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In September 2017, we launched an online inquiry focusing on the behavior, health, and temperament of Yorkshire Terriers. This survey invited members of the YorkieInfoCenter site to respond to a variety of multiple-choice questions, with an option to leave comments for more detailed insights on specific topics.
After a period of 7 days, we compiled responses from 2,146 participants. The demographic spread of respondents included 72% from the US, 8% from the UK, 8% from Canada, and the rest from a range of other countries.
The distribution of respondents by gender was 56% male and 44% female.
The age breakdown of the Yorkshire Terriers discussed was as follows: 3% were very young puppies (under 6 months old), 10% were older puppies (6 to 12 months old), 51% were young adults (1 to 3 years old), 26% were adults (4 to 8 years old), and 10% were seniors (9 years old and above).
The survey also explored behavioral challenges faced by Yorkie owners. In one section, we inquired, "What are the biggest challenges you've encountered with your Yorkie?" It was specified that health issues should not be included in these responses. Participants had the freedom to select all issues that applied to them, with an 'Other' option and a comment section provided for additional details.
Interestingly, coprophagia (the consumption of feces) did not emerge as a primary concern, unlike separation anxiety (18%), excessive barking (16%), and disobedience (7%). Instead, it was listed among the top three concerns categorized under 'Other' at 4%, alongside problems with territorial marking and behaviors indicating shyness, clinginess, or nervousness.
Canine coprophagia, or the act of a dog eating feces, is a perplexing behavior with many possible causes, broadly categorized into nutritional, behavioral, and medical reasons. Understanding these triggers can help address the problem and resolve the behavior. Let's look at the top causes.
Nutritional Causes:
Low-Quality Diet and Fillers: Yorkshire Terriers consuming low-quality diets deficient in essential proteins, vitamins, and minerals may turn to eating feces to instinctively supplement missing nutrients. Such diets often include fillers like corn meal or bone meal, which bulk up food volume but offer little nutritional value, leading to nutritional deficiencies. This lack of vital nutrients can prompt dogs to seek alternative nutrition sources, resulting in coprophagia as a misguided effort to fulfill their dietary needs.
Behavioral Causes:
Health Causes:
Underlying Health Issues: Coprophagia in dogs can signal underlying health issues but is often accompanied by more obvious signs of illness. Conditions like anemia, diabetes, inflammatory bowel disease, intestinal parasites, and thyroid disease may lead dogs to seek out feces due to nutrient deficiencies or increased appetite. However, for healthy Yorkshire Terriers, coprophagia typically stems from the aforementioned dietary inadequacies or behavioral factors.
Yorkies can indeed get sick from eating feces, whether their own or from other animals, posing several health risks.
Health Concerns if Eating Their Own Poop:
Health Concerns if Eating Poop from Other Dogs:
This poses significant risks, as feces can harbor parasites and diseases that are transmissible to Yorkies. Major concerns include:
Health Concerns if Eating Cat Poop:
Stopping a Yorkie from eating feces, a behavior known as coprophagia, requires a multifaceted approach. Here are four key strategies to address this issue effectively:
#1: Ensure High-Quality Diet
Feeding your Yorkie high-quality food is crucial. Low-grade foods, often found in supermarkets, lack essential nutrients and may lead to coprophagia. Factors leading to the choice of such foods include convenience, brand recognition, and budget constraints. However, investing in a better diet can have numerous health benefits beyond preventing coprophagia, including reducing allergy risks and improving overall health.
What to Do:
#2: Limit Access to Feces
This is a fairly straightforward tip that isn't followed often enough. But, it just takes a bit of work and getting used to a new routine. Steps include:
#3: Modify Behavior your Reactions
Be aware of your reaction if your Yorkie grabs feces:
#4: Use Safe Supplements or Additives
Avoid harmful solutions like hot sauce or products with MSG, which can cause health issues. Consider more effective options including:
#5: Environmental and Behavioral Strategies
To effectively prevent and address coprophagia in Yorkies, integrating environmental enrichment with strategic behavioral training offers a holistic approach. This strategy involves:
Addressing coprophagia in Yorkies requires a blend of patience, understanding, and a comprehensive approach tailored to your little guy or gal's unique needs. By combining high-quality nutrition, environmental enrichment, behavioral training, and attentive healthcare, you can significantly reduce or eliminate this challenging behavior.
Remember, the goal is not only to stop the immediate behavior but also to ensure your Yorkie leads a healthy, happy, and fulfilled life. Regular exercise and mental stimulation are as crucial as a nutritious diet free from harmful fillers. Likewise, positive reinforcement and consistent command training reinforce good behavior, making your Yorkie more resilient to stress and boredom that may trigger coprophagia.
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