to break |
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the
habit but it may take some time. Also, if you clean up poop quickly
you risk the poop becoming an item of perceived value to your dog,
which is the opposite of what you wish to achieve. Instead, call
your dog in for a treat after they have toileted, close the door
and with your dog inside go out afterwards to pick up the poo.
A
more long term solution is to train your dog not to eat faeces.
If you make a big fuss when your dog eats poop and try to stop your
dog mid-scoff, your dog is likely to simply attempt to be quicker
next time. Your dog may even think you are in competition and trying
to reach the poop first because you desire to have it. The eating
of poo has then become a significant event and could easily escalate
into a habit. Distraction and reward is therefore preferable. Teaching
the leave command can help. Start with something of low value before
you graduate to using the leave command on something as rewarding
as poo eating.
As
already mentioned, the eating of poo can be very rewarding to your
dog. Therefore any alternative you offer must be more rewarding
than the poop. The aim is to make it more rewarding for your dog
not to eat poo than to eat it. Provide something your dog will prefer
such as slices of hot dog sausage or something else that they really
enjoy.
However,
in stubborn cases you may need to add in consequences to the unwanted
behaviour such as a water spray or noise aversion. Use citronella
collars with caution. These spray an unpleasant smelling and tasting
substance. This can be very frightening and unpleasant for your
dog (their noses are much more sensitive than ours) and also the
smell and taste will last quite a long time, even though they have
since backed away from the poop. The accuracy of what you are actually
trying to teach your dog is therefore compromised. If you choose
to use aversion therapy then pick a technique that is instant and
pin points the bad behaviour you wish to eliminate. You only want
to startle and interrupt. However, before using any aversion techniques
you must make sure that your dog is generally happy and confident
and can take the consequences. An anxious dog is not going to respond
well to ‘punishment’. If in doubt, it is best to just
reward the good behaviour rather than punish the bad.
Owners
are right to be concerned about the health issues connected with
their dog eating poo, but surprisingly not as much as you would
think. Probably the biggest concern is if your dog eats the faeces
of other dogs and especially if they have a penchant for poo that
is not fresh. In such cases, roundworm is a particular health concern.
It is therefore important to worm your dog regularly. This will
lessen the risk of infection with parasitic eggs.
A
dog’s guts have a powerful immune response to bacteria. The
modern dog’s diet can be so sterile that they may even seek
out bacteria in order to address the balance and keep their immune
system working effectively. So, having mentioned health concerns,
it is important to point out that your dog will not suffer many
ill effects as a result of eating poop, at least not in the way
that humans would. |
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D for Dog www.dfordog.co.uk |
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