Charlie was a 1 year old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel with a preference for pooh! He loved to eat his own mess, and sometimes that of other dogs. This didn't endear him to his owners, especially when he tried to give them a loving lick!!

Some dogs eat faeces (coprophagia) because they have an underlying bowel problem- this can be due problems such as intestinal parasites (worms), other bugs (Giardia, Salmonella etc) or problems digesting food. Obviously worming with an effective wormer was the first step.

As things hadn't improved after this we advised changing Charlie's diet to a proper hypoallergenic diet. There was a slight improvement with this but the owner reported that his pooh was not always normal. Faeces samples were taken for analysis and we discovered he had a Campylobacter and Giardia infection. Both of these are treatable and after a couple of weeks on treatment he stopped his messy preference.

Dogs can also be taught aversion techniques- putting tabasco sauce on the faeces before they get a chance to eat them, or using a citronella spray collar operated at a distance to make an unpleasant associatioin with the faeces when the dog goes to eat it.

Positive reinforcement can be given to dogs by using a clicker and food reward as soon as they have passed their faeces to distract them from eating it. Dogs should also be given activities to keep them interested- such as foraging for food or using a toy with food stuffed in it.

Maisie was your typical affectionate cat but things started to change in her household. She spent more time hidden away in bedrooms and took to urinating around the house.

A consultation with one of our vets revealed that the owner had a cat-flap and food placed close to the flap. Conveniently for Maisie, so she didn't have to wander too far, there was a litter tray right next to the food aswell.

Urinating in the house can be due to a behavioural problem or sometimes a medical problem such as a bladder infection (cystitis). After a urine sample was obtained, which thankfully was clear, we focused on the Maisie's behaviour. It was advised to block off the cat-flap except when the owners were in. that way they could prevent any unwanted cat visitors coming in to the house. Also it was suggested to move the food away from the cat-flap to discourage other cats from hanging around in the hope of getting food.
We also advised using a Feliway plug-in to help to calm Maisie. Thankfully, after a few weeks Maisie did settle down and stop wetting in the house.

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