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Eating Strange Objects (Such as Feces)

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.

The causes of pica and coprophagy are not known. Many theories have
been proposed by various experts, but none has been proven or
disproven. 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.

Posted on SHARE Yahoog Group - May 29, 2009