Dog poop eating is gross, but not necessarily detrimental to your dog’s health, and it can generally be stopped. Many dogs, particularly puppies, partake in a habit known as coprophagy – eating their own feces or the feces of other animals. Sometimes Coprophagia, can be an indication of more serious problems though, and you should have your pal checked out by a vet.Most common reasons dogs eat their own waste are:
* Problem: lack of nutrients in his diet - Dogs that have parasites or worms do not digest food properly, because the parasites consume many of the nutrients. Dogs may try to re-digest the food to get all of the nutrients they can from it.
Solution: Have your dog tested for worms.
* Problem: Stress - When dogs are in high stress situations they may behave differently. These differences include eating, which includes eating their own waste.
Solution: Did you just adopt your dog? If so, give him some time to adjust! Exercise is also a great way to reduce stress.
Here are some tips on how to stop a dog from eating feces:
*The living or wandering area of the dog should be properly maintained. Pet owners should train the dog to defecate in a designated area. A dog might be forced to eat his feces in order to keep his surroundings clean.
*Consult a veterinarian specializing in animal behavior about this complex problem, called coprophagia. Although veterinarians and animal behaviorists are unsure what causes the disorder, it can often be controlled with behavioral modification or drug therapy when it's properly diagnosed.
*Dogs should be fed in a timely manner. Twice a day of equal servings is ideal. This practice is advisable to prevent a dog from eating feces because of hunger.
*Buy a food additive - such as Deter or Forbid - or dry kibble that makes feces unappetizing to dogs, and add it to your dog's food if he's into eating his own. These products contain a chemical, monosodium glutamate, which is made bitter tasting during the digestive process.
*Teach basic obedience training. Say "off" if the dog is starting to taste his poop.
*Take your dog out on a leash. Jerk the leash when he heads toward feces, and reward him when he doesn't approach it. Use this method until your dog learns not to approach feces.
3 comments:
A great article on a most frustrating problem. However there are a few things I'd like to add:
First is that one of the biggest causes for coprophagia is boredom. One needs to physically and mentally stimulate the dog (that means a treadmill isn't enough, a dog needs to use his head). Exercising and playing with a dog before leaving him/her alone can alleviate the problem. Also leaving Kongs filled with goodies will keep a dog busy for a long time. Always have safe toys available for the dog's entertainment, but switch them up because the same toys over and over again can bore the dog.
Next is that dogs will sometimes eat their own feces because they are being given too much high quality food. For instance a dog can only utilize a certain % of protein anything extra is excreted, thus making their feces seem appetizing.
Besides Deter and Forbid, some have reported success using meat tenderizer or pineapple given to the dog will stop feces eating. Its not 100% gauranteed but its worth a shot.
Lastly there is no need to jerk a dog on a leash. That can only lead to damaged trachaes and a poor bond with your dog. Instead use dog friendly methods such as counterconditioning and targeting to avoid the feces all together. You can teach your dog targetting by having him/her touch your fist on cue and turning it into a game. When you notice that there might be some feces down the road, start the targetting game so that he ignore it.
not sure if this problem is breed-specific but i read somewhere that this is unique to pomeranians. one of my poms used to do it when she was a puppy. we just kept the surroundings clean and eventually she quit the habit
Small Dogs
Sometimes we don't know why a particular dog starts eating poop, but certain conditions can trigger the behavior. Since some of these indicate a dog who needs help, you'll want to consider them as possibilities for what is going on with your dog.
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