Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? (And How to Finally Get Them to Stop)

Does your canine have a abdomen of metal and a style for…effectively, poop? As gross because it sounds (and smells), canine consuming their very own feces—and even that of different animals—is surprisingly frequent. Should you’ve ever caught your pup snacking on one thing straight out of the litter field, you’re positively not alone. I’ve been there, too—one in every of my canine used to assume our cat’s poop was a gourmand deal with. So why do they do it? Is it dangerous? And most significantly, how do you get them to cease? Let’s dig in (not actually, fortunately).

Why Do Canine Eat Poop?

When a canine consumes its personal stool—or the droppings of one other animal—it’s known as coprophagia. And sure, whereas it’s completely cringe-worthy for us people, it’s not all that uncommon within the canine world. Canine could eat poop for quite a lot of causes, starting from harmless curiosity to underlying medical points. Let’s break down the most typical explanations.

Curiosity (Particularly in Puppies)

Should you’ve ever raised a pet, you understand they discover the world with their mouths. Similar to human infants, puppies are naturally curious and have a tendency to chew—or swallow—absolutely anything. That features poop. It’s usually a short-lived conduct that fades as they develop and be taught what’s acceptable to eat (and what’s positively not).

Concern or Nervousness

Some canine could eat their very own stool as a solution to “disguise the proof.” That is very true in the event that they’ve been punished for potty accidents previously. A canine who defecates indoors and fears reprimand may devour their waste in an try to keep away from your anger. In multi-dog households, submissive canine can also eat the feces of a extra dominant canine as a solution to keep away from battle.

Dietary Deficiencies

Malnourishment or an unbalanced weight-reduction plan may also result in coprophagia. Canine instinctively attempt to make up for lacking vitamins—and typically that leads them to their poop (or one other animal’s). Feces can comprise undigested meals particles, which may appear to be a second probability at a meal for a nutrient-starved pup. Canine with intestinal parasites are particularly in danger, because the parasites rob them of key nutritional vitamins and minerals.

Confinement and Boredom

Canine who’re confined for lengthy intervals—whether or not in a crate, kennel, or on a sequence—usually tend to interact in poop-eating behaviors. It’s usually a mixture of boredom, stress, and the shortage of different types of stimulation. For these pups, consuming feces is likely to be one of many few actions accessible to them.

Discovered Conduct from Their Mom

Mom canine instinctively clear up after their puppies to maintain the den space sanitary and odor-free. This contains licking and consuming their pups’ waste—gross to us, however completely pure within the wild. Generally, puppies mimic this conduct after observing their mother do it. Whereas most outgrow it, a couple of pups carry the behavior into maturity.

Scent Masking Intuition

Within the wild, canines usually cowl their tracks to keep away from detection by predators or rival packs. Some consultants consider that home canine could retain this intuition and eat feces to eradicate the scent. It’s particularly frequent in additional submissive or nervous canine who could really feel the necessity to “cowl their path.”

Consideration-Searching for Conduct

Let’s be trustworthy—when your canine eats poop, you in all probability react. Whether or not it’s yelling, gasping, or frantically attempting to cease them, you’re giving them a complete lot of consideration. Canine shortly be taught that this conduct will get a response, and in the event that they’re feeling ignored or under-stimulated, they may do it simply to get you to have interaction with them—even when it’s detrimental consideration.

Cognitive Decline in Older Canine

Senior canine experiencing cognitive dysfunction (just like dementia in people) could develop uncommon habits, together with coprophagia. Confusion, disorientation, and adjustments in discovered conduct patterns may cause older canine to begin consuming feces, even when they by no means did it earlier than.

Poor Digestion or Quick Consuming

Canine who scarf down their meals with out correctly chewing it might move partially digested meals of their stool. If the feces nonetheless smells like meals to them, it could possibly develop into an interesting snack. Likewise, digestive enzyme deficiencies could result in stool that’s richer in vitamins than it ought to be, attracting your canine’s consideration.

Is It Dangerous If My Canine Eats Poop?

Coprophagia is likely to be revolting to us, however in lots of instances, it’s not instantly harmful—particularly in case your canine is consuming their personal poop. Consider it or not, it is a pretty frequent and pure conduct in canine, and more often than not, it received’t result in severe well being points.

However right here’s the catch: in case your canine is consuming feces from different animals, issues get quite a bit riskier. Animal waste can carry a complete host of micro organism, viruses, and parasites that your canine positively shouldn’t ingest. Even when the opposite animal appears wholesome, their stool could possibly be contaminated with dangerous pathogens.

Listed below are a couple of ailments and parasites your canine might contract from consuming one other animal’s poop:

• Intestinal parasites like hookworms, roundworms, tapeworms, and whipworms

• Giardiasis – a parasite that causes diarrhea and weight reduction

• Coccidia – one other parasite, notably harmful for puppies and senior canine

• Parvovirus – extremely contagious and doubtlessly lethal

• Salmonella and E. coli – frequent micro organism that may result in severe gastrointestinal points

• Canine coronavirus – not the identical as COVID-19, however nonetheless causes tummy hassle

In case your canine has gotten into another person’s poop (canine, cat, or wildlife), preserve a watch out for signs like:

• Diarrhea

• Vomiting

• Lethargy

• Loss of appetite

• Indicators of belly ache

• Normal abdomen upset

Should you discover any of those signs, or in case your canine is repeatedly consuming feces, it’s price calling your vet—particularly in the event that they’re snacking on unknown or wild animal waste. Even when the conduct appears innocent, your vet can rule out underlying medical points and make it easier to resolve on the perfect plan of action.

How Do I Cease My Canine From Consuming Poop!

So now that we all know it’s typically innocent and typically harmful…must you cease your canine from doing it?

Sure—completely. Even when your canine isn’t getting sick from it proper now, poop-eating isn’t precisely a behavior you need sticking round. Not solely is it unsanitary (hiya, doggy kisses), however there’s all the time the chance they’ll ultimately ingest one thing dangerous. Plus, let’s be trustworthy—no person desires their canine turning the litter field right into a buffet.

Right here’s find out how to assist put a cease to the conduct:

Rule Out Medical Points First

Earlier than leaping to conduct coaching, I extremely advocate that you simply take your dog to the veterinarian as a way to rule out any underlying medical situations. Nutrient deficiencies, enzyme imbalances, diabetes, thyroid points, or intestinal parasites can all drive canine to eat poop. A visit to the vet and a routine checkup might help rule these out or get them correctly handled.

In case your canine’s poop-eating behavior is linked to an underlying well being situation, the earlier you catch it, the higher. The PetPace collar tracks key well being metrics like coronary heart fee, respiration, temperature, and even stress ranges—supplying you with real-time insights that may assist your vet pinpoint the basis trigger sooner.

Enhance Your Canine’s Food regimen

In case your canine isn’t getting sufficient vitamins, they could attempt to make up for it in, effectively, disgusting methods. A high-quality, balanced weight-reduction plan might help cut back the urge. Discuss to your vet about your canine’s present meals and whether or not a dietary improve may assist.

Some house owners additionally discover success including digestive enzyme dietary supplements or vitamin B to meals (particularly B12), as some canine lack the enzymes wanted to totally digest their meals.

You may additionally like: Best Dog Food Delivery Services

Clear It Up Instantly

One of the vital efficient methods to cease the conduct? Take away the temptation. Scoop poop out of your yard or litter field as quickly as attainable. Should you reside with a number of canine, be vigilant about cleansing up after every of them, not simply your personal.

In case your canine has entry to a cat’s litter field, contemplate shifting it to an space your canine can’t attain—or get a lined, dog-proof litter box.

Use Style Deterrents (With Warning)

Some pet mother and father swear by anti-coprophagia dietary supplements that make stool style (much more) disagreeable. These often comprise components like yucca or MSG, that are protected in small portions and might discourage poop-eating when used persistently.

That mentioned, these are hit and miss—and so they solely work on your canine’s poop, not others’. They’re additionally not a standalone repair however may assist when paired with coaching and clean-up efforts.

Reinforce Good Conduct

In case your canine is consuming poop to get consideration, the secret’s to cease reacting dramatically. As a substitute, observe positive reinforcement. Reward and reward your canine for ignoring poop throughout walks or within the yard. Use instructions like “go away it” or “drop it” persistently, and reward them with treats after they obey.

You may as well redirect their focus with a toy or deal with if they begin sniffing round the place they shouldn’t.

Beat Boredom

A bored canine is an sad canine! Mentally problem your canine as a way to fight boredom. This implies it is best to do the next:

• Create a set schedule and routine in your pooch, as canine are creatures of behavior.
• Mentally stimulate your canine by exercising them each day
• Train your canine some new methods to maintain him from getting too bored
• Present challenging and fun toys
• Take him to the dog park

Now, in case your canine eats poop to get your consideration then it is best to merely right this challenge by saying “NO”. Generally, consideration in search of and tedium can go hand-in-hand—A bored canine will both search consideration, or a bored canine will devour poop as a result of he merely bored.

Handle Stress and Nervousness

In case your canine is consuming poop attributable to anxiousness, work on the underlying trigger. This may imply decreasing irritating punishments, making their atmosphere really feel safer, or utilizing calming instruments like pheromone diffusers or anxiousness wraps. In some instances, your vet may even advocate anti-anxiety meds or working with a behaviorist.

Coprophagia As A Results of Submission

This can be a difficult one to unravel because it’s a part of their evolutionary conduct to devour the stool of dominant pack members. The one actual resolution you would doubtlessly strive is:

• You may strive boosting your dog’s confidence by an agility course, train, and trick coaching.
• It’s best to work on training both dogs within the family. So that you simply stay as pack-leader!
• You may strive utilizing deterrents to maintain your canine off stool! ( I’ll talk about this extra in depth beneath)

The Conclusion…

As a lot as we want we might chalk this as much as simply a type of “bizarre canine issues,” poop-eating can typically level to a deeper challenge—whether or not it’s medical, emotional, or behavioral. The excellent news? With somewhat detective work, consistency, and a few stable clean-up routines, most canine can kick the behavior.

FAQs about Canine Consuming Poop

So, do you continue to have questions on why canine eat poop? Acquired some scorching suggestions for different pet house owners? Share beneath!