Dog's Help

Coprohogia can be best described as a disorder in dogs where in the dog has a tendency to eat his own waste. Here is a look at some of the common causes and the possible solutions to the problem.

Causes
Hunger
This is one of the most prominent possibilities of Coprophogia. If your dog is not being given enough food, he shall show a tendency to eat his own waste. Also, if you are feeding your dog only once in a day, he might just want to eat again, which makes him switch to his waste.

Lack of essential nutrients in the diet
If your dog is not being given a nutritionally well balanced diet, he may end up eating his own waste. The reason for the same is that the dog seeks to extract the nutrients from his own waste.

Parasites
Parasites are also an important cause of the problem. They take away the essential nutrients from the dog's body, which in turn makes him retort to waste.

Boredeom
If your pet dog has nothing to do or is left alone for a long period of time, he may eat his own waste for novelty's sake. This happens because the high amount of energy stored in a dog's body needs to be released somewhere.

Keeping predators away
In the earlier days, dogs used to eat their own waste to remove any clue that could lead the predators to their family. Even to date. Many dogs still harbor the same thoughts and continue to eat their waste in a bid to protect themselves.

Dealing with the problem
Consult a vet
This is the first and the foremost thing to do if you suspect your dog to be a victim of Coprophagia. Your vet should be able to diagnose the cause or possibilities of the problem.

A well balanced diet
Giving your dog a nutritionally well balanced diet can reduce the urge to retort to waste. Make sure that you incorporate different types of foods in your pet's diet.

Offer supplements
Even if you are giving the best diet to your pet, chances are that some vital nutrients may be a miss. In such a case, supplements can be of great help. Ask your vet for the supplements that you may give to your dog. You may also buy these supplements over the counter.

Offer frequent meals
Instead of giving your pet one big meal, offer him several small sized meals a day. This will ensure that your dog does not dig into his waste if at all he feels tempted to eat his own waste.

Now that you know all about the problem, you should be able to help your dog deal with it in a much better manner.