Overview:
Coprophagia in dogs is the practice of eating stool (feces). This can be the dogs’ own stool, or the stools of other animals. Dog owners love a heartfelt kiss from their furry friend, but if you catch your pal eating poop first, all bets are off.
Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?
We dog owners like nothing better than a warm wet kiss from a furry friend. It’s a good sign of the bond we share with them.
But there can be one deterrent that would keep us from enjoying that sloppy wet kiss. “Doggy breath” can be bad enough but if you catch your pal eating poop, all bets are off.
Catching your dog eating feces, termed coprophagia, can be very embarrassing and I suspect many pet parents hide it. Unless concerns develop about their pup’s health, it remains a “dirty” little secret.
Compared to how many dogs statistically eat their own feces–which we’ll discuss in just a moment–and how few folks bring it up during appointments, I suspect many pup parents are embarrassed by the very idea. After all, if a human were to engage in such a revolting act, you wouldn’t want to go anywhere near them, right?
Well, as much as our pups are members of the family, this still doesn’t make them true human beings and as such there are some behaviors very different for dogs compared to people.
Coprophagia in dogs is one of those. But not to fear! I understand this behavior is unpleasant so in addition to discussing why it happens, we’ll also cover 6 tips to help it to stop. It doesn’t have to be a “dog eat poo world” out there!
Why Does My Dog Eat Their Own Poop?
The first thing to know is that if you’ve seen your dog eating stool, she’s not alone. According to veterinary behaviorist Dr. Benjamin Hart, about 12% of dogs eat poop consistently and nearly ¼ have been caught doing it at least once. While this is certainly not normal behavior, you shouldn’t panic yet.
For many out there who have heard that poop eating behavior is from a nutritional deficiency, you might be right–but fortunately not in most cases. It can also be learned from Mother dogs.
In most cases, coprophagia is behavioral and in a few moments we’ll discuss some reasons. But first, let’s review the 3 recognized patterns of coprophagia.
Dogs Eat Poop | A Fascination with Feces
The first pattern of coprophagia is when a dog eats his own poop. This could be a puppy showing his interest in everything new–including poop. Or a dog cooped up indoors who has an “accident” and ingests it.
The second is when a dog eats other dogs poop instead of their own poop. This could be a housemate’s or just another random pooch who left a present on the dog walk trail. Why another dog’s poop would taste better is a mystery, but if this is a housemate, it might be worth looking into the why by ruling out some of the medical conditions we’ll discuss in a moment.
The third is when a dog doesn’t eat dog poop specifically, but does eat that of other animals like cat feces, birds, deer, or farm animals. Although extra gross to us, this may only be part of a natural scavenging behavior as we’ll talk about more.
Medical Causes of Coprophagia In Dogs
As mentioned, medical causes of coprophagia are thought to be less common than behavioral. But medical causes are important because they do need to be considered and ruled out first before delving into behavioral causes and solutions.
As distasteful as it may be, feces can still have some residual nutrients in it, if those nutrients weren’t digested properly. Thus, malabsorptive disorders, like inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatic insufficiency, could be a reason for a dog to seek out additional nutrients while scavenging outside. It could also be a reason for another dog to seek out a housemate’s stool to eat.
Intestinal parasites, like roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and giardia, can cause malabsorption too. This is why checking a stool sample for parasites is an important first step in working up a pup patient for coprophagia.
Any disorder that leads to appetite changes, like diabetes, Cushing’s disease, or hypothyroidism can lead to stool eating behavior. Stool-eating is not a specific sign for any medical disease, but they may be considered by your vet as underlying causes for coprophagia in conjunction with other signs and factors.
If your pup is on any medications that can increase appetite, steroids being the classic example, the hunger produced could lead to stool-eating. Even dogs categorized as “greedy” eaters without a known medical condition had a higher instance of eating feces in Dr. Hart’s study.
Lastly, diet can be related. If your dog’s food is of poor quality or has low digestibility, a nutrient deficiency could be to blame. And although they’re important when prescribed, some prescription diets that may be less palatable could lead a dog to scavenge elsewhere.
The latest theory suggested by the American Animal Hospital Association suggests that dogs might eat their own poop for the most counter-intuitive of reasons:
To keep from getting sick.
Working through these medical causes with your vet is the important first step to take. If a medical cause seems unlikely for your pup eating poo, a behavioral cause remains a likely possibility.
Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? Behavioral Triggers Dog Owners Should Be Aware Of
There have been several theories developed to explain behavioral reasons why dogs eat poop. The first is developmental. After her puppies are born, it is a normal instinctive behavior for the dam to ingest her puppies’ stools, to keep them and the surrounding area clean.
It is theorized that young dogs may in some way learn this behavior from their mothers.
Once they leave the nest and find a new home, it is actually common to see puppies eat feces. Although it is still gross, you shouldn’t be concerned about a long-term issue or medical problem–at least not at first.
As part of their development, puppies explore their environment to learn more about it. They do this by picking up things they find in their mouths. Dogs have a sense of smell many times that of our own. So, as you can imagine, in the mind of a puppy, something that looks appealing and smells funky is definitely worth picking up to see if it’s edible. Fortunately, with a little consistent training, most puppies work out of this behavior by about 9 months.
In Dr. Hart’s research, dogs were more likely to exhibit stool-eating behavior if they lived in multiple dog households. Coprophagia has also been documented more in male, and female dogs adopted from shelters, and puppy mill puppies. This suggests that population pressure and stress can be risk factors.
But while overcrowded conditions can be associated with why dogs eat feces, so can isolation. Dogs that are left in confinement for long periods of time and don’t receive enough stimulation during the day, may also be at higher risk for the behavior.
The next behavioral cause could unfortunately stem from our own faults and frustrations. When discussing training methods, I often dissuade folks from the instinct to stick their pup’s nose in the mess when they have accidents.
With poop accidents, this type of outdated training method has actually been linked to encouraging coprophagia.
Some even feel that the shame of having an accident in the house may lead a dog to “cover it up” by eating feces, which leads to further punishment and shame. This cycle needs to be broken utilizing more positive reinforcement methods, which we’ll discuss soon.
The last behavioral cause may be the simplest to explain and pertains only to dogs that eat other dog’s stools out on walks or that of other animals. Instinctively, dogs are scavengers and they have an excellent sense of smell. This is why they are also attracted to smells from our trash and the leavings of other animals.
This can be especially apparent when there is a cat in the household. Dogs can easily be attracted to the litter box and even be enticed to eat cat poop in some situations. It’s important that we’re able to diagnose the root cause of these behaviors in your little poop eater so we can solve the problem once and for all.
Dogs are constantly attracted to the smell of feces when they investigate their environment. This statement rings true whether you own a puppy, or an adult dog. Stools are not unpleasant to them in the same way that they are to people. Gross? To you and me, sure. But technically, not a behavioral problem.
6 Tips to Treat and Prevent Coprophagia In Dogs
So now that you know some of the “whys” and hopefully feel your pup might be a little less “weird”, let’s discuss some ways to address this display of distasteful dining.
1.) Talk With Your Vet
The first step to take when your pup exhibits coprophagia is to talk it over with your vet. As we discussed, medical disorders are less commonly associated with eating feces but need to be ruled out before discussing behavioral solutions. Your vet may wish to check a stool sample and/or run some lab work to initially rule out some underlying conditions.
2.) Stool Eating Deterrent Products
Taste aversion products, like Coprophagia Stool Eating Deterrent, essentially make a dog’s own feces taste bad to them, thus in theory dissuading them from eating it. Many contain yucca, garlic, or vegetable oil to confer a bad taste. I have seen this work, but only if a pup is eating either his own stool or that of another dog in the household.
3.) Improve Diet & Food Quality. Add Digestive Enzymes
Because one medical cause of eating poop could be poor digestion and your dog’s diet, consider a highly digestible diet with the protein source as a first ingredient to improve your dog’s stool health. There has also been some promise shown to B Vitamin supplementation as well as adding in digestive enzymes.
4.) More Consistent Exercise In Adult Dogs & Puppies
If coprophagia could be resulting from boredom or isolation, there are fortunately many options nowadays to discourage dogs from poop eating. If you work long hours and are unable to let your pup out during the day, consider making use of one of many dog walking and pet-sitting businesses out there. Getting some extra exercise and playtime might just be what your pooch needs. Also be sure to keep your best friend away from the litter box!
5.) Try This Trick On Walks
The best thing to do is to keep your dog supervised on walks. If you observe your pup attempting to eat poop consistently on walks, try the following training technique: After your dog has a bowel movement, immediately call him over to sit and get a treat. If you’re consistent, this behavior can replace the unpleasant one, using positive reinforcement.
6.) Positive & Negative Reinforcement
If your pup is eating poop from other dogs, or other animals, you may need to use a negative reinforcement technique combined with a positive one.
One technique dissuades unacceptable behavior and the other reinforces good behavior. To dissuade the stool-eating behavior, you can use a short tug on the leash or nose halter, and use a firm verbal command like “no” or “leave it”.
Alternatively, a citronella collar could also be used on a remote. When your pup gets close to a pile of poo and looks ready to dig in, trigger the remote and she’ll be sprayed with a harmless burst of citronella. But make sure, when she leaves the stool, to provide a treat reward.
Eventually, you can move away from the citronella collar and use just a verbal command and positive reward. And just to be clear, electronic shock collars are not considered to be appropriate training tools by many trainers and veterinarians.
Don’t Worry Dog Owner – You’re Not Alone!
Stool eating behavior is pretty gross, and I can certainly sympathize if your pup does it. But depending on the circumstances, just keep in mind that your dogs coprophagia doesn’t necessarily mean there is something really “wrong” with him. In fact, coprophagia may be a long-standing ancestral behavior dogs can exhibit.
Before you get severely grossed out and the bond with your pup is compromised, talk to your vet and give some of our tips a try.
Lastly, I would also challenge you to not just pick up your own pup’s leavings, but any other poop you may find while out on a stroll. Including frequent cleaning of the litter box if you also have a cat. This may sound extra gross, but picking up the poop and keeping the environment clean is the best tool against other stool eaters, as well as the spread of intestinal parasites.
If you want to stay up to date with your dog’s health, feel free to check out our full range of vet-formulated supplements.
For a full list of the top 7 best poop eating deterrents for dogs, << check out this article.
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