Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
If you own, or have ever owned a dog in the past, you have probably seen and wonder why dogs eat poop. It is a highly unattractive, unsafe and disgusting habit. However, you should be aware that this habit is not rare. In fact, there are many owners out there who have stressed over this issue as well. This habit is known as coprophagia, and this can be a sign that your dog has deep anxiety or nutritional issues.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
Dogs will eat poop for several reasons. The first and simplest explanation is that they are hungry, or may be their way of trying to clean up their space. If you make your dog live in a dirty pen, or if you are not feeding well, then they will try to work on these issues themselves, through eating their own excrement.
Aside from those two possible reasons, there are also health issues that may be related to poop eating. They could feel that they are not getting enough nutrients because of parasites or worms that live off the food from their bodies. It is possible that they are not getting their daily nutritional requirements everyday.
There are some dogs that simply eat poop because of an anxious habit, or maybe have seen you pick it up and mimic your behavior. It could also be copying from other dogs who d the same.
The most important thing to remember is whatever the reason for your dogs eating poop, the problem can be easily solved.
How to Change this Behaviour
If your dog always and seems to like to eat poop, the first thing you should do is check for any health problems. You should do this most especially if the problem just recently started. Dogs that eat poop regularly have worms and other parasites. You should see your veterinarian to find out why this is happening and so you can treat any health problems immediately.
If your veterinarian assures you that your dog has no health problems that have lead directly to the issue, but your dog continuously does it, then you should find out what causes the problem and make them avoid it at all means.
One of the things that you should ensure is to clear your yard of any poop. You should remove the poop everyday, or as soon as your dog has finished doing his deed. If you have a clean environment, they will have no choice but to stop this problem and eventually end the behavior.
Adjusting the Behaviour
There are other measures that will make them stop eating poop. It may seem strange that for your dog, bitter apple and cayenne pepper is worse than poop, but for your dog, yes they are. Another method would be to feed your dog a spoon of pumpking puree everyday. This will make the poop less appealing for them. When you catch them on time, you can also spray them with water or give them a sharp “No”, like regular training when they start to eat poop.
In the end, removing the cause of the problem would be the key to solve your dog’s coprophagia issues. If you allow them to play outside then you would want advanced steps. You should watch them carefully, and for your sake, avoid any licks on the face.
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