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Why Does My Dog Like Eating Poop?

  • 02/03/2020

One of the challenges of being a pet lover is dealing with poop. What if your dog eats poop? How will you deal with it? In this article, we will find out the answer to your question.

Dog eats poops for various reasons.

Anxiety

Some theories stated that anxiety is among the reason why dogs eat poop. If a dog owner punishes his or her pet with harsh methods, dogs tend to eat poop to remove the evidence. Their anxiety is a factor that triggers them to eat their poop.

Feelings of isolation

It is believed that dogs who feel alone are likely to eat poop. Feelings of isolation can make your dog have weird behavior like eating inedible items. With that, you must make your pet feel loved. Don’t let them feel isolated.

Seeking attention

You must not panic when your beloved pet is eating poop. Thus, it can be a way for them to get your attention. So, you must shower them with your love and attention.

Restrictive confinement

If a dog spent more time in a confined space, the dog could feel lonely. It is also among the reasons why they eat poop.

Conditions which may increase appetite

Some illnesses, like thyroid problems and diabetes, can boost the appetite of your dog. It can lead your dog to eat more stool. Don’t let your dogs feel hungry to prevent them from eating poops. Always feed them with the best diet to keep them healthy, happy, and active.

Underfeeding

If you don’t feed your pet with enough food regularly, they may lose weight. With this, your dog will be hungry and find another source of food that you don’t like.

Boredom

If you’re busy and you leave your dog alone at home, they will feel bored. This makes them find something to do. If they reach a poop, there is a high tendency that they will eat it. Therefore, you must provide them with fun and entertainment to keep them healthy and happy.  

Lack of nutrients

If the diet of your dog lacks nutrients, they can have worms or parasites that make it difficult to digest food. Thus, the parasites end up consuming the nutrients. With this, they can re-digest the food to get the essential nutrients.

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency is a genetic condition that was experienced by puppies. This condition is characterized by diarrhea, weight loss, as well as stool eating.

Malabsorption

Poor nutrient absorption is one of the reasons why your pet eats poop. He tries to eat his own stool to get the undigested nutrients. There are also some instances that he can find the stool of cat more delightful. You must check the stool eating habit of your pet since it may be a sign of illness or deficiency.

Stress

Dogs are like humans too. They might be stressed, which enables them to do things that they shouldn’t. They eat poop to relieve their stress.

Curiosity

Some dogs eat poop because of their curiosity. They want to try something new, like eating another animal’s poop. They can also be attracted to the strong scent of the excrement. They can sense the food that they have ingested previously.

Mother dogs clean their babies

A mother dog may lick the litter of their babies to clean and nurture them. They will ingest the poop of their babies as they adjust to their environment.

Fear

If your dog gest punished, they became fearful. With that, they do something that can comfort themselves. One of these things is eating poop. So, shower them with care and love to prevent them from being fearful.

How to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Poop?

Are you worried about your dog eating poop? Worry no more because there are alternative ways to stop their habit.

Stay clean

Practice cleanliness. Keep things simple and clean. You can clean up poop to prevent your pets from eating it. If you want to stop their eating poop behavior, the best thing to do is to clean up every poop that you can see in your place.

Feed them with enough nutrients  

Nutritional deficiency is among the top reasons why your pet eats their poop. With this, you must feed them with the best diet. Give them nourishing and healthy foods. They need some proteins and raw foods to improve their digestion.

Provide them with active play

Another effective way to stop the poop-eating habit of your beloved pet is to give them with active play. Make sure to keep their brain active and healthy. If you provide them with a play routine, it helps with their mental stimulation and exercise. You can give them safe toys for fun and entertaining play. Another recommended method would be to take your dog for a walk. It is therapeutic as it helps to soothe their emotions as well as improving their general health. Additionally, it is also your chance to bond and play with them.

Check parasites

If your pet finds it hard to absorb nutrients, you can check for parasites. With that, you can improve their digestion and stop eating inedible foods like poop.

Reduce punishment

Punishing your pet can make them feel stressed. You must not punish them when they poop because it can be a reason to eat their own waste. You must take note that your dog can be attracted to another dog or cat’s stool. It is one of their natural behavior. So, you must avoid punishments for your dog.

Add supplements if necessary

There’s a possibility that your cute dog can have a mineral deficiency. With that, you can add supplements to keep them healthy and happy.

There are various factors why your dog may eat poop. You must find the reason behind the behavior of your pet. By following the above tips, you can stop them from eating poop. It is essential to keep them happy and healthy. However, the above tips are non-exhaustive. There are many more factors and reasons why dogs behave a certain way. WellPet provides a good resource for you to understand the behaviors of your dogs. Do check out their Facebook page for the latest updates on dogs as well.

Your pet deserves love and cares to keep them active. Eating poop can be a cause of a specific condition. So, it is recommended to consult the advice of your veterinarian. Give your dog an active lifestyle!  

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