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If your dog is eating poop, you need to know the possible reasons behind it and how you can reduce it. When your dog keeps eating poop, it might actually make you feel worried and frustrated. But there isn’t much to fret about it. It’s actually a common habit of dogs to eat feces. All you have to do is keep track, monitor the habit, and manage the habit.
Understand why dogs eat poop
There are several reasons why dogs may actually eat poop. While the reasons are not entirely clear or known, here are a few theories.
Instinct
In most cases, dogs eating poop is actually a natural and instinctive behavior. The pup might begin to eat the feces at a very young age. For instance, mother dogs might lick the floors, eat the feces, and lick their pups clean to ensure the environment is safe and better for the children. Likewise, some dogs instinctively eat poop.
Hunger
When a dog is hungry, they might start eating the poop when not offered enough food. So when a dog is starved or has malnutrition, the dog might eat feces. However, sometimes the dog might still feel hungry after being fed enough and start eating the poop. The latter could actually be a sign of some sort of illness and must be treated with care. On the other hand, some dogs might just be obsessed with food and eat whatever they find tasty.
Illness
Dogs who have certain ailments may eat their own excrement. Increased hunger or eating the wrong things (a condition known as pica) are symptoms of a few disorders. An illness that affects the consistency or scent of the stool might induce a dog to eat his own stool. Some dogs with brain diseases are also said to develop the habit of eating stool. Therefore, proper examination with the vet is quite important to protect your dog.
Stress
A dog under a lot of stress might eat their own stool. Sometimes even when they are in constant fear, they might exhibit this habit.
Nutritional Deficiencies
If the diet does not include all necessary nutrients or if the dog’s digestive system doesn’t absorb all nutrients, the dog may develop the habit of eating poop. Sometimes, intestinal parasites steal nutrients from the dog’s diet. These parasites in dogs include roundworms or hookworms.
What is Coprophagia?
Coprophagia is the act of dogs eating feces, be it their own poop or other animal waste.
Are there any risks with dogs eating poop?
The stool in itself isn’t largely harmful to the dogs. But we all know that the bacteria, parasites and insects around may easily spread on the stool and when the dog consumes it, there are risks of illness and other issues. In addition, it could also affect the humans and animals around as the dog also then becomes a carrier with its saliva or faeces.
On the other hand, if the dog is eating the poop of another animal, there are numerous risks involved. It could again easily cause the dog any sort of infection, and the routine to the vet might become more frequent.
Ways to stop dogs from eating poop
Along with the help of your vet, once you have made sure that there are no medical issues, you can start to make little changes to your pet’s diet and daily routine. Consulting with your vet is the first step because it’s important that you rule out all the health reasons and make sure the pup is healthy.
There are several ways to stop dogs from eating poop. As a dog parent, it’s important to follow a few procedures. You can also ask your vet about the safest procedures and products to further protect the dogs from eating poop. Here are a few ways to follow.
- Pick up the stool immediately – Ensure your garden doesn’t have animal waste. Once your dog defecates, immediately remove the stool. The dog might start eating the poop sometimes while defecating or instantly after, so be alert and try to avoid it as soon as possible. You also need to make sure there is no other animal waste around because dogs even tend to eat other animal poop.
- Keep your dog on a leash – Keep your dog on a leash, especially while they are defecating. It will help you have control over the pup and stop them from eating their own poop.
- Train commands – When you follow the above methods, always remember to train the dog with a command like “leave it”. When the dog leaves it, you can try to treat the pup in a rewarding way. You can also use some commands to distract the pup while it is trying to eat during defecation. Such healthy commands will help the dog to unlearn the habit.
- Use a head collar – Use a head collar on walks because the dog might start grazing on found poop along the lanes as it walks. It will help you have control. It is advisable to do this only under extreme conditions where you know there is a lot of poop around. Otherwise, have a leash and use trained commands even while taking the dog out for walks.
- Dog food – Another method that some people try is to add something to the dog’s food that will make the stool taste bad. For this, please consult with a vet on the process. You can add products that will not harm the dog. Ensure you ask the vet about safe food choices.
- Proper diet – Consult with a vet and prepare a high-quality food diet plan for your dog to ensure they are well nourished. Likewise, prepare a proper plan for their activity level. With a balanced diet for dog and an activity plan, the dog will be active and healthy.
- Reduce stress – To ensure your pup is active, doesn’t feel bored and is less stressed in dogs and scared, give more games and activities that will help in mental enrichment. It could be simple acts like more sniffing and chewing that will help the dog feel less stressed and worried.
On the other hand, if the dog is eating the poop of another animal, there are numerous risks involved. It could again easily cause the dog any sort of infection, and the routine to the vet might become more frequent.
