Eating faeces is called Coprophagia. There can be a medical reason for why your dog might eat its own faeces or that of another animal, such as bowel irritation or problems with pancreas function, but generally it is considered fairly normal.
Coprophagia is a pica (abnormal appetite, craving substances that are not suitable to eat) behaviour. This means the ingesting of non-food items such as dirt, rocks, curtain rings, plastics, papers etc. Some of the items dogs eat can cause bowel obstructions, but eating faeces is not one of them.
Why Does My Dog Eat Poo?
Some possibilities include:
- Attention seeking behaviour
- Learned behaviour
- To supplement nutrients in its diet
- Boredom
- Maternal behaviour
- Medical reasons
Is It Dangerous for My Dog to Eat Poo?
Provided there is no medical reason causing this behaviour, the main risks to your dog’s health would be the possibility of an unvaccinated dog contracting a virus such as parvovirus, or contracting worms by eating infected faeces.
How Can I Stop My Dog from Eating Poo?
It is wise to consult your veterinarian to rule out any medical conditions that may be causing the Coprophagia. If it is behavioural, there are a few things you can try at home.
- If your dog has started this behaviour recently, think about what may have changed in your home. Have there been any new additions to the family? Are you paying enough attention to your dog? Have you been working longer hours? Make the effort to walk and/or play with your dog everyday so the or she won't feel neglected.
- Make sure you are feeding your dog a premium diet.
- Prevent your dog from becoming bored by providing enrichment and toys to stimulate them mentally and physically. This is particularly important if you are very busy or are away from home for much of the time (eg: to go to work).
- Mothers often clean up the faeces of their pups. This may stop when the pups are older and/or have moved on to new homes, but in the meantime, clean up all faeces as soon as possible.
- This includes cleaning household litter trays and pooper scooping the backyard regularly so as to remove temptation.
- Add a deterrent to the food or pour something distasteful on the faeces such as sauce or dishwashing detergent to discourage the behaviour.
- When you notice your dog sniffing poo, use a command word or words, such as "leave" or “don’t eat”. Reward and/or praise your dog when he or she leaves the faeces.
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