Is Your Dog Eating Feces?

Training Your Pet to Stop Eating His Own Poop

Feb 13, 2008 S. Elliott

Some dogs develop the habit of eating their own stool. As unwanted doggie behavior, this is right up toward the top of the list .

If you have observed your dog eating his own stool you may have been disgusted, but this practice, known as coprophagia, is common among dogs.

No one is sure why dogs eat feces, although there is speculation that it may be related to the dog' s wolf ancestry. Because it's so important to obtain nutrients and vitamins in the wild, coprophagia may be a measure to make the best possible use of any nutritional sources.

If you want your dog to stop eating poop, there are some things you can do:

Alter his Diet

Make sure that your dog is getting enough to eat each day. If he's in a household with other dogs, monitor his food intake to make sure that he's getting his share, and if he is a solitary animal in the household, review his food by checking the containers for recommended servings.

There is a small chance that a digestive problem is causing your dog to eat feces, so it is a good idea to make a visit to your veterinarian to find out for sure. Have him evaluate your dog's weight and nutritional needs and make recommendations about his diet.

Create Diversions for Your Dog

Have things placed around your home that are of interest to your dog. Treats and new toys placed in unexpected locations create a diversion and help renew your dog's interest in his environment. Be careful to take him outside often during the day, and provide walks and interactions with other dogs when possible. Increasing sources of stimulation will make eating feces less tempting to your dog if this is a habit he's developed out of boredom.

Aversion Strategies

A useful method of getting your dog to stop eating feces is to make the practice unappealing to him. Adding small quantities of monosodium glutamate to his food will give his feces an unpleasant taste, and sprinkling Tabasco sauce on his feces will also make them unappetizing.

Once medical reasons have been ruled out, aversion therapies and providing other sources of interest usually works to curb feces eating.

It can be a shock to realize that your dog has developed the habit of eating feces. The practice, although unsavory, is not dangerous to your dog in most circumstances, and is not that uncommon. Dogs have strong digestive systems and seldom experience stomach upsets as a result of this practice. Often, changing your dog's environment to provide more entertaining occupations can curb the behavior, and if the problem persists, making his feces less appetizing by using aversion strategies will probably do the trick.

The copyright of the article Is Your Dog Eating Feces? in Dogs is owned by S. Elliott. Permission to republish Is Your Dog Eating Feces? in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

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