Dog - Coprophagia (Faeces Eating)

Why do dogs eat faeces?

While most cases of coprophagia (eating faeces) appear to be purely behavioural, there are numerous medical problems that can cause or contribute to coprophagia. It is therefore important to get your dog checked by a vet to rule out these problems before starting on a purely behavioural programme.

What are some of the medical causes?

Medical problems in any of these three categories could be involved in cases of coprophagia:

• A medical problem that leads to a decrease in absorption of nutrients.
• Conditions that might cause an increase in appetite or an unusual appetite, such as diabetes, Cushing’s syndrome, thyroid disease, or treatment with certain drugs such as steroids.
• Issues related to the dog’s diet. Some dogs that have been placed on a highly restrictive or poorly balanced diet may begin to eat their faeces.

The frequency of defecation and consistency of faeces should be monitored. If the faeces are unusually soft or appear to be poorly digested, additional faeces tests or blood tests may be warranted.

If a dog develops a taste for the faeces of one specific individual, that specific individual 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 faeces).

What are some of the behavioural reasons that a dog might eat its own faeces?

Coprophagia is a common problem in some puppies, and in most cases it resolves by adulthood. There have been many explanations suggested for this behaviour. When left unsupervised, puppies may simply begin to investigate, play with, and even eat faeces as a playful or investigative activity. Since coprophagia may attract a great deal of owner attention, the behaviour may be further reinforced, and become an attention seeking behaviour. There may also be an observational component (copying) since the bitch cleans and ingests the puppy’s excrement in the nest, and puppies may learn to mimic the behaviour of their mother or playmates who perform this behaviour. Attempts at toilet training that involve 'sticking the dog’s nose' in its faeces when it has soiled the home, are not only ineffective and potentially problematic in terms of inducing fear and anxiety related behaviour issues but they may also encourage coprophagia.

In adult animals coprophagia can develop due to a lack of stimulation, especially in animals that are kenneled in a relatively barren environment for prolonged periods. This may not become apparent until the animal is rehomed and if the habit has become established, it will continue even in an enriched environment. It has been suggested that in some cases it may be a form of compulsive disorder associated with anxiety. Such cases require specialist evaluation and intervention, so you should not be afraid to ask for further support if the basic advice does not appear to be working.

Why do dogs eat the faeces of other animals?

This behaviour is akin to scavenging. It is not unusual for dogs to steal food items, raid bins, and chew on, or eat non-food items that most humans would consider unusual or even disgusting. Cat and horse faeces and those of some other animals often have enough appealing attributes (odour, texture, and taste) to overcome the fact that they are faeces. In fact, faeces themselves are seldom unpleasant to dogs. It is one of the scents that they are constantly attracted to when investigating their environment.

How can coprophagia be treated?

Investigation of faeces is normal and scent communication is important so simply sniffing or investigating of faeces should not be actively discouraged. However, if your dog is actively seeking out faeces and consuming them it is appropriate to take action to resolve the problem.

• Dogs with medical problems should be treated to try to correct the underlying cause.
• Coprophagia can most simply be managed by preventing access to faeces, by thorough and prompt cleaning up of faeces in the garden, and by supervision when your dog is outdoors. However, be careful that your prompt cleaning is not so obsessive that you draw attention to the faeces and imply that they are of such high value that you are desperate to get them before your dog has a chance to do so!
• Teaching your dog to eliminate on command can be particularly useful in these cases.
• If you are on hand when your dog relieves itself and you teach him to come and sit for a special food treat immediately following each elimination, the new behaviour (leaving the faeces alone) may become a permanent habit.
• Further training approaches include teaching the dog that avoiding faeces and staying close to the owner is more rewarding than indulging in coprophagia. This is referred to as a conditioned avoidance response. If your dog goes beyond simple investigation of faeces and begins to open its mouth to ingest then a remote interuption signal, such as an unexpected noise, should be given. This signal should be unassociated with you, should temporarily interrupt the behaviour, and give you an opportunity to call him over and give a reward for coming away from the faeces. If the dog is on a lead and head collar it can be helpful to gently guide his/her head away from the faeces and refocus attention on yourself. This approach can be very time consuming and will require a great deal of patience on your part. However, it runs far less risk of inducing secret coprophagia than other methods which include using punishment.
• 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 fibre formula. Some dogs may be helped by adding enzyme supplements to improve nutrient digestion or absorption. Specifically, digestive enzymes in the form of food additives, may help increase protein digestion, resulting in a less palatable stool. In the case of dog’s who eat their own faeces other proposed remedies, which have never been scientifically evaluated, include adding substances such as pineapple, courgette or iron tablets to the dog’s food, the theory being that these items impart a less pleasant taste to the faeces. 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 can also be added to faeces that have already been deposited, for example the faeces of other animals, but this approach is unlikely to be successful unless the product is suitably noxious as well as odourless (so that the dogcannot detect its presence in the faeces). While the dog is out of sight, the faeces should be opened with a plastic utensil, the taste deterrent inserted into the centre and the faeces closed and replaced for the dog to find. However, many dogs either develop a tolerance to the taste, or learn to avoid those faeces that are pre-treated. Experimentally, the only forms of taste aversion that are consistently effective are those associated with feelings of nausea but these are difficult to apply safely in practice and if your dog’s problems are requiring this level of intervention it is advisable to seek professional help.