Coprophagia; The fancy term for poop eating!

Why do dogs eat feces?

A definitive answer to this question, along with a solution, will make someone a hero (and probably rich). Super Dog is by no means an expert, but here are a few common theories and facts:

  • Female dogs eat their puppies droppings to keep the nest clean.
  • It must taste good, at least to them.
  • Searching for feces is a self rewarding hunt.
  • Eating another species droppings may be nutritious.
  • It may be a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
  • Young dogs may grow out of the habit.
  • Merck's Veterinary Manual (7 ed.) notes that the habit is usually first observed in pups 4-9 months old. The habit tends to decrease in intensity after the dog is 1 year old. Clinical causes include: pancreatic deficiency, malabsorption, heavy parasite loads and starvation. Undigested food in the feces may be acceptable to the animal for simple ingestive needs. Anxiety or boredom may be factors.

Perfect Paws on Feces Eating

Fact or Fiction?

Fact Retrain the dog with emphasis placed on preventing the him/her from gaining access to feces. Muzzling, leashing are helpful. (Merck)
Fact Be certain the dog receives a good quality diet - high in protein and low in carbohydrates. The addition of vegetable oil to the diet is helpful. Dietary changes maintained for two months arrest this behavior in many cases. (Merck)
   
Old Trainer’s Tale If your dog eats his/her own stools, use one teaspoon of canned spinach in their food each meal. After three to four days they should stop eating their own stool. Cures an iron deficiency?
Old Trainer’s Tale Your vet can give the dog something that makes them vomit after eating feces. This should associate stool eating with vomiting.
Old Trainer’s Tale Treat stools with hot sauce, this should make them distasteful. (Editorial comment from Super Dog: If you are going to sprinkle stools with hot sauce, why not just clean them up?)
Old Trainer’s Tale Add Adolph's Meat Tenderizer to their food. This makes the resulting stools less tasty.
Old Trainer’s Tale Sprinkle anise seeds on their food. Dogs don't like the taste of anise seed in poop. (but anise is okay in their food???)
Old Trainer’s Tale And some folks think they are just hungry.  If they are underweight, why not try a bit more food?
Old Trainer’s Tale Some say a calcium deficiency may be to blame for this- try giving the pooch a bowl of lactose-free milk 2x a day.
Old Trainer’s Tale Try feeding the dog Fig Newtons, they like Newtons (fruit and cake) but will no longer enjoy their poop.