Posts Tagged ‘stop dog eating poop’
Techniques to Stop Dogs from Eating Their Stools
There are tons of complaints from pet owners about their canines eating feces. This habit is also known as coprophagia and this means eating of feces by an animal. This bad habit could be a result of many factors like pancreatic insufficiency, digestive diseases, disorders such as malabsorption of food particles, over-feeding, under-feeding, fatty foods that are rich in saturated oils, anxiety or stress. Nevertheless, there are various studies regarding the real cause of this canine issue.
Theories suggest that dogs eat their feces to eliminate evidences when they are punished for defecating improperly because they think that defecating is wrong. There are also studies which suggest that coprophagy is a trait dogs inherited from their ancestors. Wolves may have often eaten poo if something to eat is hard to come by. In some cases, coprophagy may be a behavior learned from watching other animals.
This trait can also develop as dogs try out to taste everything and eventually forming a habit of eating the poop because it tastes good for them.But, understanding the why behind the stool eating is not near as important as stopping it.
Solving this strange pet problem is not as easy as it may seem. But there are different strategies available that could help pet owners control their dogs. Owners can stop their dogs from eating feces by picking it up. But this has to be done immediately after the dog pooped so the pet will not have any chance to get near it.
There are also a few chemicals and additives that claim to fix this problem. Natural products include pumpkin seeds, mints and pineapple. Some owners also use some chemicals to make the feces taste unbareable. Products that are made especially for this purpose are available in the market and they can be conveniently mixed with dog food.
Using a muzzle is also practical solution to stop the pup from nibbling their own feces. As it is with most un-wanted behavior problems, eating their droppings can be prevented with some good training. By introducing another good behavior, a dog can forget about eating feces. Verbal commands could also be taught to the pets. Adding toys around the pet could be used as diversionary tactics. Owners should also look for something that is more fun for the pet than nibbling its own stool. The vital point is that owners should not punish their dogs if they eat their poop.
It is common for a dog to eat its and other animal’s feces, but through proper training, this problem can be solved.
Canines may contract illness from eating poopies. Worms and other parasites can also be transmitted through ingesting these. There is no doubt that this is not something you want your dog to be doing. Eliminating the canine from eating their poo needs tremendous effort. Through the owners’ initiative, pets could not only be prevented from doing something gross, but they could also be saved from illness.
Even though the reasons why dogs eat stool are only theories, there are still means to stop them from doing such.
