Every dog owner is well aware of the many repulsive habits that dogs have like drinking from the toilet, rolling in swamp muck, licking their butts, etc. One of the most annoying habits that dogs have is eating poop. Even though their intention is not to gross out humans but still it does. Sometimes it affects dog owners so much so that they opt to rehome a dog or go for euthanasia.
Veterinarians Term It As Coprophagia
The habit of eating poop is scientifically termed as coprophagia and has behavioral and physiological reasons for it. In a 2012 study presented at the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior annual conference, researchers led by Dr. Benjamin Hart, from the University of California, Davis, found that: 16 percent (one in six) of dogs are classified as “serious” stool eaters, which means that they were caught in the act five times. Moreover, 24 percent of the dogs in the study (one in four) were observed eating feces at least once.
Hart wrote, “Our conclusion is that eating of fresh stools is a reflection of an innate predisposition of ancestral canids living in nature that protects pack members from intestinal parasites present in feces that could occasionally be dropped in the den/rest area.”
This Phenomenon Is Not Unusual
For some species like rabbits, eating feces is a normal way of obtaining key nutrients, and preventing them from doing so will result in them developing health problems. However, this does not stand true in the case of dogs as they do not get nutrition this way. Coprophagia is a natural phenomenon at some canine life stages. Mother dogs lick their puppies to urge them to eliminate and clean up their feces by eating it, for about the first three weeks after birth. Puppies also expectedly engage in the behavior of eating the poop. Some dogs eat their own poop which is known as autocoprophagia, and sometimes they eat poop from other dogs which is called allocoprophagia. On many occasions, dogs tend to eat poop from other animals such as cats and horses too which is discouraged because they may cause health problems to dogs. The reason behind it is that sometimes the stool from other animals is contaminated with parasites, viruses, and toxins. In most cases, this behavior fades after the puppy is about nine months old.
Dogs Prefer Hard Fresh Stool
When it comes to choosing the type of poop that dogs prefer, they do not like to eat soft or poorly formed feces. Rather, they choose poop that is hard or has been frozen by cold weather. Pet owners who have dogs that suffer from this condition often refer to the feces as poopsicles.
Shaming Dogs Can Result In Them Eating Poop
Dogs may begin to start feeling shameful during the house-training period of a young baby. This particularly stands true for the dogs that have been trained not to poop in the house by having their nose rubbed in the mess. It has been observed by the veterinarians that the feeling of shame and fear of disapproval from their owners is one of the reasons responsible for dogs to clean up their mess orally after they have made it.
Stress And Environmental Factors Are Responsible Too
There are certain environmental and stress factors that are identified as potential causes for dogs to poop. The factors are as follows: #1 Keeping the dogs aloof- Dogs love to have companions around them most of the time and do not react well when kept aloof for a stretched period of time. Isolation results in them feeling stressed and it is noted that stressed dogs are more likely to eat poop than the ones that spend time sitting with others. #2 To seek attention- Dogs like to eat poop to seek your attention and to see how you react. It is their way to tease you or get you excited. #3 To protect the fellow dogs- Studies have revealed that puppies often eat the poop of an elderly or sick dog. Scientists think that the reason behind this is that the dogs learned to eat the poop to eliminate the scent predators can follow.
Certain Health Problems Associated With Coprophagia
A possible reason for dogs eating poop is because it is suffering from health problems. Eating poop is a way of relieving these health problems. Certain health issues associated are: #1 Poor Diet: If the dog is not getting a proper diet then it might eat poop to supplement their nutrient and calorie intake. #2 Malabsorption Syndrome: This health problem may occur when damage is done to the intestinal tract due to sickness, injury, chronic diseases, and infections. #3 Drug: Steroids and the over-use of antibiotics may result in poop-eating behavior.
You Can Train Your Dog To Stop
Every problem has a solution and so does Coprophagia. One of the best ways to make your dog stop is to train it. One of the most effective ways is to clean up the poop right after they have pooped so there is nothing on the ground to eat. If you have cats as pets then you can put the litter box in a place where the dogs can’t reach. Alternatively, you can keep treats in your pocket so that you can encourage the dog to eat the treat instead of licking the poop off the ground.
Diet Supplements To Help Your Dog
As mentioned above, one of the reasons why dogs eat poop is because they ingest nutrients from it. If you supplement the diet with nutrients, it will not search for them in other sources. Some of the supplements you can use are: #1 Vitamin-B: Studies have shown that dogs with a Vitamin B deficiency are more likely to indulge in poop eating activity. #2 Enzyme Supplements: Dogs eat a different diet these days than they used to eat in past days. Now their diet often lacks the amount of meat-based proteins in place of carbohydrates.
Alter The Poop’s Taste
A dog that eats poop doesn’t care about the taste that much. In order to discourage your dog from eating poop, alter the taste to change your dog’s mindset. You can try putting some hot sauce or something that your dog does not like so they learn to avoid eating poop.
Put A Leash
One of the best tried and tested way to restrict your dog is to put a leash on it. In this way, you can pull the dog away and tie it up until you clean the mess. This will remove their temptation to eat the poop.
