Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?

The great mystery that no one ever really wants to talk about – why do dogs eat poop? While we humans think this is an absolutely nasty habit, animals have no problem with it. As a matter of fact, a mother dog with her young pups will eat their poop to keep the area clean. Dogs will also eat poop if undigested food is in it – why leave it to waste? Still other reasons some dogs eat poop is because of behavioral issues, such as anxiety, or even out of boredom.

Parasites

There are a few health concerns if a dog eats poop, but bacteria isn’t one of them. However, they can ingest parasites, such as tapeworms, if they eat infected feces. It can also indicate a problem with the pancreas or a vitamin deficiency. When dealing with dog eating poop, it is best to start with a check up and blood work done with your vet. If you can first cross out health issues, you can then focus your efforts on teaching your dog that it is not something you want them to do.

Digestive Enzymes for Dogs

Many times, a dog doesn’t get or produce enough enzymes to completely digest their food, which is more common in older dogs. This leaves their bodies starving for nutrients, as well as basically passing the dog food straight through and out in their poop. Remember, dogs don’t chew like humans. Maybe one crunch on the hard kibble, but most of those are actually eaten whole. If their bodies cannot digest the food much further, the kibble just travels down the intestines and ends up in their poop. One of the top reasons why dogs eat their own poop is to try to get more nutrients.

An easy fix if you think this may be your dog’s problem is to add digestive enzymes for dogs to their dog food. This helps break down the dog food so your dog can process the food easier and get more nutrients out of it. Prozyme for dogs has a proven record for helping dogs with digestive enzyme issues. Just doing this may be all that is needed.

What Not To Do When Dogs Eat Poop

Yelling at or scolding your dog will do nothing to stop your dog from eating poop. If they are scolded for going to the bathroom in the house, they may eat poop to hide the evidence and keep from getting in more trouble. If it is a habit they picked up from watching their mother eat poop to keep their area clean, they may think that it is what you are supposed to do. Whatever the reason, positive reinforcement is the best way to handle the problem.

Stop Dog From Eating Poop

There are several things you can try to stop dog from eating poop. Try to keep poop picked up. If your dog goes near some poop, try to make it so you are more interesting and fun than the poop – no offense meant there, but food is a primal instinct, fun is not; so many times your dog will choose poop over you.

While you can pick up the feces to keep him from eating it, if he sees it he may still want to eat it, even weeks later. There are also dog supplements you can put in their food that makes the taste and smell of the poop unattractive to dogs, such as Only Natural Pet Stool Eating Deterrent Dog Supplement. But these only work if your dog eating their own poop, not another animal’s that is not also using this type of supplement. Using this for a while might be enough to condition your dog from eating poop.

So don’t get all bent out of shape wondering why does my dog eat poop. While disgusting to us, it really isn’t to them. Try to figure out what could be causing this behavior and take necessary steps to prevent it.