Oh, poop: Today's topic is just gross

Jeff Kahler

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Some of the subjects we broach in this column are downright disgusting.

Today's discussion is a prime example.

Toby is a 6-month-old dachshund who insists on eating his own feces.

I told you this was disgusting!

Jean has tried various remedies from the pet store, but Toby keeps munching away. Jean, like me, finds this behavior objectionable but worries there may be a physical problem.

Bandit is a 10-month-old pug dog in Santa Barbara. Bandit does not eat his own feces. He prefers cat feces.

Fran keeps the cat's litter box in the bathroom and has caught Bandit digging around in it until he has emptied the box of feces. Fran, too, finds this behavior to be gross, especially when Bandit insists on giving her a big lick on the face.

The ingestion of feces, either their own or somebody else's, is something that we see somewhat frequently among animals. I suppose there may be cases where there is an underlying problem that might lead to this habit. Most commonly, I suspect it is simply a disgusting, pleasurable -- at least to the dog -- habit.

When I have seen this fecal ingestion, the perpetrator always seems to take great pleasure in doing it.

Unfortunately, I have had this experience firsthand. My dog used to find cat feces while on walks and would quickly snatch them before I had a chance to keep him from them. He would always posture in a way that let me know he knew he was not supposed to be doing what he was doing but, apparently, the desire was just too great.

Unfortunately, I have no pearls of wisdom that might help Jean or Fran in eliminating this habit in Toby and Bandit. There are products touted to help cure dogs of this behavior, usually something to add to their food. These can work in some cases, but for Toby, according to Fran, they have not. And in Bandit's case, he prefers cat feces. My suggestions center on fastidious clean up.

In Toby's case, Fran needs to disallow him access to his stools. This involves picking them up and disposing of them before he has a chance to snack.

In Bandit's case, the advice is similar. Keep him out of the litter box by making the box inaccessible to him while still accessible to the cat. Elevating the litter box accomplishes this task quite nicely, especially with a smaller dog like Bandit.

As for my dog, I figured out that he was always looking in the same locations, owing to the cats using the same spots to defecate on a regular basis. I walked him in different areas to avoid the cat poop. It certainly improved our up close and personal contact!

Jeff Kahler is a veterinarian in Modesto. Questions can be submitted to Your Pet in care of LifeStyles, The Modesto Bee, P.O. Box 5256, Modesto 95352.