One of the most frustrating behavioral problems families with dogs face is chewing. All puppies go through a period of chewing, especially when teething, around four to six (4 to 6) months of age. Chewing can be controlled, redirected, and modified through exercise, playtime, alternative chew toys, and increased time together.
In addition to aiding in housetraining, a crate or playard is also helpful in reducing the chance of chewing your furniture when you’re not home or can’t keep your eyes on your dog. My favorite for puppies going through teething is soaking with water and freezing a braided chew toy.
Coprophagia is even more frustrating and upsetting than a dog eating my favorite pair of Jimmy Choo shoes. (Pun intended) The nicest way to define coprophagia is to say that it is the consumption of poop. There are many reasons for this obsession with one’s waste, including but not limited to medical problems, nutritional needs, poorly digestible diet, boredom, curiosity, an attempt to clean up a soiled area to avoid punishment, a learned behavior from the dog’s mother or something as simple as hunger. My experience with dogs that show signs of coprophagia is that most of them have been confined to small kennels for extended periods, usually in pet shops or overcrowded breeders, where they are forced to eat, drink, sleep, play, defecate, and urinate in the same small enclosure.
Many dogs will eat deer or rabbit feces, which you must consult your veterinarian about. It can cause major health issues. Some dogs will also eat cat poop out of the litter box. I know it’s one of those “easier said than done” situations, but preventing your dog’s access to litter boxes and immediately cleaning up after your dog does his business is a good start in the right direction. Dogs that exhibit any desire to eat their stool should be leash-walked. Many over-the-counter coprophagia deterrents can offer to help correct this unwanted behavior. Talk to your veterinarian before seeking any products that may be harmful to your dog. Pica pronounced Py ka, is defined as “an abnormal craving to eat items not normally eaten” by Merriam-Webster Dictionary. It is a condition seen in both children and dogs.
As our articles are predominately centered around dogs, in conjunction with their families, this article is about PICA in dogs.
Dogs love to chew sticks, and puppies pick up anything they can find and chew on it. That doesn’t mean that all dogs have Pica.
A dog suffering from PICA will eat anything he or she craves. It may even be your wall. It’s easier to control what your dog eats inside the home than what might be picked up outside the house. Sometimes, life with your dog, just like life with any living being, can be made easier with compromise. For instance, if your dog likes underwear, a high hamper with a hard-to-pry-open lid will help stop that behavior. Keeping items out of reach, like golf balls, eyeglasses, paper towels, or even cat litter, might take extra time, patience, and creative planning. But it can be accomplished. However, the craving to eat “inedible” items will still be present, and your dog will hunt for other things to satisfy the need unless you take further action and visit your veterinarian for help.
Walking outside if your dog suffers from PICA opens the playing field for even more items, mainly if you use an extender leash. I’ve worked with dogs that eat discarded garbage in the street, paper towels, rabbit feces, small broken-off tree branches, mulch, candy wrappers, and paper wrapping from fast food. Some will even eat other dogs’ feces and their own—another reason to always pick up after your dog.
Most of the items mentioned above will harm your dog’s digestive system. Some may be so serious that surgery becomes the only treatment.
Any pet parent with a dog that exhibits such behavior should seek the care and advice of a veterinarian.
What about dogs that eat their feces? Well, there is a name for that too. It’s called coprophagy or coprophagia. There are many reasons for this unwanted behavior. To mention a few: 1. A puppy learns this from their natural mother, who eats feces from her puppies to keep the whelping bed clean. 2. A puppy from a pet shop or puppy mill is kept in a kennel and eats, sleeps, drinks, plays, urinates, and defecates in that kennel without much time outside of it. 3. Nutritional needs like deficiencies or hunger from under-feeding or parasites. 4. Boredom, stress, need for attention, or even getting rid of evidence to avoid punishment.
As always, we advise taking your dog to the veterinarian for a complete check-up, including urine and blood analysis, to determine the exact cause. A Board-Certified Veterinarian Behaviorist may also be necessary.
