Why do dogs eat thier poop

Lastly, you could try spraying the dog’s food or treats with flavor aversion products, but chances are good that if they don’t mind the taste poop, they probably won’t mind the taste of garlic, pepper, yucca, MSG, or parsley. Therefore, the treat reward, or simply picking it up, might be a better option.

Table of Contents Show

Why Dogs Eat Poop
Enzyme Deficiency
EPI – Exocrine Pancreative Insufficiency
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Other Causes Of Poop Eating
Behavioral Reasons Dogs Eat Poop
Why Puppies Eat Poop
Avoid Punishment
What Are The Risks For Poop Eating?
Drug Toxicity
How To Stop Your Dog From Eating Poop
Emphasize Cleanliness
Keep Your Dog Active And Stimulated
Feed A Great Diet
Don’t Make Poop A Big Deal

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Eating poop is also known as coprophagia. Fernando Trabanco Fotografía/Getty Images

It turns out the biggest problem with a dog eating poop is the ick factor for their humans.

Dogs, especially puppies, eat many things they shouldn't, and this often includes feces — theirs and that of other dogs and even other animals.

Gross as it may seem, dogs eating poop is pretty common.

"The science isn't completely clear on why dogs or puppies eat feces, which is known as coprophagia," says Gary Richter, DVM, a veterinary health expert with Rover and owner and medical director of Montclair Veterinary Hospital.

"Assuming the dog is eating an appropriately balanced diet – meaning basically any commercially available brand – nutritional deficiencies leading to coprophagia are very unlikely. In truth, eating feces is almost exclusively a behavioral issue rather than a physical one," says Richter.

Russell Hartstein, Certified Dog Behaviorist and Trainer in Los Angeles and founder of Fun Paw Care, agrees, adding that while there's no conclusive evidence that points to any single reason why dogs eat poop, it is totally natural.

That said, here are some reasons why your dog might eat poop.

"It's part of a dog's genetics. Dogs are omnivores that scavenge, forage, and love carrion smells/tastes such as vile, pungent odors and stuff to play with and eat. Dogs eat lots of things with zero nutritional value for fun or because it seems interesting to them," says Hartstein.

According to a 2018 study, coprophagia may be an inherited tendency from dogs' ancestors, wolves.

Wolves defecated outside their dens because their feces contained parasite eggs. If a wolf was too sick or injured to go do their business elsewhere, it would eat the poop in order to protect the pack.

The researchers pointed out that because parasite eggs can become infective after a couple of days. This may also explain why dogs generally eat poop that's no more than a day or two old.

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), poop eating is a natural behavior at certain stages of a dog's life.

For instance, mother dogs lick their puppies as a way to urge them to do their business. They also clean up after their puppies by eating their feces for the first three weeks after birth.

Puppies naturally mimic this behavior by eating their own poop and other dogs' poop.

As Richter already pointed out, nutritional deficiencies are unlikely if your dog is eating a balanced diet.

That said, it's still important for dog owners to watch for signs of a nutritional deficiency, which could stem from diet or malabsorption issues caused by an underlying medical condition.

The signs of a nutrient deficiency depend on which nutrients are lacking, but most often include:

Dull or brittle coat
Dry, scaling or flaking skin
Being under- or overweight
Skin issues, such as itching, inflammation, and sores
Frequent infections

Thyroid disease, diabetes, and Cushing's disease are some conditions that can increase hunger in dogs and lead them to eat their feces.

Drugs, such as steroids, benzodiazepines, and some antihistamines can also cause increased hunger as a side effect.

Though it hasn't been scientifically proven, some experts believe coprophagia in dogs may be triggered by chronic stress, anxiety, and boredom.

Isolated dogs, or those who spend too much time in a crate or other confined space are more likely to eat poop.

Anxiety from harsh training methods or punishment can also trigger the behavior, according to the AKC.

"In terms of risks, on top of the obvious 'gross' factor, eating feces can transmit parasites to your dog," says Richter.

Common parasites a dog may contract from eating other dogs' or animals' poop include:

Hookworms
Roundworms
Giardia
Whipworms
Coccidia

If your dog is showing signs of illness, like diarrhea, vomiting, and lethargy, a visit to the vet is in order.

If your puppy's mowing down on poop, the good news is they'll probably stop doing it by the time they're about 9 months old.

If your puppy continues to do it or you have an adult dog that does it, the following tips may help break the habit:

Potty train your dog. "Teach your dog to defecate and urinate on cue. This is one of the goals of potty training, and if your dog is pooping on cue it makes your job much easier," says Hartstein.
Ensure your dog is eating a balanced diet. Your veterinarian can offer more guidance on the best diet for your dog's nutritional needs. But typically, if you're feeding your dog the appropriate serving size of a commercial brand of dog food, they should already be getting those necessary nutrients.
Be vigilant about cleaning up after your dog. "Coprophagia is a crime of opportunity," says Richter. If there's no poop around for them to eat, then it may break them of the habit.
Always keep your dog on leash. "A leashed dog is much less likely to eat feces," says Hartstein. Having your dog on a leash on walks or a lead in the yard helps you control where they go and what they get into.
Have your dog wear a head harness. Harststein recommends a head harness because you have more control and can guide your dog's head away from the feces, or anything else you don't want them snacking off the ground.
Train your dog. "Dog training can and should be used in conjunction with all other protocols. For example, teach your dog to Leave It, or use a strong Recall and reward them heavily with their favorite dog treats when they listen to you. Remember the dog treats must be MORE rewarding than eating poop. It shouldn't be a hard hurdle to get over," says Hartstein.
Supervise your dog. "Don't allow your dog to roam around off-leash in the backyard, or anywhere there is dog poop," says Hartstein.
Give your dog regular exercise and enrichment. Regular exercise and enrichment can help a dog burn off energy and combat boredom that can lead to poop eating and other unsavory behavior. Keep walks interesting with different routes, play fetch, and try enrichment games and puzzles.

There's no one specific reason why dogs eat poop, but most of the time it's normal and not a problem — at least not for the dog.

"The most effective way to get your dog to stop eating poop is management. However, there are many other methods and factors to consider that may help with dog poop eating, such as dog training, behavior modification, enrichment, exercise, and nutrition," says Hartstein

Dog poop eating: it’s a bad habit that can have many causes. There’s even a name for it … coprophagia. It’s gross to humans, but for many animals, it’s a common behavior. So why do dogs eat poop?

Why Dogs Eat Poop

There are two main reasons dogs eat poop … medical or behavioral. The possible medical issues that could cause your dog’s poop-eating behavior include:

Enzyme deficiency
EPI – Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency
Other malabsorption diseases like IBD
Parasites
Diabetes or thyroid problems
Medications
Underfeeding

Enzyme Deficiency

Today, dogs typically eat less diverse diets than wild dogs did prior to domestication. As a result, their bodies don’t always have enough digestive enzymes to digest their food. By supplementing your dog’s diet with a good digestive enzyme, you can ensure he is getting good nutrient absorption.

EPI – Exocrine Pancreative Insufficiency

Dogs with EPI can’t break down and absorb nutrients, so they need supplements to keep them from slowly starving. Symptoms include weight loss, ravenous hunger, stool eating and diarrhea. EPI is a serious disease but you can manage it with diet and supplements.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

The chronic inflammation of IBD can stop your dog absorbing nutrients … so he may resort to stool-eating. Other symptoms include chronic diarrhea and unexplained weight loss.

Parasites

Parasites steal nutrients from your dog. You may need to take a fecal sample to your vet for testing to confirm your dog has worms or other parasites like giardia or coccidia.

There are many foods that help your dog expel parasites.

Other Causes Of Poop Eating

Diabetes and hypothyroidism can make your dog feel hungry. Drugs like steroids can make your dog ravenous. If your dog is missing nutrients, he’ll look for it in poop. Dogs eat stool when they have a nutritional deficiency.

If your dog is losing weight, it’s possible he needs more food. Be sure to feed a fresh, whole food diet, to provide an array of nutrients.

RELATED: Digestive enzymes for dogs: when you need them

Behavioral Reasons Dogs Eat Poop

There may be behavioral issues behind your dog’s poop-eating. Here are a few reasons for this natural behavior …

Cleanliness
Puppies
Scavengers
Boredom
Attention seeking
Stress
Punishment
Learning from other dogs

Why Puppies Eat Poop

Female dogs will clean up after their puppies by eating their stool, and it’s possible other dogs eat poop to clean up. Puppies, on the other hand, want to discover everything around them, including poop! Puppies will often outgrow this behavior as they get older.

Fun

Dogs explore with their sense of smell, and to them, fresh stool smells great. If your dog is bored, he might eat poop for entertainment.

Attention

If you react to your dog eating poop, he might eat more to get your attention. On the other hand, if your dog has accidents in the house, he might eat his poop because he’s worried about getting in trouble.

Stress

Stressed dogs sometimes relieve stress by eating things they shouldn’t … including poop. It’s also a sad fact that dogs who come from puppy mills grow up in stressful environments … and haven’t been nourished well.

Avoid Punishment

If your dog’s ever been punished for pooping in the house, he might try to hide the evidence by eating his stool.

Mimicking

Dogs learn from other dogs … so if your dog sees another dog enjoying a yummy poop snack, he might think it’s a high-value treat and decide to try it.

What Are The Risks For Poop Eating?

For dogs, there are minimal health risks to eating their own poop. But if your dog is a kisser, you might worry about him passing on bacteria and parasites to you and your family. So if your dog insists on eating poop, you might want to discourage him from licking people, and wash your face and hands thoroughly if necessary! Teach your kids to do this too.

Monitor your dog for parasites if he eats other animals’ poop – especially wild animals. It’s easy to drop off a fecal sample at the vet for testing.

Your dog may also have bad breath from eating poop so you might need to brush his teeth more often.

Drug Toxicity

Be careful if any animals in your home are on medication. There have been cases of drug toxicity from dogs eating poop from housemates on medications like carprofen and thyroid drugs

How To Stop Your Dog From Eating Poop

Once you’ve figured out the medical or behavior reason your dog’s eating poop, you can work on stopping this undesirable behavior.

Emphasize Cleanliness

If your stool-eating dog lives with other dogs and cats, clean up the poop as soon as it happens. Keep your cat’s litter box clean too. This will minimize poop-eating opportunities.

Keep Your Dog Active And Stimulated

Avoid boredom with plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. Playing games, offering toys, doing agility or other sports are great ways to keep your dog’s brain and body active and occupied. This is especially true with working breed dogs – they really need to be kept busy.

Feed A Great Diet

Feeding real food instead of a processed commercial diet can make a big difference. Give your dog a balanced, whole food, preferably raw-meat based diet to make sure he’s getting the nutrition he needs. Be sure to include enough organ meats, as they’re especially rich in vitamins and minerals. Add pre and probiotics and digestive enzymes to make sure he gets all the benefits of his food.

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Don’t Make Poop A Big Deal

Punishing your dog for eating stool just isn’t effective. Don’t make a fuss about him eating poop. Instead, pay attention to your dog’s digestive health and make sure he gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.

With some time, patience, and detective work, you can figure out why your dog is eating poop, and get him to stop. But remember, poop eating is normal behavior!

Cat litter boxes are easy places for your dog to find a tasty treat. You may not even realize he’s doing it, until you wonder why the litter box is clean.

But why do dogs like cat poop? Likely, your cat’s poop smells like food to your dog … because it’s digested cat food. Many dogs are partial to canned cat food (which is why vets often recommend it for giving dogs medication). If your cat’s digestion isn’t ideal, than his poop will smell even more like food, enticing your dog to grab a quick treat when you’re not looking.

In the wild, dogs need to keep a clean den when they have puppies to protect them from predators. So poop eating is built into the dog. Eating their own poop can be part of this behavior or it could be because of poor diet or the inability to properly digest nutrients.

References

Benjamin L Hart et al. The paradox of canine conspecific coproophagy. Veterinary Medicine & Science, Vol, 4, issue 2, May 2018.

Joanne A.M. van der Borg and Lisette Graat. Pilot study to identify risk factors for coprophagic behaviour in dogs, Wageningen University.

Rae G Hutchins DVM et al. Suspected carprofen toxicosis caused by coprophagia in a dog. JAVMA, September 1, 2013, Vol. 243, No. 5, Pages 709-711

Shadwick SR, Ridgway MD, Kubier A. Thyrotoxicosis in a dog induced by the consumption of feces from a levothyroxine-supplemented housemate. Can Vet J. 2013;54(10):987-989.