Remedies for Pets Who Eat Poop
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Many pet owners at one time or another must deal with the unfortunate issue of having a pet, whether it be a cat or dog, who enjoys snacking on feces.' This rather unpleasant sounding practice is otherwise known as coprophagy. There have been many theories put forth as to why a pet might choose to eat stool, such as dietary deficiencies, anxiety, an inherited trait or maybe because they just enjoy the taste. The truth however is that no one really knows why this occurs. What we do know is that it tends to be more common than what we might like to think it is.
It would be nice if we could just say to our pets, “Listen, this is just not a very socially acceptable practice and frankly I’m not interested in your poopy kisses anymore so you just need to stop!” But, that conversation probably won’t have much of an impact on your pet so instead you must take matters into your own hands. Here are a couple of things that you can try:
1. For pets who eat their own feces, there is an all-natural product available called Prozyme which can be added to your pets regular meals. Although the product was not intended to combat the problem of feces eating, it has been reported to help with the issue and in addition is a great food supplement for your pet
The other solution involves a bit of trickery on your part. Use cayenne pepper or hot sauce and generously sprinkle either one on the feces in your cat’s litter box or out in the back yard. Most pets are deterred from eating feces again after chomping once or twice on a spicy piece of poop. You should however know going into it that on occasion some pet owners have reported that the animal as a result developed a strange taste bud for the spicy treats!
DISCLAIMER
* Our readers offer information and opinions on Earth Clinic, not as a substitute for professional veterinary prevention, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult with your veterinarian before taking any home remedies or supplements or following any treatment suggested by anyone on this site. Only your Veterinarian can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your pet's unique needs or diagnose your pet's particular medical history.
1 YEA
[YEA] 05/11/2006: Michelle from Okinawa Japan writes: "Meat Tenderizer also works well for keeping your dogs from eating feces. You just sprinkle a little on their food when you feed them. It doesn't alter the taste of their food and it really keeps them from snacking on theirs or others poo. Helped my dog!"
05/04/2009: Jana from Glendale, AZ replies: "Make sure you check with your vet for Enzymatic Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI) disease. It can be detected with a blood test. There is usually an associated infection that requires antibiotics. My dog almost died from this disease before we figured out what it was. They slowly starve because the enzyme that digests the food isn't being made, so food passes through undigested. Since it's undigested, and they are starving to death, they eat it. We got Pancrezyme (pricy) to mix in with food, and she slowly gained weight back to normal. She will have to stay on the enzyme for the rest of her life. There is a subsitutute called Pancreatin which is much cheaper at enzymediane"
09/29/2009: Violet from St. Pete, Fl replies: "This is in response to Michelle. Please check the ingredients in the meat tenderizer you are using. Most of them are pure MSG as well as very high sodium, neither of which are healthy for your pet. You could add some pureed papaya or crushed pineapple to the pet's food, both would result in a nasty tasting stool. You can also buy both in pill form at a health food store... bromelain or papaya pills."
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07/13/2009: Patti from Detroit, MI writes: "I have 3 female Labrador retrievers, ages 12, 6 and 4 years. All very well behaved, they get a nice long walk every day, and are all very healthy - except the youngest who has the disgusting unclean habit of eating feces! (Never her own) Is there something I can add to the feed of the other 2 to make their excrement less appetizing? Or something to give her? Any experience or input on this problem will be appreciated!!"
08/16/2009: Kassandra from Owosso, Michigan replies: "Patti, My dog as well as my parent's dogs used to eat their feces. I still to this day don't know why they did it. We decided to switch their dog food and ever since then, they no longer eat feces. I'm not sure if this is the case with your dogs, but you could give it a try if you wanted. I always thought that my dog ate her feces because the dog food I was feeding her wasn't giving her all of the nutrition she needed, like she couldn't fill up on it or something. I still use the same brand, but I chose food that doesn't have artificial flavors, dyes or preservatives and higher protein. She is a totally different dog. I hope I was of some help to you."
09/29/2009: Violet from St. Pete, Fl replies: "Patti, add a spoonful of crushed pineapple or pureed papaya to their dinner to make the stool unpalatable."
10/02/2009: Janice from Coloma, Mi replies: "I have a female Lab who is on a healthy raw food diet but when I take her out for a walk in the evening, she still has to eat poop. She is very selective though. She only eats deer poop! I haven't been able to figure it out. She did this when I had her on store bought food also."
10/10/2009: Rosemarie from Greenwich, Ct replies: "Hi, I adopted a dog a few years ago and she came with alot of issues. I have been trying to deal with them one at a time and its been a struggle. We just moved and in our back yard I find feces from another animal that is not dog. I noticed one day when I let my dog out that she was eating something and when I looked it was poop! I think it may be deer poop, but not sure. I just wonder if it were like Janice from Coloma. Possibly there is something in what the deer eat that may make it appetizing for dogs like how Lions love to roll around in elephant dung? I make my dog her own food and do not buy store food. Possibly lacking enzymes?"
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