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Definitions
Dogs and cats will sometimes eat socks, rocks or other
objects, which may result in a variety of problems for both you and your
pet. Not only can your possessions be destroyed or damaged, but objects
such as clothing and rocks can produce life-threatening blockages in your
pet’s intestines. Eating non-food items is called pica. A
specific type of pica is stool eating (either their own or that of another
animal) and, while not necessarily dangerous to the animal, is probably
unacceptable to you. Stool-eating is called coprophagy.
The causes of pica and coprophagy are not known. Many
ideas have been proposed by various experts, but none have been proven
or disproven. Such behaviors may sometimes be attention-getting behaviors.
If engaging in one of these behaviors results in some type of social interaction
between the animal and his owner (even a verbal scolding) then the behavior
may be reinforced and occur more frequently. These behaviors may be attempts
to obtain a necessary nutrient lacking in the diet, although no nutritional
studies have ever substantiated this idea. They may also stem from frustration
or anxiety. It’s possible the behaviors begin as play, as the animal investigates
and chews on the objects, then subsequently begins to eat or ingest them.
It has been suggested that coprophagy is carried over
from the normal parental behavior of ingesting the waste of young offspring.
Some experts believe coprophagy occurs more often in animals that live
in relatively barren environments, are frequently confined to small areas
and/or receive limited attention from their owners. Coprophagy is fairly
common in dogs, but is rarely seen in cats and is seen more often in dogs
who tend to be highly food-motivated. It’s also possible that dogs learn
this behavior from other dogs.
Because pica and coprophagy are behaviors that are not
well understood, stopping them may require assistance from an animal behavior
professional who works individually with owners and their pets. A variety
of specialized behavior modification techniques may be necessary to resolve
these problems (see our handout: "When the Behavior Helpline Can’t Help").
Coprophagy
Suggested Solutions: Because the cause of coprophagy
isn’t known, there are no techniques or solutions that are consistently
successful. The following techniques may, or may not be, effective in
resolving the problem.
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Treat your pet’s food with something that causes his
stool to have an aversive taste. A commercial product called "4-BID"
is available through your veterinarian, or the same result may be
achieved by using the food additive, "MSG." Based on owners’ reports,
both of these products appear to work in some cases, but not always.
Before using either of these products, please check with your veterinarian.
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Treat your pet’s stools directly with an aversive
taste by sprinkling them with cayenne pepper or a commercial product,
such as "Bitter Apple." For this method to be effective, every stool
your pet has access to must be treated in order for him to learn that
eating stools results in unpleasant consequences. Otherwise, he may
discriminate by odor which stools have been treated and which have
not.
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Any time your pet goes outside, he must be on a leash
with you. If you see him about to ingest some stool, interrupt him
by using a squirt bottle or shake can (only for pets who aren’t afraid
of loud noises) then give him a toy to play with, instead. Praise
him for taking an interest in the toy.
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The simplest solution may be to clean your yard daily
in order to minimize your pet’s opportunity to eat his stools.
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To stop a dog from eating cat feces from a litter
box, install a baby-gate in front of the litter box area. Your cat
shouldn’t have any trouble jumping over it, while most dogs won’t
make the attempt. Or, you could place the box in a closet or room
where the door can be wedged open from both sides, so your cat has
access, but your dog doesn’t. Any type of environmental "booby-trap"
to stop a dog from eating cat feces from a litter box must be attempted
with caution because if it frightens your dog, it’s likely to frighten
your cat, as well.
What Doesn’t Work:
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Interactive punishment (punishment that comes directly
from you, such as verbal scolding) is usually not effective because
it may be interpreted by your pet as attention. With interactive punishment,
many animals learn to refrain from the behavior when their owner is
present, but still engage in the problem behavior when their owner
is absent.
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Punishment after the fact is never helpful. Animals
don’t understand that they’re being punished for something they did
hours, minutes or even seconds before. This approach won’t resolve
the problem and is likely to produce either fearful or aggressive
responses from your pet.
Health Risks: In Colorado's dry climate, parasites
are not as much of a problem as in other parts of the country. If your
pet is parasite-free and is eating only his own stools, he can’t be infected
with parasites by doing so. If your pet is eating the stools of another
animal that has parasites, it may be possible, although still unlikely,
for your pet to become infected. Some parasites, such as giardia, cause
diarrhea, and most coprophagic dogs ingest only formed stools. There is
also a delay period before the parasites in the stools can re-infect another
animal.
Most parasites require intermediate hosts (they must pass
through the body of another species, such as a flea) before they can re-infect
another dog or cat. Thus, your pet is much more likely to become infected
with parasites through fleas or by eating birds and rodents than by coprophagy.
Most parasites are also species-specific, meaning that dogs cannot be
infected by eating cat stools. Health risks to humans from being licked
in the face by a coprophagic animal are minimal. For more information,
please contact your veterinarian.
Pica
Pica can be a serious problem because items such as rubber bands,
socks, rocks and string can severely damage or block an animal's intestines.
In some instances, the items must be surgically removed. Because pica
can be potentially life-threatening, it’s advisable to consult both your
veterinarian and an animal behavior professional for help.
Suggested Solutions:
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Make the objects your pet is eating taste unpleasant
with some of the substances mentioned above (see our handouts: "Cat Aversives"
and "Dog Aversives").
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Prevent your pet’s access to these items.
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If your pet is food-oriented, it may be possible to
change to a low-calorie or high-fiber diet to allow him to eat more
food, more often, which may decrease the behavior. Check with your
veterinarian before changing your pet’s diet.
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If you suspect that anxiety or frustration is the
reason for pica, the cause of the anxiety or frustration must be identified
and the behavior changed by using behavior modification techniques.
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Sometimes pica is an attention-getting behavior. If
this is the case, try to startle your pet with a loud noise or a spray
of water when you catch him ingesting the items. If possible, avoid
letting him know that the startling noise or spray came from you,
and be sure to praise him when he leaves the items alone. Try to set
aside 10-15 minutes twice a day to spend with your pet, so that he
doesn’t need to resort to pica to get your attention.
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If pica is a play behavior, keep plenty of toys around
for your pet to play with. Cats, especially, tend to play with string,
rubber bands and tinsel, and ultimately ingest them. Keep these items
out of reach and provide a selection of appropriate toys (see our
handouts: "Cat Toys and How to Use
Them" and "Dog
Toys and How to Use Them").
What Doesn’t Work:
-
Interactive punishment (punishment that comes directly
from you, such as verbal scolding) is usually not effective because
it may be interpreted by your pet as attention. With interactive punishment,
many animals learn to refrain from the behavior when their owner is
present, but still engage in the problem behavior when their owner
is absent.
-
Punishment after the fact is NEVER helpful. Animals
don’t understand that they’re being punished for something they did
hours, minutes or even seconds before. This approach won’t resolve
the problem and is likely to produce either fearful or aggressive
responses from your pet.
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