My Dog Eats Poop What Can I Do?, don't worry the solution is contained in this post, read further to see effective Home Remedies For Dog That Eats Feces.
Nothing, tops the disgusting habits of dogs than Poop-eating, amongst other nauseating behaviors such as butt leaking, drinking water from the toilet and rolling in the swamp muck.
Poop eating is medically (scientifically) referred to as coprophagia (meaning the act of eating feces, which is relatively common in dogs). If your dog is a disgusting poop eater, please don’t give up already, I have taken my time to put together solutions or remedies to help you Stop Dogs Eating Their Own Feces Or Stool.
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Before we delve deeper! Let's get to know why Dogs Eat Poops.
Why Does My Dog Eats Poop?
Dogs enjoy feeding on all kinds of feces, they seem to have a special fondness for poop eating if not put to a stop, and one of the ways to end this is by knowing the causes. The very main reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop could be medical or behavioral. So if your dog is feeding on his feces, now is the moment to know why.
Behavioral Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
In most cases, your dog may start eating poop due to some behavioral reasons or some kind of environmental stress. Let's look at some behavioral reasons why dogs eat stool.
1. Younge Puppies: Most puppies during developmental stages eat their or human poop, especially as they begin to explore their surroundings, but this is a behavior that they outgrow with time and personal training.
2. Isolation: Keeping your dog in a lonely place can make him develop the habit of poop eating. In fact, recent research shows that dogs who are kept isolation are more likely to eat stool than those dogs who live close to their owners or people.
3. Poop Scent: Perceiving the Scent of poop on their mothers' breath can make puppies go crazy. Female dogs clean up their young pups, so they may start sniffing fecal odors on their mother’s breath after she had cleaned them. Another instance is a situation where sometimes the mothers regurgitate food that is mixed fecal matter. This triggers the puppy to develop an interest in poop eating.
4. Stress, Anxiety & Fear: Your dog may kick off some stress by eating his poop. If your dog is in great fear or anxiety, he may eat his own stool also. If you punish your dog for failing to potty at the right spot, the fear of being punished will trigger the dog to eat up the feces, this is one way he eliminates the evidence and avoids you from seeing it.
5. Apathy: Boredom can make your dog eat poop.
If your pet is home alone all through the day and having nothing to do, and there are stool or feces within his reach, he may just eat it up as a way of relieving himself from boredom.
6. Dogs are Natural Carrion-feeder (Scavengers)
Your dog is a natural scavenger who is attracted to the scent and also feed on the decayed or rotting left behind meals.
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Humans are repulsed by feces or poop but dogs are not and as scavengers, they just eat up the poop by chance of seeing any around them.
7. Dogs Seek Attention At Times. Dogs develop so much passion for their owners and one of the ways they seek your attention when they feel ignored is by you is to eat some poop, and of a truth, you must react when your pet feeds on a fecal snack.
8. Punishment: Punishing a dog each time he poops in the house may lead him to feel that poop is bad and the next time he poops he eats it so that you don't get to know about it.
Medical Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
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Most cases of dogs eating their own fecal matters are associated with some health problems and you might need the help of a veterinarian to help you rule such abnormalities out. Let me outline some canine health challenges that could let them eat or fall in love with poops.
1. Malabsorption Syndrome
This refers to the anomaly of food nutrients absorption across the Digestive system (Gastrointestinal tract (GIT). This abnormality can relate to multiple or single food nutrients.
So, if your dog is undergoing poor food / nutritional absorption or any other problem that may cause poor absorption of vital nutrients can lead to poop consumption.
The condition of those tasty undigested food nutrients may lead your pet to want to eat his feces and may also fall in love with cat’s poop. As Dog owner, you should be watchful to know what stool your dog is eating or delightful of, as this might be a sign of an illness or deficiency in your dog.
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2. Digestive Enzyme Deficiency
Digestive enzymes are a very vital component of a dog’s digestive functions, and without them, absorption of nutrients may be impaired and they are likely to defecate undigested nutrients.
Naturally, Dogs develop enzymes in their body, however, they are not enough to complete the process of food digestion effectively – so your dog may need to supplement some of these enzymes from his treats.
When deficiency in enzymes occurs, dogs will not only eat their poop as they feel it is nutritious but may start developing illnesses.
3. Intestinal Parasites.
Intestinal parasites could be another reason why your dog is eating his or her stool. The intestinal parasites absorb the nutrients meant to be delivered to your dog from the food he eats, making him crave for his poop.
4. (EPI) Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency
This condition results in a lack of digestive enzymes also termed pancreatic insufficiency, a medical situation where your dog is not generating or either creating a small number of digestive enzymes in the pancreas. This makes the dog starve without added enzymes, showing symptoms such as diarrhea, weight loss, and poop eating as he tries to get the needed nutrients.
5. Canine Health Conditions Causing Increased Appetite
Pathologies like thyroid issues and diabetes as well as steroids can increase a dog's hunger and appetite for his poop.
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6. Underfeeding
Underfeeding your best friend can make him develop an appetite to eat his poop. Always ensure that you are feeding your dog well with healthy foods at regular times. Have your canine feeding schedule, don't let your dog lose weight and if he does then increase his meals. A hungry dog can eat poop or eat anything to cool down his appetite.
7. Food Obsession & Hunger
So many dogs are just naturally obsessed with foods can eat poops or anything they see at any slightest opportunity and so it is to an uncontrollably hungry dog dying of starvation.
A dog going through starvation or malnutrition might eat anything it can find. Many dogs seem to enjoy the taste of poop (for instance, cat poop), sometimes these dogs who eat pop do so to complement what they lack in their diets.
What Are the Risks Associated With Dogs Eating Poop?
Bacteria and parasites from feces can be transmitted to humans and even other animals who come in close contact with the poop eater's mouth and saliva.
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Always ensure to wash your hands thoroughly, if you come in contact with your dog's saliva or mouth if you observe your dog eats stool. The eggs of intestinal parasites of other dogs or cat can be transmitted when your dog eats their poops and this can be risky to your dog as they carry harmful bacteria.
A dog eating poop has a bad effect of foul breath and this is smelly. This can be handled via Home dental care, but ensure to prevent your dog from eating stool.
How To Prevent Your Dog From Eating Poop?
Keep your environment and your dog’s living area clean.
If you want to stop your dog from eating feces, you must first and foremost, keep your dog’s living area and your environment clean. Ensure that you clean up your dog’s poop immediately. Don’t give him or her the chance to think of how fresh and sweet the poop he is gazing would taste. For owners of other pets living together with your dog clean up their drops right away too, cat’s litter box should be kept clean always and out of the reach of your dog.
Entertain Your Dog (Engage Your Dog Mentally & Physically).
You have to keep your dog mentally and physically engaged by making sure you give him some regular playtime like walks, fetch, agility and other brain-stimulating and engaging training. Also, engage him with toys to help keep him entertained and ease the pet from the feelings of loneliness which could lead to poop eating.
Regenerate Your Dog’s Digestive Enzymes (Feed your Dog With Variety Of Raw Diets)
Your pet should be well fed with a whole lot of varied diet of quality proteins. Raw Dog foods carry those digestive enzymes your dog needs to help him absorb his meals. If you’re feeding cooked food only, you’ll definitely want to add digestive enzymes. Raw, green tripe is particularly high in digestive enzymes, as well as probiotics.
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Use Enzyme supplements: Your dog needs digestive enzymes to help in the process of food absorption, one of the ways to stop your pet from eating feces is to add enzyme supplement to his diets.
Use Vitamin supplements: Study shows that your dog might be lacking Vitamin-B in his diets that is why he is eating his poop to compliment it. You can supplement Vitamin-B deficiency by adding it to your dog’s treats.
Use Taste-Aversion Products: You can spray some taste aversion products to your dog’s or cat feces, this will give a very disgusting taste and smells the stool. Some of the products contain pepper-plant derivatives, monosodium glutamate, chamomile, yucca, garlic, and parsley.
Apply Dogs Poop Eating Prevention Training And Environmental Management
Dog’s living environment must be very clean do not leave any poop drops for your dog to see.
Dog Walk Supervision: You have to supervise your dog during walks, pick up his poops after defecation.
Ensure Your Dog Understands your commands such as “come.”.Also teach your dog how to come to you for a food treat as soon as he has defecated, this will help him develop the habit of running away after pooping, instead of sitting back to enjoy the stool.
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