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Eating poop is a common behavior that you’ll come across in various animals. With us, humans, we usually feel the behavior to be totally disgusting and I’m sure that’s why you have clicked on this post. What we would like to know is, is it your dog that you have found eating poop or you’re just curious after finding him sniffing at it? Well, today’s subject is on how to stop dog from eating poop but we’ll first look at why he might be doing it. So, let’s keep on reading as the answers you’re looking for all are in the discussion.
NB: If you’re new to the Dog Food Guides, we greatly appreciate your visit and we’d like to warmly welcome you to the platform. Feel free to check out our other posts as you might find one or two essential dog-keeping tips that you might have missed.
What is Poop Eating in Dogs?
Before we even get to dogs, poop eating is a normal behavior in animals. Due to its commonness, the scientists have gone their way to even giving the behavior the name “Coprophagia”. The name is even made fancier by sub-classifying it into autocoprophagia and allocoprophagia.
When it comes to some animal species, like rabbits, them eating fecal dropping is usually a normal way of getting important nutrients. When it comes to dogs, nonetheless, they really don’t need to get nutrients in this manner but the act can be a natural behavior at certain life stages.
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For instance, you can come across a mothering dog licking the rear end of her puppies. This is usually a way of helping stimulate urination and defecation in the young ones. The mother dog even gets to ingest the feces in the den (he’s dwelling in with her children) as a way of keeping the environment clean.
When a dog ingests their own fecal droppings, the phenomenon is termed as autocoprophagia but if it’s of other dogs it becomes allocoprophagia. When it comes to eating the feces of other animals, it doesn’t just apply to dogs’ but even for other animals like horses, goose, and even cats.
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This now is where necessary precautions need to be taken as consumption of other animals’ “waste” can instigate health problems. For puppies, the behavior can be hard to control as at the time they’re at the age of exploring the world around them. Just like the mischievous human children, the young pooch will be strongly attracted to putting everything in their mouths.
Although it used to be just speculation, the fact was restated in a 2012 study presented to the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior. The research was led by Dr. Benjamin Hart from the University of California, Davis, where they also concluded that:
Facts about Dogs who Eat Poop
- Dogs hardly eat soft, poorly formed stools (or diarrhea). They mostly go for the hard, frozen stools.
- Female dogs are more likely to eat poop and “normal” males are very rare
- About 90% of poop eaters prefer fresh stuff (around one to two days old).
- 85% of poop-eating dogs will not ingest their own feces but that of other dogs.
- 16% {one in six} dogs are serious poop eaters.
Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?
Well, there are very many reasons as to why your dog is eating poop. Whether the poop he is ingesting is his or of others akin, there’s always a reason that must have caused the behavior. Some of these reasons are as simple as boredom but others do develop the behavior due to complex issues like Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI).
Since the reasons that can make a dog eat stool are many, we’re going to classify them in two categories. This includes Behavioral Reasons and Medical reasons.
Medical Reasons
- Enzyme Deficiency: involves your dog eating diets low in digestive enzymes, which, of course, the body needs to top on the amount produced by the body. The feces do have a lot of nutrients, hence, the reason for the dog craving for a bite of them to serve her enzyme deficiency.
- Exocrine Pancreatic insufficiency (EPI): The health condition revolves around your dog having little or no enzymes to support normal digestion. The condition can occur due to a number of conditions, including chronic pancreatitis, diabetes, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases, etc. In case you fail to supplement the needed enzymes, the dog will starve and start developing symptoms like weight loss, diarrhea, and eating poop. The reason for the dog eating the stool is to try getting the needed nutrients.
- Malabsorption: This involves your dog not able to absorb other nutrients and he turns to other animals’ stool because of those “tasty” undigested nutrients. You need to identify the stool the pooch is most interested in as it’ll help you discern which nutrients he might be lacking.
- Parasites: a dog with intestinal parasites can ingest his feces to try getting back the nutrients that the foreign organism might have “stolen” from his food.
- Underfeeding: well, if your dog is not getting enough food to fulfill her hunger, she will, definitely, turn on other food sources, including poop.
- Deficiency of Hydrochloric acid: can facilitate poor digestion, which, then, will make the dog start looking for nutrients in fecal droppings.
- Conditions instigating increased appetite: can make a dog too ravenous to eat even stool. Some of these conditions include diabetes, thyroid issues, and steroids.
Behavioral Reasons
- Boredom: a dog living alone without much to do might start eating pop as a way to keep herself busy with some special “treats”.
- Stress: Just as with boredom, a stressed pooch can relieve his stress by eating stool.
- Puppies: as we stated earlier, young dogs act just like human children. With their curiosity, the pups will start their exploration, which at times might take them to take a nibble out of some feces.
- Cleanliness: This is when the female dog licks the behind of her pups to eliminate and clean their fecal matter. Just like with our mothers, the mother dog will eat up the faces in her nest to keep the environment clean for her family.
Well, just as children borrow some behaviors from their mothers, a puppy might start eating poop by emulating her mother. The behavior, yeah, is not dangerous but also it’s not good to let your dog get used to it. Our main subject, though, is on how to stop dog from eating poop. So, we ought to look at the possible risks, rather not the benefits.
Why You Should Prevent Your Dog from Eating Feces
Even though it’s still gross, your pug or beagle might not get sick from ingesting his own feces. If he eats that of another animal, particularly from a different species, nonetheless, it’s very possible to cause some health concerns. This can be caused by eating harmful bacteria and intestinal parasites’ eggs that might be present in the “foreign” stool.
A dog that eats poop tends to have a foul breath that you might become uncomfortable if you’re staying with your dog in the suite. Some home dental care can help improve the breadth of your precious pet but it’s good to prevent the behavior for the best. The following are some of the ways you can do it…
Ways to Prevent Dog From Eating Feces
- Maintain Cleanliness in Your Dog’s Kennel (or toilet): pick up the fecal droppings of your dog immediately he poops. This will help prevent giving your dog the opportunity to wonder how that fresh dung might be tasting. It will even help keep the environment of your dog clean and prevent bacterial infections, like salmonellosis, which can cause health conditions like pancreatitis. Hence, preventing the likelihood of poop eating.
- Provide Your Dog with Plentiful of Probiotics and Digestive Enzymes: Raw food often harbors lots of probiotics (and digestive enzymes) that your dog needs to assist in the digestion. If your dog uses cooked food only, try adding digestive enzymes using food formulas like Premium Care Chicken Probiotic Treats.
- Do Regular Check up on Your Dog’s Stool to make sure there’re no intestinal parasites that might be using up your dog’s nutrients. In case you find any, provide your furry friend with the necessary medication so as to prevent him from start looking for the enzymes in the stool.
- Try Balancing the Deficient Minerals by use of Sea Kelp, which tends to have high levels of essential minerals, including vitamins A, B, and K. The marine plant will even help maintain the health of your dog’s digestive tract due to the high amount of fiber content contained. If a dog is deficient in hydrochloric acid, try giving apple cider vinegar.
- Provide Your Dog With Mental And Physical Engagement: make sure you give your dog regular playtime to help improve his physical build, as well as overall wellness. For mental engagement, you can give your dog playing toys that will help keep him busy and entertained. Hence, preventing boredom or any likelihood of stress.
- Use “Coprophagia Preventatives”. This involves the use of taste-aversion products that will make the stool of your dog smell and taste awful. As long your dog is not allergic to any of the included ingredients, this kind of product won’t harm your dog in any way. Nonetheless, you have to make sure the product you have chosen is for dogs, such as Accent Flavor Enhancer and Adolph’s Tenderizer.
- Teaching Your Dog Some Discipline Can Work: you can trying teaching some simple commands like “leave it”. Then, reward him with his favorite treat for obeying.
- Although we never included it in our list of the reasons causing poop eating… some dogs usually develop the behavior just to gain your attention. If you catch her in the act, interrupt her without speaking or making eye she was expecting.
Some dogs do eat their stool if it hasn’t been thoroughly processed. To avoid this, Try Providing More Digestible Food that contains all the nutrients your sweet pet might be needing. For this one, you can either go with human foods rich in fiber content (vegetables) and digestive enzymes, such as Papaya, pumpkin, and bananas. That is a full guide on how to stop dog from eating poop.
In case you don’t want to change your dog’s favorite diet but you’re wondering what to put in dog food to stop eating poop. You can try some readymade treats which have probiotics and natural digestive enzymes in them. Some of these excellent snacks include:
Recommended Dog Food Avoid Eating Pop
Benefit Biscuits Digestive Treats– the packet of dog snacks is jam-packed with plenty of nutrients (including dietary fibers) that your pet needs to improve his digestion. The treats largely comprise of pumpkins, hence, highly digestible and rich in hardworking antioxidants as well.
Zesty Paws Probiotic Dental Sticks– the savory dog treats helps treat your dog’s dental problem, whilst prevent coprophagia. The formula features GanedeBC30 Probiotic to help the contained sweet potatoes and Ginger root with digestive support.
Zesty Paws Chicken Flavor Probiotic Bites: it comprises of very active natural prebiotics and probiotics to facilitate smooth and healthy digestion. The premium recipe also do have lots of digestive enzymes to help prevent poop eating in your dog
Premium Care Grass Burn Chews: the 5-star dog treats are packed with plentiful of probiotics and digestive enzymes to support digestion and reduce coprophagia. The recipe has natural ingredients like apple cider vinegar for balancing the hydrochloric acid levels and prevent symptoms of eating poop. Grass Burn Chews are duck flavored, hence, ultimately yummy.
What Now
Well, that’s all on how to stop dog from eating poop. We duly hope we have helped solve your problems concerning your dog’s health. At some point, yes, poop eating might not be dangerous to your dog. But it’s good you first discern the medical causes of the behavior. Then, always remember to keep the things clean, as well as your dog engaged and with proper nutrition.