Copraphagia is a form of ‘Pica’ a term used to describe the ingestion of non food stuffs.
Eating faeces is a very unpleasant pastime and not one which any owner enjoys watching, especially when your beloved pet comes in from the garden and tries to lick your face!Copraphagia can be caused by both behavioural problems and medical ones and a diagnosis must be ruled out before a treatment plan can be put in place.
Make sure you visit your vet to rule out medical causes, such as a gastrointestinal upset, digestive enzyme deficiencies or parasites to mention a few
Behavioural causes can include attention seeking and learnt behaviour.The Learnt behaviour can arise through various experience based associations such as observation learning and avoidance behaviour. (being punished for toileting can result in the dog learning to ‘get rid’ of the evidence).Despite various possible reasons for Copraphagia sometimes we must accept that some dogs simply enjoy it!To us the though of Coprahagia turns our stomachs but to dogs its one of the primary environmental stimuli which incites investigations and is quite an appealing attribute.
What can I do to stop my dog doing this?
Supervise your dog outdoors and pick up all faeces as soon as you are able after they have been expelled. – Avoidance is always the best cure!
Interrupt the behaviour by using a remote signal.Watch your dog in the garden, leave a few piles around as a set up and wait for him to investigate.Investigation of faces is normal so don’t discourage this behaviour. but if and when your dog begins to eat the faeces, produce a remote signal which is not associated with you, to interrupt the behaviour.A remote spray collar is fantastic for this purpose or a bucket of water through a window (this is a little trickier though).The punishment must be associated with the dogs own behaviour and should NOT be perceived as having come from you, otherwise he will simply learn not to eat faeces when you are around.
Diets can also increase the chances of Coprahagia.If your dog is on a diet or a poor quality food, they may need more bulk and fibre.
Adding digestive enzymes in the form of food additives can sometimes help as they can result in a much less palatable stool.Many people claim that adding Pineapple, Avocado or Courgette can also make the stool less tasty.