The Veterinary Record, Vol 153, Issue 2, 51-53
Copyright © 2003 by British Veterinary Association

Comparison of two treatments for preventing dogs eating their own faeces

¹ Canine Behaviour Centre, School of Psychology, Queen's University of Belfast, Belfast BT7 1NN

Twenty-eight domestic dogs with the behavioural problem of eating their own faeces were treated in two ways. Half of them were treated with a citronella spray collar, and the others were treated with sound therapy. To assess the relative efficacy of the treatments their owners rated the severity of their dog's faeces eating for a week before the study began, during each of three weeks of treatment, and at the end of a fourth week during which they had not been treated. The owners reported a significantly lower incidence of the behavioural problem during the first week of both treatments, but in the dogs treated by sound therapy its incidence subsequently increased. The behavioural problem was reduced most effectively in the dogs treated with the spray collar, and continued to decrease during the period of treatment.