If
your pet has an appetite for such oddities as socks, rocks, or even
feces, chances are you've wondered—and worried—about her unusual
eating habits. In this case, your worry may be justified: 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 has a name: It's called pica. A specific
type of pica is stool eating—either the dog's own or that of another
animal. It's called coprophagy. Rarely seen in cats, coprophagy is
fairly common in dogs, especially those who tend to be highly
food-motivated. And although it's not necessarily dangerous to the animal,
it probably is unacceptable to you.
Why Animals Do This
The causes of pica and coprophagy are not known. Many theories have
been proposed by various experts, but none has been proven or disproved.
One idea is that such behaviors may be attention-seeking 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.
Others think these behaviors may be attempts to obtain a necessary
nutrient lacking in the diet, although no nutritional studies have ever
substantiated this idea. Pica and coprophagy may also stem from
frustration or anxiety. It's even possible that the behaviors begin as
play; as the animal investigates and chews on the objects, she eventually
begins to eat or ingest them.
Some experts have suggested that coprophagy is carried over from the
normal parental behavior of ingesting the waste of young offspring. Others
believe that coprophagy occurs more often in animals who live in
relatively barren environments, are frequently confined to small areas,
and/or receive limited attention from their owners. It's also possible
that dogs learn this behavior from other dogs.
Because pica and coprophagy are not well understood, stopping these
behaviors may require assistance from an animal behavior professional who
will work individually with you and your pet.
Suggested Solutions for Coprophagy
Because the cause of coprophagy isn't known, no techniques or solutions
are known to be consistently successful. However, the following techniques
may be effective in resolving the problem:
- Treat your pet's food with something that causes his stool to taste
bad. A commercial product called 4-BID™ is available through your
veterinarian. The same result may be achieved by using the food additive
MSG. Based on owners' reports, both of these products work in many
cases, but not always. Before using either of these products, consult
with your veterinarian.
- Give your pet's stools a bad taste by sprinkling them directly 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 so that he learns that eating stools results in something
unpleasant. Otherwise, he may discriminate (using scent) which stools
have been treated and which have not.
- Keep your dog on a leash any time you take him outside. If you see
him about to ingest a stool, interrupt him by clapping your hands,
spraying a squirt bottle, or shaking a can (only for pets who aren't
afraid of loud noises). Then immediately give him a toy to play with
instead, and praise him for taking an interest in the toy.
- Clean your yard daily to minimize your pet's opportunity to eat his
stools.
- If your dog eats cat feces from the litter box, install a baby-gate
in front of the litter box area. Your cat shouldn't have any trouble
jumping over it, but your dog likely won't even make the attempt. Or,
place the litter box in a closet or room where the door can be wedged
slightly open from both sides so that your cat has access but your dog
doesn't. Think twice before setting up a some kind of homemade "booby
trap" to stop your dog from eating cat feces from a litter box: Remember
that if it frightens your dog, it's likely to frighten your cat, too.
Suggested Solutions for 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. Here are some other suggestions:
- Make the objects your pet is eating taste unpleasant by applying
cayenne pepper, Bitter Apple®, or some other aversive. (For more
information on using aversives, see our tip sheets on using aversives to
modify your pet's behavior).
- Prevent your pet's access to these items.
- If your pet is food-oriented, change his diet to a low-calorie or
high-fiber diet. This may allow him to eat more food, more often, which
may decrease the behavior. Check with your veterinarian before changing
your pet's diet.
- If you suspect that anxiety or frustration is the reason for your
animal's pica habit, change the behavior by using behavior modification
techniques.
- If you catch your pet ingesting items and believe it is to get
attention, startle your pet with a loud noise or a spray of water. 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. You
may want to give him something acceptable to eat or chew. 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.
- If you think your pet's pica habit is play behavior, then keep
plenty of toys around for your pet to play with. Cats especially like 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 tips on 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. What's more, many animals learn to
refrain from the problem behavior when their owner is present, yet still
engage in the 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 or
even minutes before. This approach won't resolve the problem and is
likely to produce either fearful or aggressive responses from your pet.
©2002. Adapted from material originally developed by
applied animal behaviorists at the Dumb Friends League, Denver, Colorado.
All rights reserved.
