Coprophagia is a formal term for one of the more disgusting habits a dog can have - that of eating poo. It's an embarrassing problem that many dog owners struggle with and it can be a difficult behaviour to train a dog out of.
DogCast Radio listener Chantal Charbonneau has found that her two Weimaraners Mambo and Roxy have taken to recycling their own droppings to such an extent that she wanted expert help with putting a stop to it. In this interview, veterinarian Nancy Kay, who is the author of Speaking for Spot, has the answers for tackling coprophagic dogs.
If you have found a product or strategy for stopping dogs eating poo we'd love to hear from you - it's a distressing problem. You can hear Nancy talking about her book Speaking for Spot which can help you be the advocate your dog deserves in Episode 90 of DCR. You can also find out more about Nancy at the Speaking for Spot website and at her Twitter or Facebook page. Good luck to Chantal!
Earlier this year Star, our Bichon Frise, ruptured her cruciate ligament just by running energetically through the woods. She ended up having surgery and the whole experience was a shock and a steep learning curve for us.
I was eager to get some information about this condition which afflicts a surprising amount of dogs. In this interview you can hear John Davies, the surgeon who operated on Star talking about what the basic problem with the cruciate ligament is, how the problem occurs and the variety of treatments on offer.
It's reassuring to know that the vast majority of dogs who do rupture a cruciate ligament will recover enough to live a full happy life again. Happily Star is now back to normal.
Although Star is back to normal she is no more eager to go on long walks than she was before the injury occurred, and you can hear about some of the strategies she has developed to deal with this problem.
Our dogs are good at finding solutions to problems such as making sure another dog doesn't steal your favourite stick out on a walk, and to avoid being shut out of the dining room at meal times. Host Julie considers this and more.
In the DogCast Radio News Kate and Nick talk about the dog who won the award for the most unusual insurance claim - and it's a story with a sting in the tail!
Also hear about how dogs are so relaxing for us, and have at guess what percentage of us talk to our dogs, and more to the point how many of us consider our dog a better talker than our partner.
Plus what is pop star Mika training his dog to do, and how did Robbie Williams include his eight dogs at his wedding? Listen and find out!
