Dogs eating feces is not just a hygiene problem

Coprophagia can be triggered by medical problems such as parasite infestation, nutritional deficiencies or feeding errors. Illnesses such as diabetes, other hormonal disorders, pancreatic insufficiency or intestinal absorption disorders lead to ravenous hunger in some animals, which even causes the animals to eat feces. The same applies to certain medications, such as cortisone and similar substances.
Feeding errors that result in one-sided nutrient intake (poorly digestible food, vitamin or mineral deficiency) can also result in eating feces, as the animals instinctively try to compensate for the existing deficiency.

Far more common, however, are behavioral problems whose causes have not yet been clarified. Reactions to punishment during obedience training, other unresolved conflict situations, and the dog's attention-seeking behavior are suspected triggers for coprophagia.
The conditions in which dogs are kept also play a role: in kennel dogs, a lack of cleaning of the runs, keeping them in too small a space, and boredom due to a lack of space and limited employment opportunities are all causes of coprophagia. The lack of stimulation means that the dog inevitably turns all of its attention to the excrement.
It can be assumed that several factors may be involved at the same time. Nevertheless, in many cases it is difficult to identify a cause. Once the dog has acquired the habit of eating feces, it is very difficult to get rid of it again.

Ingesting feces poses a health risk as there is a risk of infection with parasites if their eggs are in the feces. In addition, the bad behavior, which seems very repulsive to us humans, puts a strain on the relationship between the owner and the dog, which is made even worse by the unpleasant smell of the mouth. This sometimes severely affects the emotional attitude and friendly behavior of the dog owner and his family towards the dog, which can lead to the dog being socially excluded.

The product Forbid^® offers an easy-to-use solution to the problem. The tasty powder is mixed into the food and gradually changes the taste and smell of the feces to such an extent that it becomes very unpleasant for the dog. In this way, a taste aversion is created: If the dog has the same unpleasant experience several times when trying to eat its excrement, it will usually stop the undesirable behavior.

The whole thing requires some patience, as the desired effect only occurs after approx. 15 - 30 days. In order for the reconditioning to be successful, the dog should also be kept on a leash during this time and consistently kept away from the excrement of other animals that do not receive Forbid^®.
In “multi-animal households” and kennels, Forbid^® should also be fed to all other animals to whose excrement the problem dog has access during the adjustment phase.

If the dog eats a cat's excrement from the litter box, the cat can also be given Forbid^® with the food.
In principle, it is much more difficult to combat coprophagia in dogs that live in larger dog groups (in kennels, with breeders), as competition between dogs also plays a role here. In such cases, Forbid^® is often given for longer than 30 days. Under certain circumstances, the administration can also be repeated once or twice as a treatment.
If these factors are taken into account, Forbid^® offers a simple way to successfully combat the repulsive and difficult-to-correct behavior of eating feces.