Help! My Dog is Eating Poop!

You always knew your dog was wolfish but you never image your dog would go so low to devour in his own feces or worst breakfast at feline litter box. Believe it or not, is not unusual. This behavior is called Coprophagia.

Once the dog gets started it can be difficult to make him stop. As a matter of fact, most dogs do it occasionally if no preventive measure is taken. However, it is not impossible to eliminate this behavior for good or even prevent it from happening. So don’t go all panicky just yet. I’ll explain why they have such a repulsive behavior, what danger it might lead and show you ways to suppress this appetite.

Why Do Dogs Eat Feces?

Seeking Nutrients Not Found in their Diet. Remember that dogs didn’t magically appear on the earth fully domesticated and ready to do our bidding. They’ve evolved from thousands of different breeds of wild dogs, many of whom were scavengers. Consuming the fecal matter of little woodland creatures was an excellent way to consume extra vitamins, so the behavior is sometimes hard-wired into dogs.

Out of Boredom. In the wild, wolves have “jobs”. The adults hunt for food and protect the youngs. The parent wolves establish the rules within their own family while the adults and adolescents help enforce the rules within the pack. When wolf pups are not sleeping they spend most of their time socializing with their siblings and other adults. Whereas domesticated dogs these days aren’t fortunate enough to earn a minimum wage.

It’s Delicious. As dumb as it sounds to us, dogs find feces to be quite a tasty treat because of the pungent smell.

Any Sign of Danger I Should be Concerned About?

While eating his own feces doesn’t usually cause any health problem, it sure does make your dog unpleasant to be around with. However eating feces from other dogs could pose potential hazard as stools might contain parasites or be the source of serious infection diseases; which eventually result in nutritional deficiencies or blood loss. Seek immediate veterinary attention if your dog seems to be tired or losing weight. And if your dog consumes large amounts of kitty litter it can result in intestinal obstructions.

11 Ways to Prevent your Dog from Eating Poop

1. Quality Premium Dog Food. Most reputable, pet food manufacturers use surplus nutrients from the human food chain in their products that are designed to have all the nutrients most young dogs need. So don’t compromise on giving inferior dog food to your pooch. Highly Recommend: Natural Balance, Wysong, Taste of the Wild.
2. Supplement his Diet. If your dog eats homemade cooked food on a daily basis, you could add multi-vitamin to his food to ensure he is not lacking certain vitamins or minerals in his diets. Read more about the importance of dog vitamins and supplements here and some of my recommendations.
3. Change Its Taste. You can buy product like Stool Eating Deterrent or 8in1 Excel Deter Coprophagia for Dogs (both are equally effective but the latter one is cheaper) to put into his food that makes the stool undesirable fare. Usually it takes a couple lessons for the dog to quit his repulsive behavior for good. If unsuccessful or repeated occurrence, increase the dosage. Eventually your dog will get the hint. This method is only workable if your dog eats his own stools. If you have more than one dog, you might have to add this on all your dogs’ meals.
4. Spice It Up. Add Tabasco or cayenne pepper to the stools. However do this with caution as it might backfire. Although dogs dislike fiery spices but if your dog couldn’t resist the temptation of eating feces, chances he might have serious tummy aches later on.
5. Clean Up After Him. The best and zeo-cost approach is to simply pick up his stools or others (your other cats and dogs) immediately after they have done before temptation strikes. Of course, it would be less hazardous if everyone dog owner picks up after their pets when walking them in public places.
6. Supervise Outdoor Activities. I know it sounds ridiculous to follow your dog everywhere he goes but least you could do is to be watchful while you walk your dog. Do not allow your dog to roam too far in the park or freely in the neighborhood. Keep the leash short when you stop to chat with friends on the streets.
7. Crate Training. It is without a doubt that using crate as a house training tool for young dogs is very effective, it is also important to allow your dog out often enough to do his business. By keeping him in the crate for too long, he might defecate within the confined area and end up “cleaning them” without you knowing it.
8. Routine. Dogs are creatures of habits. You have to set specific time for specific activities in order to keep any misfits from occurring to its minimum. Dogs defecate 1 to 3 times a day – when he wakes up in the morning, before and/or after a meal, and before bedtime.
9. Limit Treats. Cliché…“What goes in must come out”. The more you feed him food of no nutritional values, the more your dog has to defecate. This is where the vicious cycle begins. For all you know, you might reward your dog for the wrong behavior. Here’s an example, after consuming a hearty meal of two dung sausages without your knowledge, your dog came slugging by your side on the sofa for a nap. Seeing his cute and demure behavior, you offer him a bite of your sandwich. Yucky!
10. Be Productive. Dogs usually develop foul habits or behavioral problems when they have too much time on their hands paws. One of the best ways to keep them occupied is to teach your dog tricks, obedience lessons and/or incorporate fitness workout routine.
11. Stock Up Toy Inventory. While you are out or busy, make sure your dog has plenty of safe toys and chews to keep him busy. My favorite is using Kong ball and fill it with bread and peanut butter or cheese spread. This can be hours of fun for your dog. It is highly effective when you alternate the toys so that your dog won’t be bored with the same old stuff. Do not overuse food treats even they are nutritional otherwise we are back to point #9.

On a lighter note, most puppies usually outgrow this behavior but it will not disappear completely without your intervention.