Copraphagia - dog eating poop
There is a lot of speculation on what causes animal to eat their own poop. Disgusting as it sounds to us humans, many animal species indulge in this and it isn’t always something to be concerned about – at least as far as our animal companions’ health is concerned. You need to check out other medical conditions because it is like pancreatitis symptoms and dog eating poop isn’t the result of something that requires vet medical intervention.
The number of times I have been at shows and people ask the basic questtion "why does my dog eat shit?"
To our pets, we presume that eating their own poop isn’t too different from any other sort of scavenging that is part of their natural instinct. Some consider that consumption of dung from cows, horses and sheep may actually be beneficial for dogs, and provides a rich source of good bacteria and other nutrients. The risks however are high of consuming worm infested dung and /or medications and such like with which these herbivores may have been treated with.
As humans we find the practice disgusting and certainly those of us with small children certainly don’t want kisses from an animal family member who has consumed dung of any kind. There are some things that can be done to manage and prevent the problem, from a holistic perspective – which means taking all aspects of the issue into consideration and treating the being ‘as a whole’.
The Nutritional element of dog eating poop
Many experts agree that animals on a poor quality diet may be more susceptible to picking up the poop-eating habit. In many cases, changing to a fresh, whole-foods diet with lots of vegetables and minimally processed ingredients will help with the problem. Food allergies and mal-absorption issues can also be a factor.
Supplementation in the form of kelp, spirulina, alfalfa or other high-nutrient foods is recommended. Dogs eating grass to clear their digestive system is often seem along with the dog poop. Digestive enzyme supplementation is also a good idea to help improve absorption and assimilation of the nutrients in your dogs food making it less attractive and decreasing the need. We suggest use of our Herbal Formula - Digestive Tonic along with Robbie's Holistic Cuisine
Management of dog eating poop
Training your dog is a vital component of the holistic approach to prevent copraphagia. Management begins with prompt cleanup of the yard to remove temptation, and use of a leash to prevent access to or contact with faeces that might have gone undetected, out on walks.
Teaching the command ‘Leave it!’ is also immensely helpful. Start on a leash, and reward with a well-timed click, treats and lots of praise each time you successfully call your pup away. Don’t reward for coming away after eating poop – the reward should only come for successfully averting the undesired behaviour.
One other approach is to supplement your dogs diet with pineapple chunks for a about a week making sure that you strictly control access to any dog faeces during this period. I cannot vouch for it personally but it has been suggested that the pineapple chunks will eventually impart an undesirable taste to the faeces. After a week of feeding the pineapple you allow the dog to take its own faeces in the hope and expectation that it will put the dog off eating poop.
Some pet owners report success with the application of hot sauce or chilli powder to stools, to provide a negative experience when they are consumed but in the time it takes to apply these seasonings, it’s more efficient to actually pick up and remove temptation. The use of punishment for stool eating is not recommended.