Homeopathic Remedies to Prevent Dogs & Cats From Eating Feces

Pets can be a blessing in disguise, but when they chew up your favorite pair of shoes, or they break a limb, they can end up costing a great deal of money and heartache. Dogs and cats will even eat their own feces or the feces of other animals, which can cause health problems. This behavior is called coprophagy. Many theories exist, including nutritional deficiencies, attention-seeking behavior or stress, as to why animals exhibit this behavior. You can prevent your pets from engaging in this behavior with homeopathic remedies that will ensure your pet is not ingesting unnecessary medications.

  1. Meat Tenderizer

    • An enzyme supplement to diet could help.

      The Douglas Island Veterinary Service suggests using meat tenderizer as a homeopathic remedy for coprophagy. However, not just any meat tenderizer will do. The meat tenderizer must contain a proteolytic enzyme called papain. When this enzyme is added to the animal's diet the dog avoids eating feces. The suggested reason this works in four out of nine dogs is that the dog is not getting this enzyme from the food it eats, so the dog goes elsewhere to get the enzyme. The nutritional/enzyme theory, while compelling, addresses only one of the many theories of why animals eat feces. You should avoid meat tenderizers that contain a lot of MSG and sodium because this will cause other problems for your pet. Other foods that contain papain and could help get your pet to stop eating feces include canned pumpkin and pineapple.

    Hot Sauce

    • Spicy tastes could deter them.

      Using hot sauce or cayenne pepper to try to discourage your pet from eating feces can be effective. Simply put, the hot taste makes the stool unappealing so they avoid it. Once they bite into this spicy mess, and do not like it, they will remember the next time they try to eat feces. Just sprinkle some in your cat's litterbox or on a stool to test this homeopathic remedy. However, some animals develop a taste for hot sauces, just like humans, and may not be offended by the taste. The Earth Clinic says this is a deterrent for pets that eat feces for attention or to mimic you or their mothers cleaning up.

    Sulfur

    • Feed them foods containing sulfur.

      Spinach and various other vegetables including brussel sprouts and cabbage contain sulfur, which has shown improvement in stopping coprophagy. The effectiveness is believed to be because sulfur is unappealing to animals and a deterrent to eating feces. Sulfur's effectiveness is linked to pets who eat feces for reasons other then nutrition, such as ignorance, mimicking others or attention-seeking behaviors.

    Natural Medicines

    • Some natural medicines on the market may be worth trying if you do not have any luck with the homeopathic remedies. One in particular is called Prozyme, and it is based on the theory that pets lack nutritional enzymes or proteins and instead turn to feces. These natural medicines will come in both pill or powder form so your pet can easily ingest them. There are many different brands, so ask your homeopathic or holistic vet what he recommends.