Dog eating their poop is every dog owner’s nightmare.
You just get surprised that your puppy at less than 9 weeks starts eating poop and throwing up all of a sudden.
The habit of eating poop, which is termed coprophagia is common in many dogs, young and old.
Dogs don’t only eat their feces, they can also eat cat’s litters and poops of other animals.
While the fact that it is common should give some peace of mind, it does not mean that this habit should be entertained.
Before looking into the remedies to resolving this habit, let us first find out the reason behind this.
Why is your dog eating poop?
Could this be in their Bloodline?
In the ancient days where dogs used to live in the wild, they had the threat of wolves.
So the female dogs had the habit of cleaning up after its pup’s poop to avoid the scent.
This was done to prevent any possible threat from the predator.
Sometimes this behavior will be learned by the pup and it will be passed on in the bloodline.
But this behavior will be outgrown once the pup reaches a certain age.
Poor management of the Dog
If your dog is eating near her poop, there’s a tendency the pet is going to try tasting the feces someday since it looks like her food.
The dog may now continue this behavior if not cautioned.
Similar to this is the reason why dogs eat poop in the winter (usually referred to as poopsicles).
This is because the poops would be frozen and look like pebbles or nuggets.
Could it be Health Issues?
Dog’s poop-eating habit has been traced to a lack of nutrients in their diets and some diseases.
Not only dogs are eating poop but some other canines are fond of this habit.
This could be Nutrient Deficiency in Food
If your dog is eating the poop neglected by other animals, then it means that your dog is looking for a taste.
Since the protein intake of other animals might be different, their excreted matter will contain some undigested products. This will attract your dog.
If your dog is not fed well and he usually gets hungry, he may decide to find alternatives and eat anything just to quench the hunger.
It could also be as a result of disease
There are also chances where the dog is affected by some diseases such as diabetes which will urge them to eat poop.
Enzyme deficiency or gastrointestinal diseases which the dog may want to find solutions to on their own by consuming poops around.
Could this mean a pledge of Loyalty?
At times, dogs eat poop to gain the owner’s attention.
There are also chances where your dog is eating poop simply because it has nothing else to do.
When dogs are bored, they tend to eat poop.
Symptoms to look for in Poop eaters
The common symptoms or results of dogs eating poops are the following
- Diarrhea
- Extreme fatigue
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Loss of appetite
- Too much sleep
- Weight loss
- Intestinal worms and parasites.
A serious case here is when you’ve both dogs and cats as pets.
When dogs eat corn-based cat litters, arm, and hammer cat litters, and others, you should get worried and call the vet’s attention.
This may result in swelling, blockage of the dog’s intestinal tract, especially walnut cat litters which may likely block the puppy’s throat and result in surgery or even death.
You need to help dog pass cat litters when found by giving them training and treat when they obey your instructions.
Dog eating cats’ litters can be very harmful because oocytes, a developing Toxoplasma Gondi parasite may be passed out in the litter and this is usually the cause of toxoplasmosis in dogs.
Overgrowth of bacteria such as Escherichia coli or Clostridium can also occur in dogs as a result of eating Cat’s feces and this will cause other intestinal problems.
How to stop Dog from eating Poop
When Dogs are eating their poops
There are home remedies to stop this habit.
Let’s start with things you can put in the dog foods to stop eating poop.
- You can change the contents of the dog’s food by adding some ingredients which your dog does not like or changing the whole diet.
- Adding additives such as pineapple or pineapple juice to their diet would make their poop taste bad and they would not like eating it.
- You can as well feed your dog with canned pineapple and other canned food products for poop eaters.
- Monosodium glutamate (MSG) can also be added for the same result or feeding your dog with can frozen foods during winter when they eat frozen poops.
- Usually, food items such as spinach, pumpkin, or canned pumpkin of about 3 or 4 tablespoons can also be added to the dog’s food.
- You can also add a meat tenderizer ( which is an MSG product) to the dog’s food so the poop can taste bad to them.
- If your puppy is eating poop in their crate, you may add hot sauce to the poop.
- You can as well call your veterinary doctor for solutions since they’re small and you should be careful of what you add to their diets.
Generally, improving their diets by adding rich nutrients would make dogs feel reluctant in eating their poops or feces of other animals.
What to do When Dogs are eating other animals’ poops
Let’s say your dog is eating cat’s poop from the litter box or outside in your garden, try to make sure you clean these waste promptly and regularly.
You can also train your dog to pass other pet’s poops.
This can be done in a dog’s obedience training school or training them with commands and offering treats to motivate them and desist from this behavior.
There are certain substances and flavors which are disguising to dogs.
Right from the basic ingredients like garlic and pepper, many other ingredients are disliked by dogs.
You can also sprinkle lemon juice, bitter apple, or hot sauce to the pool so the dogs will dislike it whenever they see poop around the house.
Once your dog poops, try dropping these ingredients on the poop and it will make the dogs averse to the poop.
You can also include a bit of vegetable oil to the pet’s food. This will loosen the stool which will be displeasing to the dog.
Sometimes dogs crunch on poop because they have a vitamin deficiency.
If this is the case, then including vitamin supplements in the dog’s food will help in getting rid of the habit.
To ensure this is the cause, check with a vet before giving the supplements.
If you are feeding your dog branded pet food, then chances are that your dog will be lacking healthy fats and proteins.
This is because most of the branded foods are loaded with carbs and only have a minimal percentage of meat.
So including dietary supplements for balancing the diet, will help in curbing the issue.
It is ideal to check with a vet if your dog has an enzyme deficiency.
Try changing your dog’s diet
When the same diet is taken every day, your dog might get bored after a while.
If you are feeding branded food, try alternating between the other brands available in the market.
At times, feeding your dog raw food will help. This will make the dog’s poop tasteless which will eliminate the habit.
In case your dog is eating poop due to other reasons, then it is better to consult a vet.
You can also try using commands to drop the poop or to stop eating it.
Would you Like to Clean your dog’s mouth?
It’s embarrassing having your lovely dog pet eating poop but relax, you’ve got the solution at your fingertips now.
If your dog eats poop and you don’t know how to clean her mouth, there are ways out.
You need to get a dog’s toothpaste and a toothbrush or finger brush to clean her mouth.
If you don’t have toothpaste, don’t attempt to use human toothpaste for your pet.
You can rather use a mix of coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, or aloe Vera juice.
You can as well make baking soda paste with some water.
Open the upper lip of the dog gently, brush from the side and rub the teeth side to side.
If you’ve introduced this daily brushing care to your dog early, it shouldn’t be a problem since the dog must have been used to it.
If you want to clean the dog’s teeth without brushing the mouth, possibly the dog won’t allow that.
You can clean the dog’s teeth naturally by given him raw bones or chew toys.
The dog will rub the bones on his teeth and the remnant of the shits would be removed.
You can now be happy with your love again!
