Q: Why does my dog eat poo?
A: Coprophagia (the technical term for the consumption of faeces) is unpleasant but not uncommon behaviour among dogs. The good news is that eating faeces generally isn’t harmful to your dog but is, of course, pretty gross and gives your dog particularly heinous breath. There is also a risk of acquiring parasites if your dog eats faeces from other animals.
Nobody is entirely sure why dogs eat faeces, but there are a couple of possible theories. Firstly, it may simply be that some dogs enjoy it. Dogs interact with the world through their mouths, and it is possible that dogs like examining faeces with their mouths. Dogs also enjoy things that have strong smells, and faeces certainly fit the bill here.
Secondly, puppies are known to sometimes eat their own poo when they are young. This usually occurs during toilet training because they are still uncertain about where they are supposed to defecate and where they are not supposed to defecate. Afraid they may have done something wrong, they ‘hide the evidence’ by eating their faeces. This kind of ‘cleaning up’ behaviour can also happen with adult dogs inside the house.
Did you know?
Mother dogs will sometimes eat their puppies’ faeces. This is probably a residual wild instinct, as eating the faeces in the wild would help a dog to hide her puppies’ existence from predators.
Another common reason given for coprophagia is dietary deficiencies. For instance, eating the faeces of herbivores such as horses may provide vitamins that aren’t part of your dog’s regular diet. Similarly, cat food is high in protein, so cat litter may prove appealing. However, it is important to curb this behaviour immediately, as cat litter can be toxic to dogs.
The easiest way to deal with the issue is simply to pick up your dog’s faeces as soon as they are produced. If the habit concerns you or is new, it is worth chatting with your vet to see if they can offer any suggestions or identify any particular deficiencies in your dog’s diet.
