CAPITAL HUMANE SOCIETY
2320
Unusual Eating Habits In Dogs And Cats
Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and
Humane Society of the
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.
·
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.
·
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.
·
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.
·
The simplest solution may be to clean
your yard daily in order to minimize your pet’s opportunity to eat his stools.
·
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
litterbox must be attempted with caution because if it frightens your dog, it’s
likely to frighten your cat, as well.
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.
Health
Risks:
In
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:
·
Make the objects your pet is eating
taste unpleasant with some of the substances mentioned above (see our handouts:
“Cat Aversives” and “Dog Aversives”).
·
Prevent your pet’s access to these
items.
·
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.
·
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.
·
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.
·
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 o
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.