5 answers to the most frequently asked questions

Why do dogs eat their own excrement?

- There's no single answer to this question, if any at all. It has been observed that a certain genetic propensity for coprophagia may appear in puppies between 4 and 10 months of age. After that, it ceases. In older dogs, it may be boredom or depression that leads them to eat their excrement.
In others, it's a sign of concern for their owner's cleanliness. Finally, it may have a medical origin, due to pancreatic insufficiency or the symptom of malabsorption.
- However, there are two main categories: those who eat their own excrement and those who eat that of others.
- Determining which group your dog belongs to can help you decide what measures to take, even if coprophagia is very hard to curb. Keeping an eye on your dog and removing his excrement before he eats it, multiplying his play activities, taking care of his diet and balancing it are measures that can prove effective.

Are canned and dry foods the same thing?

- No, they're not. Canned food is called wet food, and dry food is called kibble. The difference lies in their water content. Wet food contains 80% water, while dry food contains 10%. This means that, for the same weight, kibbles contain more nutrients, essential for your dog or cat's health. As a result, kibbles are easier to use and transport, and 3 to 5 times more economical.

Why do cats make urine marks?

- Cats generally mark their territory by urinating, although they also mark it by scratching objects or leaving scent marks (rubbing).
The factor that determines territory marking is generally stress. A calm cat has no need to mark territory. There can be many reasons for stress: moving house, the arrival of a child or another animal.
In some cases, urination is the result of a grudge, especially in indoor cats. While outdoor urine marking poses no problem, indoor urine marking poses a real health and/or hygiene problem. Consult your veterinarian to eliminate any risk of urinary disease. Otherwise, try to find the cause of the stress to eliminate it.

Is chocolate good for dogs?

- No! You mustn't confuse the fact that a dog likes a product with the fact that it's good for him. In fact, many dogs love chocolate, but this product is highly toxic due to a molecule contained in cocoa: theobromine.
- The symptoms are varied: if he vomits or has diarrhoea, it's a sign of food poisoning. The good news is that these symptoms allow the toxin to be partially evacuated.
- If theobromine is not evacuated through diarrhea and vomiting, it passes into the bloodstream and exerts its effects on the heart, potentially triggering an epileptic seizure in the dog. Death can result from cardiac or respiratory arrest. If your pet is intoxicated, take him to the vet. A 200 g chocolate bar can kill an average-sized dog. Dark chocolate is even more harmful than milk chocolate. You need to be cautious during festive periods (Christmas, Easter) and make sure your dog doesn't eat chocolate.
- Not all dogs are equally sensitive to theobromine. English bulldogs and brachycephalic breeds (short muzzle and rounded skull) are particularly sensitive.

Cats are said to be fish-eaters? Is this true?

- Where does the idea that cats love fish come from? It's a mystery. As a desert animal, deified by the Egyptians who ate a lot of fish from the Nile, the myth of the fish-eating cat may well have originated there. The food preferences of cats (and dogs too) are more related to the smell than to the taste of food. That's why certain preferences need to be tempered.
- Feeding a cat exclusively raw freshwater fish leads to a dietary deficiency in vitamin B1 (muscle weakness). Similarly, excessive consumption of canned fish in oil can lead to steatitis (inflammation of the abdominal fat).
- We must therefore beware of preconceived ideas, and vary our diet so that it is balanced to avoid deficiencies in the animal's diet.