We love our dogs and they love us too. They are such wonderful pets with each animal having its own charm and quirk. But there’s one quirk in the canine species that both the pet and pet parent could surely do without. And that’s the animal’s propensity to eat feces. The scientific term for this behavior is coprophagia.
Coprophagia is a natural behavioral instinct that has developed over the eons; cleanliness is one reason. Packs of dogs living in a den are thought to have eaten puppy poop to keep the den clean and prevent odors from attracting predators.
Females with puppies are more likely to engage in coprophagia. The behavior is noticed in different situations, for example puppies that do not get affection from their mother or the pet owner; submissive dogs in a group of dogs; and dogs that are treated harshly when being housebroken.
Coprophagia brings with it the risk of consuming parasites; feces left in the open will have worms depositing larvae or eggs on them and when consumed they find a good host in the dog. Pancreatitis and food allergies are other possible fallouts of coprophagia in dogs. Unpleasant situations all of them and therefore best avoided.
Here are a few things that you can do to stop Fido from feeding on poop.
• Give him a balanced meal at regular times to eliminate the risk of hunger-related coprophagia.
• Your pet dog has to obey your commands. Reward or pet him when he heeds your command to leave the poop alone and come to you.
• Ensure that the dog’s feeding area is clean; also his living area should be clean.
• Clear feces off the backyard / garden if you have one.
• Dogs that are healthy and are given sufficient mental and physical stimulation are less likely to indulge in coprophagia.
• Check out what other dog owners did and what worked for them.
• There are products available in the market that make dog poop unpalatable for the animal.
• If your exhibits a really strong drive to eat feces, then you should muzzle him when taking him to the park.
• Consult a vet to check for any health or diet problems and possible treatment options.
• Consider meeting an animal behaviorist if no medical problems can be detected as probable cause for the condition.
The best means of ridding your dog of this habit is to prevent it from laying its muzzle on poop. Also you have to get Fido de-wormed regularly to ensure that coprophagia does not allow intestinal parasites to find a home inside your pet’s body.
The habit is easier to control when noticed in puppies. Keep your eyes open because pups are also more vulnerable to the conditions that can follow because of coprophagia.
