Tweet

New Product Tackles Embarrassing Habit That Can Lead To Deadly Diseases

Author: Forum Animal Health
Posted: Wednesday 20th October, 2010. 15:51:35

Forum Animal Health has launched the UK’s first granular solution for wet and dry food in a bid to tackle coprophagia – the undesirable and potentially dangerous problem of animals, particularly dogs and puppies, eating their own faeces. Copro-nil is designed to curb the animal’s behavior as well as induce a healthy digestion system to help stop the problem.



Forum Animal Health’s product is designed to make the animal’s faeces highly unpalatable which results in the animal finding that eating faeces is unappealing. Copro-nil also contains ingredients to counter potential dietary deficiencies, such as low folate and B12, which are thought to contribute to coprophagia. By re-establishing a healthy gut flora, Copro-nil helps support normal gut function and intrinsic vitamin production that may counteract the condition.

Coprophagia is not only unpleasant but a potentially serious health risk for both animal and human. Coprophagic animals directly increase the risk of transmitting potentially serious diseases, toxocariasis for example, or more rarely, echinococcosis, to other pets, and more importantly, their owners, due to faeco-oral transmission. This is particularly relevant to young children or people with a compromised immune system. (1,2,3)

There are multiple factors contributing to the desire for an animal to eat its own (or others’) faeces. Vitamin deficiency, curiosity, boredom, natural instinct, excess protein levels in the faces and habit all interact to stimulate an animal to consume excrement. Over-feeding animals can also encourage coprophagy as undigested food is left in the faeces.

Forum is advising that treating coprophagia is approached from several angles. Removing faeces to prevent access by the animal, diversion tactics and seeking specialised training are all recommended methods of treatment, however these can expensive and time-consuming.

For pet owners, coprophagia can be as embarrassing as it is worrying. Owners often keep it to themselves, and the condition quickly worsens. Copro-nil, along with the help of veterinary practices, offers a quick and easy way to both tackle the problem in the animal, and educate the owner.

Forum Animal Health also suggests Copro-nil be promoted at puppy parties hosted by veterinary nurses. The product allows nurses to educate owners to confide in veterinary practices about their animal’s problems in addition to creating a new revenue stream.

Copro-nil is currently only available from veterinary surgeries in 100g pots (RRP £20) enough to potentially curb a dog’s coprophagia for 1 month (if not permanently).

This article has been viewed 2229 times.

 

Comments about this article