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Why Is My Dog Eating Poop… and How to Stop It!

white dog licking lips

Dog Eating Poop?…and how to stop it.

Coprophagia. The act of consuming feces.  Yes, it’s a yuck repulsive habit that you’ve likely despaired of if you’ve ever caught your dog eating poop.

Of course, if humans did this beside being just wrong, we’d likely die of sepsis eventually. However, in the animal kingdom, it’s not quite the same. In fact, for some species, it’s actually an important way of getting nutrients.

Why do dogs eat poop?

You might be thinking… but I feed my dog, doesn’t he get his nutrients there, so why eat feces? In dogs, it’s only normal in rare situations for them to consume their own, or another pet’s feces. Sometimes (horrifyingly) they actually just like the way it tastes!

Cat fecal matter actually contains quite a few beneficial nutrients, so your dog might be instinctively attracted to the smell for that reason. However, it should be discouraged in most situations, as dogs do not actually require consumption of feces to get adequate nutrients.

If your new mommy dog is seen eating her feces near her pups, this is a way for her to keep her nursing area clean. She will also lick her babies clean, which will likely involve cleaning off naturally resulting in ingesting poop.

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Behavioral issues

Some dogs start doing this from a young age. Rescue dogs in particular may continue because no one actually saw them do it and corrected them, or because of poor housetraining.

It may also be brought about by a desire for attention, especially if you react by chasing them around or getting excitable at the prospect of feces in your dog’s mouth. They may misread this as playtime and think it’s a game or something silly to amuse you with.

Health issues

If the onset of poop eating is sudden, this is definitely a cause for concern. It may be caused by liver issues, brain issues or gastrointestinal issues–to name a few.

If you notice this plus other worrying symptoms like fatigue, vomiting or drooling — it’s time for a visit to your local veterinarian.

How to stop your dog eating doo?

Stopping poop eating won’t happen overnight. It requires training, patience, and positive reinforcement for good behavior.

You can start by ensuring that outside time is strictly observed, and poop cleaned up immediately once eliminated. Don’t give them the option of eating it! Be sure to give them a treat and praise when they’ve finished.

Secondly, if you have cats in the home be sure to clean the litter daily and put it in an area the dog can’t get to; baby gates work wonders!

Be sure to provide your pup with plenty of outlets to release anxiety in a healthy way. Exercise, puzzles, toys, games of fetch interspersed with plenty of quality time with you will ensure they feel relaxed, pleasantly tuckered out, and more likely to enjoy a real meal of kibble rather than fecal matter.

Concluding stop your dog eating poop

It’s definitely disgusting, and can be a huge shock if you’ve never noticed it before or it comes on quite suddenly. Rest assured many dogs do it, even if it should be discouraged.

Be sure to remove access to any fecal matter. Use positive reinforcement, and eventually he will phase out of the habit!

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