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| Chuy |
Today’s blog is difficult to write. It’s like I’m sharing a dirty family secret. My dog Chuy has Coprophagia (the
name given to the habit of eating stools-either the dog’s own or another
animal’s). It’s not pretty, but it’s a fairly
common problem. Chuy has done this all his life as far as I know. He may have picked up the habit when at the
shelter when he was a hungry puppy. I
had hoped it was something he would grow out of but he will still do it from
time-to-time.
Research suggests several reasons as to why a dog develops
this habit:
- Dogs are basically scavengers (they eat what they can to survive)
- They are wired to keep their “dens” clean and tidy
- Inattentive parents (the dog may be doing it for attention)
I’ve also learned that there are medical reasons as to why a
dog has Coprophagia, but these are not common.
To name a few: dogs with malabsorption syndrome, dogs on corticosteroid
therapy, those with Cushing’s syndrome, diabetes mellitus, hyperthyroidism, and
intestinal parasites.
Chuy does not have any of the medical reasons above, however
our vet does caution us to watch for parasites in his stool in case he ingests
something that contained larva of some variety.
I don’t think Coprophagia is uncommon so thought I would
share some of the things we do to curb his nasty habit:
- Keep walks around the sixes. We’ve learned that both Chuy and Nikki’s general potty routine is around 6:00am and 6:00pm. We try to keep twice daily walks around this time so we can pick up the tempting pleasure. If we see either dog potty in the backyard we try to pick it up as soon as possible (we also spot check often).
- Either chop carrots smaller or switch to another bulky supplement (like green beans) that is not as sweet when supplementing my dogs’ food. (I’ve been adding chunks of carrots to the dogs’ food to help control weight gain but this makes the stools tastier to Chuy as the carrots don’t digest thoroughly.)
- Keep toys and other distractions in the yard to curb boredom.
- No access allowed to the litter box (although our cat has since passed).
- Keep Chuy away from flower beds when on a walk (they seem to be a favorite potty spot for some cats in our neighborhood)
A number of ingredients have been suggested as additives to the dog’s food to
improve digestion or to render the stools unappetizing. A partial list includes
meat tenderizers, crushed pineapple, Viokase, B-complex vitamins, sulfur,
glutamic acid, monosodium glutamate, sauerkraut, and canned pumpkin. There are
no scientific studies to prove or disprove the effectiveness of any of these
additives, but anecdotal reports suggest they may be of benefit in some cases. A product
that may be recommended by your vet is called Forbid. It is made
from alfalfa that gives the stool a disagreeable odor and taste.
I would
suggest you check with your vet about Coprophagia before you make any changes
to your dog’s diet and to ensure your beloved pet does not have a medical condition that needs attention.
P. Miner - Heart of Texas Lab Rescue Volunteer Coordinator
