Sometimes coprophagia and pica may be found in dogs with polyphagia (overeating disorders). Extended therapeutic success depends on properly identifying the primary disorder and following a consistent course of treatment for the animal. Incorporating additives into a dog’s food or applying products to the feces is often suggested as a treatment for poop-eating, but the Clinical Veterinary Advisor does not believe this method is consistently effective. Adding substances to a dog’s food to make stools taste unpleasant must be done unfailingly and inconsistency stops nothing. Likewise, a dog owner would have to apply feces-avoidance product to every stool in a yard for effectiveness or spray every feces in a dog’s path
during a walk or run.
the idea it is supposed to snatch it up. A dog may devour it right away to hide the evidence and avoid punishment. At times, although disgusting and revolting for a dog owner, poop-eating simply taps into a dog’s natural instincts. With this knowledge and some advance planning and effort, dog parents can get a better handle on the behavior and in many situations, eliminate it. Article gathered from https://www. lambertvetsupply.com/blogs/news/ poop-eating-dogs-require-tough-love- to-break-the- habit
Pet Parent Education A big part in creating a course for successfully stopping coprophagia involves educating dog owners, who should be assured coprophagia is normal. Though not a desirable behavior, it is generally not life- threatening. Providing problem-solving strategies for dog owners reduces the likelihood of it negatively affecting the way they interact with their dog, including the extreme circumstance of removing the animal from their home. Negative training approaches can also backfire. Rubbing a dog’s nose in a stool as a method to break the eating habit is not effective since it may give the animal
2026 Furry Friends
Missouri Pet Breeders Association | Page 25
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