14 Apr How to Prevent Eating Poop in Dogs

Some upsetting and disgusting dogs’ habits are like rolling in muddy puddles, eating poop, and when dogs lick their anus. Eating poop is very common in dogs for a variety of reasons. This poop eating has led such dogs owners to seek to sell or hand over their dogs. It has even been seen in cases where they choose euthanasia (painless death) for their dog. There are many physiological and behavioural reasons for eating poop, scientifically known as coprophagia. If your dog also eats faeces, don’t despair. We will introduce you to how you can end this habit in your dog.

Eating poop in dog’s causes.

The research results show that dogs do this instinctively. It’s normal for a dog to eat his faeces. This behaviour has evolved in dogs to survive in critical and starvation conditions. When a dog is malnourished, it has no choice. Coprophagia is a type of puppy exploration of the world around him. Like human babies, they like to put everything in their mouths.

• Frequency and type of food:

Your dog should have access to enough food. Don’t overfeed him; Instead, divide his food into several meals and feed him at different times. Instead of feeding on homemade food, give your dog high-quality food to avoid nutritional deficiencies.

• Small environment:

When you tie your dog somewhere or put him in a box or small yard, it will cause his mental problems. So your dog may eat poop to clean his living space.

• Parasitic infection:

Diabetes, digestive problems, worms, or other parasites in the body causes malnutrition in the dog, and this hunger leads him to eat poop. Tell your veterinarian if you notice symptoms such as vomiting, diarrhoea, excessive thirst, numbness and weight loss.

• Faeces taste and smell:

Your dog may like his own faeces taste and those of other dogs. This is most likely due to overeating human food and mixing the stool with human food flavour. Dogs that eat their own or other animals’ faeces enjoy the taste of the animal’s protein-rich diet. Cat faeces are usually popular with dogs due to their high protein content. If you keep dogs and cats at the same time, clean the cat faeces quickly.

• Anxiety and stress:

Harsh punishments in dog training cause stress in dogs, and it can be a reason for eating poop in dogs. Also, if the dog has been punished for eating poop in certain places, it may conclude that it’s necessary to clear the documents.

• Excessive and inadequate nutrition:

Eating fatty homemade food removes fat from the faeces and makes them attractive to the animal. If the dog’s diet has changed from protein to carbohydrates, physiological changes will occur in the dog’s digestive tract. Research shows that the dog’s digestive system isn’t adequately adapted to the diet of less animal protein and more carbohydrates and plant protein today. Some animal nutritionists have suggested that dogs eat their faeces for re-enzymes and better digestion. Another theory is that the lack of nutrients and vitamin B deficiency are the reasons for dogs to eat faeces. Overfeeding a dog can lead to eating poop. A dog that overeats can’t absorb all the nutrients his body needs from food; Therefore, he begins to recover the lost nutrients of its body by eating faeces.

• Humans or other dogs imitation 

Sometimes dog mimics the behaviour of a human collecting faeces or the faeces of other dogs. Therefore, it’s better to collect wastes as far away from the dog’s eyes as possible and quickly.

• Drawing attention:

In many cases, a dog’s behaviour is directly related to his parents’ behaviour. Some dogs eat faeces to get attention from their owner. Even showing an adverse reaction is still considered attractive to them. In this way, the parents who attack the dog for eating the faeces are reinforcing his behaviour.

• Curiosity:

Sometimes dogs eat faeces accidentally out of curiosity. Dogs consider almost anything as a food item, one of which is faeces. Fortunately, this behaviour isn’t permanent and usually resolves with age.

• Isolation:

Studies show that dogs kept alone in barns and basements are more likely to engage in the faecal matter than dogs that live with people in the community. Tired and lonely dogs may also eat or play with faeces; just pass the time and have fun.

• Choosing the wrong place to eat:

Dogs eat poop near their eating area; because they may not understand the difference between food and faeces.

Preventions

There are several ways to prevent and treat this problem:

• Poop eating dogs are deficient in one type of vitamin, especially vitamin B deficiency in their diet. Therefore, the use of multivitamins can be helpful.
• Today’s dog diet is more carbohydrate-based and less dependent on meat proteins and fats. Some people use meat products that contain papain as a complementary enzyme in their dog’s diet.
• Rinse the area where the dog is bathing with concentrated disinfectant to eliminate dog faeces smell. Keep the dog’s home clean, so there’s nothing for the dog to eat on the ground.
• Suppose you keep dogs and cats together at home. Keep cat faeces out of the dog’s reach and clean them.
• Make sure nothing falls off the ground while walking your dog
• When training your dog, focus on the commands to drop and come so that you can control your dog while eating faeces.
• Use a high-quality diet for nutrition.
• Keep your dog busy with exercise and mental stimulation.
• Try to prevent him from eating poop by using contraceptives. (Check with your veterinarian before use.)
• Add pineapple or pumpkin to his food. They love the taste (but not much)!
• Get stool out of the dog’s reach as soon as possible.
• Instead of punishing, reward your puppy.
• You can use antiparasitic pills in the treatment.
• Please don’t leave your dog alone for long periods and entertain him with toys. Otherwise, he will become stressed and engage in aggressive behaviours.

If your dog eats faeces, you should first make sure he is healthy. Some dogs start eating poop because they don’t get enough nutrients. Sometimes they may have parasites or suffer from pancreatic problems. The dog’s owner should never pour improper flavours such as pepper on the stool to prevent eating poop; this action can cause digestive problems in dogs. Also, if you observe a dog eating poop, you shouldn’t force him to vomit. Because this action can upset the balance of water and electrolytes, change the acidic and alkaline state, cause inhaled pneumonia and physical fatigue, or cause severe gastrointestinal diseases such as acute gastritis and gastric motility disorders. However, all dogs that eat faeces should be seen by a veterinarian. Mishka’s professional team will accompany you all the way and will provide you with specialised information on your dog’s training, grooming and home cleaning.