OMG its is the nastiest thing. You start playing with mans best friend then you get licked on the face. All of a sudden you smell it and remember that he continually gets into the cat box. ARGH...
I did some research to find out what and why he does this and I found that it is called Coprophagia. This is the 'proper' name for stool eating, and it is in fact a normal canine behavior. A momma dog keeps her nest/den clean by eating the feces of her young puppies. As they pups grow, they copy this behavior and try to 'help mom with the housework'! Poop eating seems perfectly normal to them.
Although, once weaned and out of the nest, many puppies tend to stop this practice, others continue the habit even when they've moved to their 'forever homes'.
Generally puppies will grow out of stool eating within a few weeks, but for some it can become a long-lasting pattern that leaves their owners scratching their head and sighing... "WHY does my dog eat poop?"
Generally speaking, coprophagia isn't dangerous, just unpleasant and 'icky'. This is especially true when your pup or dog just eats his own stool.
BUT, if little Fido seems intent on snacking on every random poop he finds, or thinks 'kitty crunchies' from the cat litter box are the best treats ever, then it can become hazardous to his health.
Many of the most dangerous and contagious dog illnesses are transmitted through feces. If your pooch ingests the poop of a sick dog, he could get very ill himself.
The same applies to cat poop, plus cat litter isn't a great thing to be swallowing at the best of times! It can 'clump' together and cause an intestinal blockage, or at the very least make your puppy vomit.
Parasites such as worms can also be transmitted through the ingestion of feces, that is not something you want for your puppy.
If the question 'why does my dog eat poop?' is often in your mind, there are a few things you can do to discourage/prevent your pup from taking part in his very own 'poop fest'. Try these options:
- Take a look at the dog food you use
Be sure that you're feeding your pooch a high quality, nutritious diet. A good dog food is highly digestible and results in fewer stools, and those stools are definitely less attractive as potential snacks because they're not full of the undigested fillers and junk that cheaper, lower quality foods contain. - Don't overfeed
Watch that you don't give your pup too much food. Overfeeding can result in undigested dog food in his feces, which makes them smell and taste really good to Fido! - Pick up the poop
Scoop the poop from your yard promptly. Don't just leave it there and wait for the weekend (or whenever), to clean up. Do it on at least a daily basis. - Use a leash
Keep your pup on a leash when you take him out. If he's a dedicated stool eater use the leash even if he's just going 'potty' in the back yard. If he tries to nibble on his stool, tell him "NO" firmly and 'pop' or tug his leash as a correction. Redirect his interest right away with a treat or a game. - Try the hot stuff!
You can try pouring hot sauce (or something similar) onto the stool piles. It will make them a lot less appetizing to your puppy. Of course, if you're going to take the time and trouble to do this, it's just as easy to pick them up. - Or try tenderizer
Some people find that a bit of meat tenderizer sprinkled on their dogs' food can make the stools less palateable. - Coprophagia deterrents/preventatives
To eliminate the stool eating, there are a few simple but effective products available that can be added to your dogs food. Once the food containing these products has passed through Fidos' digestive system, the resulting feces are very unappealing!
