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Why do dogs eat stools?
While most cases of coprophagia appear to be purely behavioral, there
are indeed numerous medical problems that can cause or contribute to
coprophagia. These problems must first be ruled out before a purely
behavioral diagnosis can be made.
What are some of the medical causes?
Any medical problem that leads to a decrease in absorption of nutrients,
causes gastrointestinal upset or causes an increase in the appeal of the
dog’s stool, could lead to coprophagia. In addition to a complete
physical examination, the puppy’s diet and its stool frequency and
consistency should be evaluated. Stool testing for parasites would be
the minimum level of testing. If the stool is unusually soft or appears
to be poorly digested, additional stool or blood tests may be warranted.
Feeding a poorly digestible diet, underfeeding, and medical conditions
that decrease absorption such as digestive enzyme deficiencies or
parasites, could lead to malnutrition, vitamin and mineral deficiencies
and therefore an increased appetite and possibly stool eating. In
addition, if the stools contain large amounts of undigested food
material, there is an increased likelihood that the puppy would eat the
stools.
When adult dogs begin to eat stools, it may also be due to
mal-absorption of nutrients or nutritional deficiencies. In addition,
any condition that might cause an increase in appetite or an unusual
appetite, such as diabetes, Cushing’s disease, thyroid disease, or
treatment with certain drugs such as steroids, may lead to an increase
in stool eating. Some dogs that have been placed on a highly restrictive
or poorly balanced diet may also begin to eat their stools. It should
also be noted that if a dog develops a taste for a particular dog’s
stool, that dog should be tested for any type of condition that might
lead to poor digestion of the food (and therefore excessive food
elements remaining in the stool).
What are some of the behavior reasons that a dog or cat might eat its
own stools?
Coprophagia is a common problem in some puppies, which usually clears up
by adulthood. There have been many explanations suggested for this
behavior. When left unsupervised, puppies may simply begin to
investigate, play with, and even eat stools as a playful or
investigative activity. Since coprophagia may attract a great deal of
owner attention, the behavior may be further reinforced. There may also
be an observational component (copy behavior) since the bitch cleans and
ingests the puppy’s excrement in the nest, and puppies may learn to
mimic the behavior of their mother or playmates that perform this
behavior. The owner that uses the outmoded, inhumane and useless
training technique of “sticking the dog’s nose” in its stool when it has
soiled the home, may be further encouraging coprophagia. In adult dogs
the innate behavior of grooming and cleaning newborn puppies and eating
their excrement, along with the well documented fact that dogs tend to
be attracted to sniff and lick infection or discharge of their
pack-mates, may explain some of the motivation for coprophagia. Early
intervention can help reduce the possibility that the behavior will
become a long-term habit.
Why do dogs eat the stools of other animals?
This behavior is akin to scavenging. It is not unusual for dogs to steal
food items, raid garbage cans, and chew on, or eat non-food items that
most humans would consider unusual or even disgusting. Cat feces and
those of some other animals often have enough appealing attributes
(odor, texture, taste), to overcome the fact that they are stools. In
fact, stools themselves are seldom unpleasant to dogs. It is one of the
odors that they are constantly attracted to when investigating their
environment.
How can coprophagia be treated?
Coprophagia can best be corrected by preventing access to stools, by
thorough cleaning of the pet’s property, and by constant supervision
when the pet is outdoors. At the first indication of stool sniffing or
investigation the dog should be interrupted with a firm command,
punishment device or a quick pull on the leash (this is particularly
effective for dogs wearing head halters). If the dog is taught to come
to the owners and sit for a special food treat immediately following
each elimination, the new behavior may become a permanent habit.
Dogs with medical problems should be treated to try and correct the
underlying cause. A change in diet to one that is more digestible, or
one with different protein sources may be useful. Dogs on restricted
calorie diets may do better on a high bulk or high fiber formula. Some
dogs may be improved by adding enzyme supplements to improve nutrient
digestion or absorption. Specifically, the digestive enzymes in the form
of meat tenderizers or food additives, may help increase protein
digestion, resulting in a less palatable stool. Other published remedies
that have never been proven to be effective are to add papaya, yogurt,
cottage cheese or certs to the dog’s food, which in some way are
supposed to impart a less pleasant taste in the stools. When adding some
items to dry dog food, it may be necessary to moisten the food first and
allow the product to sit on the food for 10 - 15 minutes to increase
effectiveness.
Unpleasant tastes are unlikely to be successful unless the product is
suitably noxious as well as odorless (so that the pet cannot detect its
presence in the stool). While the dog is out of sight, the stool should
be opened with a plastic utensil, the taste deterrent inserted into the
center and the stool closed and replaced for the dog to find. Most dogs
however, either develop a tolerance to the taste, or learn to avoid
those stools that are pretreated. Experimentally, the only form of taste
aversion that is consistently effective is when a food type is
associated with nauseousness. Since most dogs seem to prefer a
well-formed stool, adding sufficient quantities of stool softeners or
bulk laxatives will usually deter most pets from eating their feces.
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