Coprophagia (dogs eating their own poo)

This topic is possible and does not apply to training dogs, but since I deal with many questions on it, I spread article on this topic.

Coprophagia, or eating feces is fairly common deviation from the norm in the behavior of dogs. It is unclear why such behavior often seen in females than in males. More frequent manifestation of coprophagy in problem dogs, apparently, about byasnyaetsya inability of owners to control minor deviations in the behavior of their pets, as opposed to owners of dogs with normal behavior.

The problem of coprophagy devoted very little experimental research, and it is still poorly understood. Scientists have put forward the following possible explanations for the causes of this problem:

- It is possible that it is uncontrolled acts committed "because of boredom, that is torn from the context of functional swallowing feces of puppies females, which is programmed in the genetic code. The fact that such behavior most often seen in dogs that spend considerable time alone and are locked up, confirms this hypothesis.

- However, we can talk and behavior in order to attract attention, which is encouraging dog owners as well as pica. Because this behavior arouses disgust dog owners, many of them very sharply and quickly react to him, beckoning to an animal and trying to divert his attention to games or treat.

- Sometimes coprophagy is a reaction to the lack of any major component in the diet of dogs.

- In very young animals coprophagy can help "create the necessary intestinal flora or populations of beneficial microorganisms that promote digestion.

- Like the carrion food, coprophagy may be a manifestation of "an instinctive preference perishable food."

Eating the feces of hoofed animals, especially horses, saturated crude products of intestinal fermentation, which, apparently, can ensure the survival of dogs in the absence of meat is a natural form of behavior that can be "refocused" on animal faeces of other species, if not feces of ungulates.

Some scientists believe that dogs eat their own excrement, thus imitating the master, who moved them around, or attempt so to "destroy the evidence, because as a punishment for acts of uncleanliness in the house the dog poked his nose in the feces. But this view is highly controversial. Dogs do not imitate such a direct way to observable behaviors, and no expert on animal behavior is not recognized their abilities to human, calculating behavior.

If a dog eats its feces only if it leaves one locked in a long time, coprophagy can be cured. This process means excrement, the smell of a dog which is unpleasant, such as chili peppers. Thus, the dog can develop a conditioned reflex, aversive. Some experts recommend using a syringe to introduce in the feces of an acute dose of pepper sauce. In this case the dog did not immediately notice the traces of "treatment", as it happens when the excrement just sprinkle with pepper.

In some cases, quite a few to change the diet, and their own excrement no longer so much to attract the dog. It is necessary, firstly, to include in the ration of food, full of ballast substances and protein and low in carbohydrates, secondly, to complement the food preparation of iron, and thirdly, to add to their food for about one week of vegetable oil at 15 ml per 4.5 kg (the dosage is given in accordance with the recommendations Makkiouna and collaborators) and (or), and fourthly, to feed the dog several times a day in small portions, which, like the addition of food fiber, increase the sense of repletion and reduce appetite dogs. You can also add in the feed enzymes of the pancreas or meat emulsifiers, which will change the taste of excrement. In addition, the possible elaboration of a conditioned reflex, causing an aversion to excrement, by introducing them a syringe apomorphine, which after ingestion can cause nausea and vomiting. But this method is effective only if coprophagy apparent recently, and the dog has not learned that the droppings are "safe food". The literature also describes one case where the problem was solved changing diet dog, which resulted in the feces began to emerge in liquid form.

Whatever of these methods were not applied, you should always remember that in the case of uncontrolled action dogs, which demonstrated the inadequacy of the conditions of detention, deliver the animal discomfort, not only ethical, but also for practical reasons it is recommended to change those conditions. If the owner is forced to leave the dog alone, he should at least make sure that within a day someone looked into the house to spend some time with a dog and walk with her.


If the dog eats the feces while walking, you can try to respond as follows: firstly, to completely ignore such behavior, which may eventually lead to problems if the cause of coprophagy was unintentional encouragement of the owner, and secondly, each times sharply scold the dog, to achieve the success of many dog owners, or, thirdly, to experiment a little with the composition of the diet, if it can be assumed that the reason for the deviation is the lack of some component.

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