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	Border Collie with Unpleasant Habit Q: I have a 9 month old Border Collie dog. He is feed on dry food and ever since I brought him home he has eaten firstly my bitch's faeces now he has started on my dog who does have different food to the other two my main concern is firstly my dog has Addison's disease can his medication affect my younger dog? Secondly how can I stop this unpleasant habit I clear up every time they go but sometimes his quicker than me and reaches it first he is well trained and will stop if I tell him, although I cannot watch him dog every single minute. Please can you help.

A: Firstly it is normal behaviour, if unpleasant to us, for dogs to eat faeces. This is called coprophagy. Faeces are a source of gut bacteria and therefore protein, essential fatty acids, fat soluble vitamins, particularly vitamin K, B vitamins, minerals and fibre. Dogs fed on dry food do appear to be worse than others but most will eat them if they get the chance, cat faeces especially, so there does seem to be an element of preference as well. You could try changing his diet to a better quality dry food, a tinned food or supplementing the food he is on with probiotics and multivitamins and minerals. This should reduce the drive to eat faeces. To help break the habit, try treating some stools with tabasco sauce or hot curry powder.(And hope he doesn't like these.) The medication of your dog with Addisons is likely to be pretty well all absorbed by him, but over a period of time even a little could be harmful so you certainly do want to stop the habit, at least in his own household. June Third-Carter B.V.M.S., M.R.C.V.S., Vet.M.F.Hom. for PetPlanet.co.uk

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