Why do dogs eat poop? It’s a pretty disgusting behavior, especially when your dog then wants to give you kisses or breathe in your face. To help dog parents understand and address poop eating, integrative veterinarian Dr. Julie Buzby explains the reasons dogs eat poop and 11 things you can do to discourage (or stop) this behavior.
Does a steaming pile of poop count as a delicacy to your dog? Is your “poop radar” constantly on during walks and outings with your dog? If so, you aren’t alone. One survey of over 1,500 dog owners indicated that 23% have seen their dog eat dog poop at least once, and 16% have dogs who have eaten dog poop more than six times.
Why do dogs eat poop?
Generally, dogs eat poop, a behavior called coprophagia, either because it is a normal dog behavior in that situation or because of a medical or behavioral problem. Dogs of all ages can engage in poop eating, though it is more often seen in puppies than adults.
First, let’s start by looking at times when it is normal for a dog to eat poop.
When is eating poop normal for dogs?
Poop eating can be a normal behavior for mother dogs and her puppies. Additionally, it is possible that some dogs consume feces as a holdover from normal wolf behavior or as part of scavenging behavior.
Mother dogs caring for their puppies
When female dogs have puppies, their instinct is to lick their babies’ hind ends and clean up the feces in the whelping box. Not only does this help keep the puppies and their area clean, but the licking also stimulates urination and defecation. This is important because young puppies can’t initiate elimination behaviors on their own until they are a little older.
Puppies copying their mom
Coprophagia also has the potential to become a learned behavior in puppies. They copy what they see their mom doing, which in this case is eating poop.
Establishing gut flora in puppies
Additionally, some veterinary scientists feel that coprophagia helps establish normal bacterial populations in a puppy’s digestive tract. Since puppies are not born with bacteria in their GI tracts, consuming poop may contribute to creating a healthy gut microbiome.
Many puppies outgrow this behavior as they get older. But for others, it can be a hard habit to break. It can also escalate to the consumption of feces from other species, which can be even more of a problem.
Protective mechanism inherited from wolves
A study in Veterinary Medicine and Science on canine coprophagia proposed that poop-eating behavior could have been passed down from wolves. The theory is that eating fresh feces deposited in the resting area before parasite eggs have time to mature to an infective state may decrease the risk of transmission of parasites to other members of the wolf pack.
Thus, in the same way, dogs may feel the drive to eat poop in their environment as a protective measure.
Scavenging behavior
Especially if the dog is eating rabbit poop, chicken poop, cat poop, horse poop, or poop from other animals, he or she may be doing so because it smells and tastes good to him or her. For dogs who like to (or need to) scavenge for scraps of food to eat, poop becomes essentially another “tasty scrap.”
Which medical or behavioral problems may cause dogs to eat poop?
Adult dogs and senior dogs who suddenly start eating poop may also have some kind of underlying behavioral problem or medical issue. Abnormal reasons for a dog to suddenly start eating poop include:
Poor diet
Dogs may eat poop if they aren’t consuming the right nutrients in their food. Commercial diets are usually complete and balanced. But dogs on homemade diets may have nutritional deficiencies if a boarded veterinary nutritionist doesn’t properly balance the diets.
Poor nutrient absorption
Medical problems such as chronic diarrhea, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD in dogs), and exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI in dogs) can interfere with the proper absorption of nutrients. Because of the resulting malnutrition, dogs may engage in coprophagia to try to get the nutrition they need.
Polyphagia (ravenous appetite)
Conditions like Cushing’s disease in dogs, diabetes in dogs, and intestinal parasites may cause dogs to become ravenously hungry. If there is no food available, polyphagic dogs may resort to eating poop.
Pica (eating non-food items)
Anemia in dogs and liver disease in dogs may cause pica. This is the tendency to eat inedible items like rocks, plastic, clothing, dirt, and, of course, poop.
Cognitive dysfunction
Senior dogs who develop canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) may start having accidents in the house because they forget how to go outside to eliminate. In some cases, dogs with CCD will also try to eat their own feces to avoid upsetting their pet parents.
Arthritis
Poop eating may also occur with osteoarthritis in dogs. If poor mobility makes it hard to get up and go outside, dogs may have poop accidents inside. And then some will attempt to eat the evidence.
Attention-seeking behavior
If eating poop gets attention from dog parents (even if it is a negative reaction), dogs may continue to do it. For example, a puppy may think it is fun to get chased around after grabbing a piece of poop.
Boredom, stress, or anxiety
Dogs who are bored and looking for something to entertain themselves may eat poop. So might dogs with separation anxiety, noise anxiety, or who find themselves in other situations that evoke fear, stress, or anxiety.
Can dogs get sick from eating poop?
Not only is eating poop gross, but it can occasionally also present a risk to your dog’s health.
Fecal material contains multiple bacterial species, some of which are capable of making pets (and people) sick. Examples of harmful bacteria that might be found in a dog’s poop include E. coli and Salmonella. Additionally, highly contagious viruses like canine parvovirus can be shed in stool and infect other dogs who eat the virus-laden poop.
Dog feces can also contain eggs from intestinal parasites. If the poop has been sitting long enough for the eggs to become infectious before the dog consumes it, the poop eater may get more than he or she bargained for—a belly full of worms.
Certain medications can be excreted through feces and be harmful to the dog who eats that poop. For example, chemotherapeutic agents can remain in a dog’s feces for 48 to 72 hours. Ingesting chemotherapy-containing feces could cause immunosuppression and illness in otherwise healthy animals.
There are also documented cases where thyroid medication and chewable tablets (that weren’t chewed and therefore not digested properly) have appeared intact in stool. This poses a potential danger to any other dog who eats that poop.
Can humans get sick if their dog eats poop?
It is also possible that your dog could spread harmful bacteria or parasites to you that he or she picked up by eating poop. If your dog is prone to eating poop, don’t let him or her lick you. Wash your hands thoroughly after touching your dog’s chew toys, food, and water dishes. It is also a good idea to periodically clean his or her toys and bowls.
When does a dog need to see the vet for eating poop?
Dogs who suddenly start showing poop eating behavior would benefit from a trip to the vet, especially if you are also noticing some of the following signs:
- Being a lethargic dog
- Weight loss
- Poor haircoat
- Changes in appetite such as your senior dog being hungry all the time
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- Signs of anxiety (panting, pacing, hiding, destructive behavior, excessive drooling in dogs, etc.)
- Eating other abnormal items
- Increased thirst in dogs
- Increased urination
- Signs of dementia in dogs (confusion, sleep-wake disturbances, increased vocalization, personality changes, etc.)
- Pot-bellied dog appearance
The vet will take a careful history and examine your dog from head to tail for any abnormalities. Then he or she will likely recommend a fecal test for dogs, blood tests for dogs, and urine tests. These diagnostics are a helpful way to screen for some of the medical conditions that cause dogs to eat their poop.
Routine poop eaters should see the vet, too
Additionally, even if your dog has been a poop eater for a while, it is a good idea to discuss the behavior with your vet at the next wellness appointment (or sooner). As mentioned, poop eating does carry the risk of exposure to parasites, harmful bacteria or viruses, and medication. Thus, partnering with your vet to stop it would be ideal medically (not to mention ideal for your bond with your dog).
Plus, especially if your dog eats the poop of other animals, it will be particularly important to visit the vet for periodic fecal exams to screen for parasites.
How do you stop a dog from eating poop? 11 tips
Because there are so many different causes for coprophagia, it can be difficult to find one simple solution for every dog. It may take some trial and error and a combination of approaches to find something that works for your dog. Some tips for decreasing poop eating include:
1. Partner with your vet
When you run into an issue with your dog, it is often a good idea to keep your vet in the loop. He or she can prescribe medications or treatments or make recommendations that may help resolve the issue.
If the basis of the behavior is a medical condition, working with the vet to address the problem may indirectly decrease your dog’s poop consumption. Treatments may involve starting insulin for diabetic dogs, using medication to reduce cortisol levels for Cushingoid dogs, administering a broad-spectrum dewormer, etc.
Additionally, if a dog is ingesting fecal matter due to severe anxiety, your vet may be able to prescribe anxiety medication like trazodone for dogs or fluoxetine for dogs. Or he or she may suggest some calming supplements, behavior modification techniques, or other approaches.
2. Teach your dog to leave fecal material alone
Some puppies or dogs who eat feces can be trained to stop doing it. Pet parents should use positive reinforcement such as praise when the dog is near fecal matter and doesn’t eat it. Plus, you could try calling your dog back to you to get a treat as soon as he or she has defecated. This teaches your dog to leave the poop alone and come back to you instead.
During training, pet parents can also teach commands like “leave it.” This is especially helpful if you aren’t physically close enough to keep your dog from eating the poop or your dog notices poop on a walk. A high value reward (like a dog treat) can be offered to help reinforce the good behavior.
3. Don’t punish your dog for eating poop
Avoid punishing your dog if he or she tries to eat poop. While it is understandably something you don’t want your dog doing, punishment tends to make the dog more anxious or create anxiety. This in turn may make the dog more likely to engage in coprophagia.
4. Watch your dog like a hawk and swoop down to pick up poop immediately
By supervising your dog’s bathroom activities closely, you give yourself the chance to quickly dispose of the stool, so he or she won’t have the opportunity to eat it. Try to keep track of what time your dog eats every day. This will help you to predict when your dog might defecate so that you can be ready!
5. Decrease access to fecal matter from other animals
Keeping your dog on a short leash can prevent him or her from straying toward fecal matter when out and about.
Plus, if you have cats, make sure to scoop the litter box daily and keep your dog gated away from it. If it works for you and your cat, you could also consider using a robot litter box that cleans up right after your cat has done his or her business.
6. Use a deterrent to make the poop less “tasty”
You can also feed some sort of dog-safe deterrent to the pet whose feces are being eaten. This might be the dog who is doing the poop eating (if he or she eats his or her own poop), his or her housemates, or both. These products will change the flavor of poop, making it less desirable to the poop eater.
Commercially-available deterrent products
There are numerous commercially available products, but reported efficacy is variable. You may have to try a few products to see if any of them will do the trick.
Foods that might cut down on poop eating
Feeding canned pumpkin for dogs (only plain pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling), canned spinach, and fresh or canned pineapple can also change the flavor of stool.
Pineapple tends to be the most effective food, and fresh pineapple might be better than canned because it contains higher amounts of bromelain. Many pet parents start with a couple of teaspoons once a day, or 1-2 chunks of pineapple (cored, peeled, and cut into small pieces).
If you use canned pineapple, stick to products in 100% pineapple juice with no added sugar. Sugary syrup might cause GI upset, and canned pineapple in sugar-free syrups could be dangerous due to the risk of xylitol toxicity in dogs.
7. Increase the dog’s fiber intake
Many commercial diets and some prescription diets are available that can increase a dog’s fiber intake, making them feel too full to eat feces. If possible, it can also help to place all dogs in the home on the same high fiber diet. This can improve digestion and change the taste of fecal matter.
8. Try a probiotic
Probiotics for dogs can be a good way to improve digestion and gut health in dogs. This, in turn, may make the dog less interested in eating poop.
9. Help your dog eat more slowly
If a dog eats too quickly, food tends to be poorly digested and may come out partially or fully intact in stool. Some dogs find this a tempting treat. By using slow-release food toys, irregularly shaped bowls, and/or putting chew toys in food dishes, dogs are more likely to eat slowly and chew their food better. This leads to better digestion and hopefully less poop eating.
As an added bonus, slowing your dog down when eating can help him or her feel fuller. And working to get to the food offers an opportunity for mental stimulation.
10. Provide mental stimulation or physical exercise
Increasing exercise and activity can keep your pup engaged, making them less likely to eat poop due to boredom. Mental stimulation toys and games for dogs can be a great way to tire your dog’s brain out. And taking a sniffing walk provides the dual purpose of physical and mental exercise. (Try not to let your dog eat poop on the walk, though.)
11. Use a basket muzzle
If all else fails, consider purchasing a basket muzzle that your canine companion can wear when he or she goes outside. It allows your dog to pant and to drink water, but it helps prevent him or her from picking up feces and other undesirable items. Keep in mind that the muzzles can get messy from being pushed into poop, so make sure the muzzle is easy to clean!
Work with your vet
Especially if you are seeing new symptoms or your dog just started eating poop, it is a good idea to schedule a veterinary visit. The vet can ensure your dog doesn’t have medical issues that are contributing to the behavior. And he or she can work with you to try to curb the behavior.
It can definitely be frustrating to have a dog who is eating poop. Hopefully, something your vet suggests or one of the tips above will be the solution you have been seeking.
Does your dog like to eat poop? If so, what has worked to decrease or stop the behavior?
Please comment below.
