You should seek the advice of your veterinarian if your pet is ill as only he or she can correctly advise on the diagnosis and recommend the treatment that is most appropriate for your pet.

Licking or eating faeces is not normal behaviour, but it is seen occasionally in cats and dogs

Eating faeces is called coprophagia and although it is very unpleasant for owners, it is generally not harmful for the animal.  It is abnormal behaviour which may have a medical or a behavioural cause, for example :

• Inadequate food intake leading to hunger or starvation
• Gastrointestinal, pancreatic or liver disease resulting in an inability to digest or absorb food properly and hunger (especially pancreatic disease)
• If the faeces contains large amounts of fat (as it does with some disorders eg pancreatic disease) it may be more palatable to a dog which is  hungry due to poor digestion
• Boredom
• Psychological stress

In some cases coprophagia may be part of a syndrome in which the animal eats unusual materials and objects - called pica.

Correct diagnosis requires a veterinary examination, and the treatment of coprophagia involves :

• Denying access to faeces. Remove the animals own stools as soon as they are passed. Prevent access to other animal's stools.
• Diagnosing and treat any underlying gastrointestinal, pancreatic, or liver disease
• Correcting any underlying behavioural problem
• Increasing physical activity of the animal to avoid boredom
• Ensuring that the animal is fed a high quality, highly digestible, complete ration in sufficient quantities to meet the animals energy needs. 

Updated October 2013