If your pet eats feces, in most cases this is not a problem. But it’s still better to wean your dog off this bad habit.
Coprophagia is the name given to a dog’s behavioral feature in which it eats its own or other people’s excrement. This phenomenon occurs quite often and is not a dangerous action for the animal if it occurs in an isolated case. However, if such an action becomes a pet’s habit, you should take a closer look at the dog’s health and detect provocative causes in time.
Reasons why a dog eats cat feces
Eating cat feces is a common habit among dogs.
Some dog owners are seriously surprised when they see their pet starting to eat cat feces. There are several reasons why this happens.
Imitation of maternal behavior
For a month after the puppies are born, the dog engages in eating their excrement. Then, when vitamins and potassium supplements are added to complementary foods, she stops doing this. Some puppies begin to imitate their mother and engage in fecal eating even as adults.
Trying to please the owner
It's no secret that people often have to clean up pet excrement. There is a theory that dogs help people in this way and imitate them.
Curiosity
All little puppies can be called explorers. Out of curiosity, they put various objects into their mouths, including cat excrement.
Lack of attention
A pet may eat poop simply out of boredom when not enough time is spent with it. With such actions, the dog tries to occupy itself with something and attract attention.
Additional Information! If your dog starts eating his own or a cat's excrement, you should immediately call him over and reprimand him.
Cleaning up the area
Curiosity is one of the reasons for eating feces.
There are two main reasons why insecure dogs start eating feces:
- Eliminate traces of their presence. Dogs can get rid of sources of smell if they want to protect themselves or their owner from attack.
- Remove extraneous marks. Some animals mark their territory with their excrement and therefore dogs get rid of it in any way possible.
Miseducation
It's no secret that pets need to be raised. Only the right approach to this process will help wean them from eating other people's droppings. If you don't train your pet, sooner or later it will start eating excrement.
Bad diet
Some dogs have an unbalanced diet, which causes them to lack mineral components and vitamins. This causes the dog to start eating dog or cat poop to compensate for the missing components.
Gastrointestinal diseases
If your pet starts eating excrement suddenly, it most likely has problems with the digestive system. The following symptoms also indicate the presence of dangerous diseases:
- problems with appetite;
- lethargy;
- diarrhea.
Cats are better
Lethargy is one of the symptoms of gastrointestinal diseases.
Many people are interested in why dogs eat cat excrement. One reason for this may be their taste. The fact is that the diet of many domestic cats includes a lot of protein and proteins. This is what attracts doggies.
Hunger
One of the most common reasons that make a dog show interest in feces is hunger. The roots of the situation go back centuries. The distant ancestors of dogs ate their own feces and the feces of other animals in order to survive.
Coprophagia, the scientific name for the phenomenon accompanied by the eating of feces, helped canines replenish the lack of vitamins and minerals in the body, as well as simply survive in the event of a lack of food.
The feeling of hunger is unusually strong, so if an animal greedily eats feces during a walk, it is necessary to reconsider the pet’s diet. Perhaps the body lacks nutrients and the animal instinctively seeks an additional source.
Is this dangerous for health?
Many dog owners are interested in the health risks that cat feces can cause. In fact, the excrement of healthy domestic cats cannot harm dogs and is therefore absolutely safe. However, despite this, you must try to wean your pet from doing this. Especially if the owner finds it difficult to come to terms with such an unusual habit of the dog.
Additional Information! Cat feces can only be safe if the cat lives at home and does not spend much time outside.
If this is a street cat, then its excrement can harm the dog’s health. They will probably contain various parasites that will enter the dog’s body.
How to stop a dog from eating feces?
- To wean a dog from eating feces , it is necessary to solve the problem comprehensively: make sure that the pet is in a healthy condition, consult a veterinarian on developing a diet, visit a dog training center and most importantly - love and care for your pet.
- This bad habit is the result of improper care and lack of attention to the dog: advanced digestive problems, ignoring the natural needs of the animal, lack of psychological support during periods of adaptation.
By following all the above recommendations and not neglecting the advice of specialists, you can help your pet get rid of this bad habit forever.
What do we have to do
Many people are interested in what can be done to stop their dog from eating feces. There are several ways to solve this problem.
Rule out diseases
A veterinarian is a specialist who will help identify diseases in your dog.
First, you need to make sure that the dog is completely healthy and is not sick. To do this, your pet will have to be taken to a veterinarian. He will conduct examinations and, if necessary, prescribe effective treatment. To find out the diagnosis, you will have to perform the following procedures:
- fecal analysis, which will allow you to find out information about the quality of food digestion and make sure that the dog does not have worms;
- blood analysis;
- Ultrasound of the abdomen.
Important! Only after excluding pathologies can you begin to correct the dog’s behavior.
Change your diet
If the dog is healthy, then you need to make sure that it has a balanced diet. In this case, you will also have to consult a veterinarian so that he can help you create the correct diet.
Most often, doctors recommend giving dogs food that contains a lot of protein and vitamins. Additionally, vitamin complexes and beef tripe may be prescribed, which promotes the digestion of fiber.
Ignore
One of the most effective methods for correcting coprophagia is ignoring the dog. This method will help if the dog eats feces to attract attention. She will realize that it doesn't really work and will eventually stop doing it.
Blame
Some experienced dog breeders recommend weaning the dog with the help of reprimands and the use of prohibition commands. If a dog is seen eating cat feces or its own feces, you should immediately approach it and start swearing. At the same time, you can clap your hands loudly or hit the table with something so that the pet begins to feel guilty.
Important! You shouldn’t read morals for a long time, as the dog may perceive them as encouragement. It is enough to say one word loudly.
Distract
Toys are the best way to distract a dog.
Everything must be done to ensure that the pet does not get bored and is not left at home alone. To keep your beloved dog constantly busy, you need to do the following:
- call the dog to you and give it something tasty as soon as it starts to approach the feces;
- frequently engage in training and active games;
- give your dog more toys to spend time with;
- take your pet for walks in the fresh air more often.
Change the taste of stool
There is one trick with which you can quickly wean your dog from eating feces - changing its taste and smell. You can change the taste of stool as follows:
- treating feces with hot pepper;
- adding monosodium glutamate, which changes the taste of poop;
- treating cat feces with a special spray.
Maintain order
It is necessary to maintain order in the apartment and promptly remove cat feces. This will prevent the dogs from having the opportunity to taste them.
Make unavailable
It is recommended to install the cat litter in places that are inaccessible to the dog. For example, they can be placed on low elevations. You can also use special toilets with a door that only cats can enter.
Always feed your puppy quality food
Consult with your veterinarian to find quality food so you can be sure your puppy is getting all the essential minerals, vitamins and other nutrients he needs to grow properly.
Monitor your puppy for signs that he may be suffering from poor digestion:
- Poor growth
- Insufficient weight gain
- Vomit
- Watery stools
- Stool with large particles of undigested food
- Presence of parasites and worms
If you see any of these signs, contact your veterinarian. This can be a serious problem.
General recommendations
A muzzle will prevent your dog from eating feces on the street.
When retraining a pet, some dog breeders make mistakes. To do everything right, you must follow the following recommendations:
- you can’t beat a dog - this will not help rehabilitate it, but will only aggravate the situation;
- it is necessary to walk with the dog every day and play with it;
- There is no need to give your pet any pills without a doctor’s prescription;
- You shouldn’t poke the dog into a pile - this will not help the dog understand what exactly he did wrong.
Important! When walking, your dog must be muzzled to prevent him from eating feces on the street.
Buy stool repellers
Another way to prevent your dog from eating poop is to use a stool soothing product. They are specially made for dogs who cannot stop eating cat or other feces.
You don't want to kiss your dog once he has perverted his mouth. So, investing in stool repellents will be beneficial for you and your dog, as some products have "breath fresh" features to freshen the mouth.
On the other hand, stool repellents designed for cats may make their stool unattractive to dogs so they can stay away.
Prevention
To avoid such problems, you will have to immediately take preventive measures. It is necessary to promptly clean up cat feces in the apartment. It is also necessary to ensure that the dog does not eat feces on the street. If your dog often spends time alone, you need to provide her with access to toys.
Eating feces is a rather unpleasant habit for many dogs. Before weaning your pet from this, you need to understand why and why the dog eats cat feces and how to quickly re-educate it.
Use fences to keep them out
Interior fences outside the cat's room can prevent dogs from accessing that space. There are a number of interior fencing available online. Find the right size and height for your dog.
When purchasing them, make sure the space between the bars is wide enough for cats to pass through, but narrow enough to be in the way for dogs.
In contrast, you can install a small door in the bathroom door so that your kitties have access to the bathroom but not your dogs.
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