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| Maybe your dog is looking for attention. |
Reasons Why Some Dogs Eat Poop
If you’re totally disgusted when you see your dog eating
poop, then read more about why it happens.
Find out the most common reasons why your dog eats poop.
The medical term for eating feces is Coprophagia. There are many reasons why your dog eats
poop. Some of the reasons are physical
and some could be psychological. Once
you know the probable causes of Coprophagia, you can help your dog stop eatinghis poop.
Medical causes for
eating feces
Some medical problems can cause your dog to eat poop. The Douglas Island Veterinary Service says
that the following health problems can cause dogs to eat poop:
- Pancreatitis
- Infections in your dog’s intestine
- Inability to absorb nutrients
- Feeding your dog a high fat diet
Coprophagia is not the only symptom of these diseases. If your dog isn’t showing any other health
related symptoms, especially diarrhea, then eating feces is probably a
behavioral issue.
Behavioral reasons
why your dog eats poop
Seeking Attention – Usually, when your dog eats poo, you
reprimand him. You either pull your dog
away from the feces or actually lecture him how disgusting it is to eat
poop. It’s probably the most effective
way for your dog to get your attention. Your
lecture has the opposite effect than you intended. Your dog eats more poop to get more attention
from you.
Imitating – Dogs
are intelligent animals and want to please their owners. When your dog sees you picking up poop in a
doggie bag, she learns to do the same thing by eating it.
Learned – Your dog
could learn coprophagia from other dogs.
Maybe your dog saw the neighbor’s dog or another dog at a dog park
eating feces and copied the behavior.
Maternal – When a
mother dog delivers puppies, it’s perfectly normal for her to eat the feces of
her puppies. She’s keeping her puppies
and the whelping box clean. Another
reason mother dogs eat feces is to prevent predators from smelling the puppies.
Dominance – Many
times, a submissive dog will eat the poop of dominant dogs, especially when
they are living in the same house.
Hunger – Many dogs
only eat once per day. If you feed your dog once per day, you could try
switching to a few small meals throughout the day. Maybe your dog is hungry and
eats poop to supplement his diet.
How to Get Your Dog
to Stop Eating Poop
There are no fail-safe treatments for dogs eating poop, but the
following methods can help:
Treat the Food - Adding enzymes to your dog’s diet helps break down
nutrients so he gets more nutrition, not needing to supplement with feces. Meat tenderizer is a common ingredient that
can provide enzymes to your dog’s diet.
Treat the Feces -
After your dog has a bowel movement, don’t pick it up right away. Pour hot sauce or other bad tasting,
non-toxic product on the poop. When your
dog eats the feces, he’ll soon learn that it’s not a tasty treat. This might stop
the behavior.
Pick up the Feces
– Picking up the poop right after your dog eliminates helps break the habit of
eating feces. This is the most effective
method found by dog owners. If you’re unable
to go outside with your dog and pick up the poop right away, put a muzzle on
him so he can’t eat it. Go outside as
soon as you can, pick up the dog’s poop, and then remove the muzzle. This will also break the cycle.
Avoid Punishment –
Punishment never works to prevent coprophagia.
The dog only knows that he is getting attention and doesn’t associate
the scolding with the poop eating. It’s
a waste of time and energy to try to stop the behavior with punishment, plus
you risk breaking the trusting bond you have with your dog.
Positive Reinforcement
– When you notice your dog start to eat feces, tell him to ‘leave it’ , ‘come’,
or ‘sit’, whichever command he’s most familiar with. If your dog responds to the command, give him
a treat and praise. Quickly, pick up the
poop and distract the dog with some other activity.
