Does Your Dog Eat Poop?
Here’s How to Stop It.
Why does my dog eat poop?
Eating poopis called coprophagia—and it’s actually quite common in dogs. In part, it’sinstinct. Wolf and dog mothers eat their puppies’ poop to keep the den cleanand keep predators away.
But unlessyour dog is nursing puppies, they shouldn’t be eating poop. If they are, it’sfor one of two reasons; emotional distress or illness.
If your dogsuddenly starts eating poop, the problem is usually medical and you should seea veterinarian right away. For example, you dog could have digestion leavesnutrients in the poop the dog craves or parasites that make your dog hungry allthe time.
If your dog is a puppy or has always eaten poop,it’s usually a habit or stems from an emotional problem like boredom or stress.
Can eating poop make my dog sick?
Yes! It’s not just gross, it can be dangerous, especially if your dog eats the poop of other dogs.
- Dogs can digest toxins (think plants, rat poison) only to eat it again and get a higher dose.
- They can ingest (or re-ingest) plastics, strings and other foreign objects that can cause internal bleeding or blockages.
- They can pick up illnesses from other dogs like worms, bacteria, and fungi.
- If your dog eats the poop of other species, it could expose them to deadly medications not safe for dogs.
How do I stop my dog from eating poop?
Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to stop your dog from eating poop.
Step 1: Don’t yell when your dog poops on the floor or eats poop. This can make the problem worse by either increasing stress or making the dog eat poop to get rid of “evidence” and avoid punishment.
Step 2: Take your dog to the vet to get a full check up and rule out serious medical issues.
Step 3: If your dog is healthy, then poop eating is a habit. Luckily, it’s easy to fix with specially formulated supplements that use natural herbs and enzymes to make your dogs poop smell bad (to them. It already smells awful to us humans).
It can take a couple of weeks for some dogs, but eventually they will stop eating their own poop completely! Over time they’ll also begin to associate poop with something undesirable, which will stop them from eating the feces of other animals.
Once your dog stops this nasty and dangerous habit, you’ll be ready for those doggy kisses again!
