Aug 9 2016
Help! Why does my dog eat poop?
Kathy Murphey
I love my dog, Chloe. Sadly, she loves poop. In fact, she eats it—goose poop, cow poop, her own, and that of other dogs. It's gotten so bad I can no longer take her to the dog park—and don't even get me started on owners who don't pick up after their pets. It's all a bit disgusting.
Coprophagia, the scientific name for this vile habit, is surprisingly common and harmless to dogs eating their own poop. Ingestion of the stool of other animals, on the other hand, puts a dog at higher risk for intestinal parasites, viruses, or toxins.
In a presentation at the
2012 ACVB/AVSAB Veterinary Behavior Symposium, veterinary behaviorist and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, revealed the results of a pet owner survey in which he and his team learned that:
~Twenty-four percent of dogs were seen eating stool at least once
~Stool consumption is more common in multi-dog households
~Females are more likely than males to eat stool
~Intact males are the least likely to eat stool
~Coprophagia typically increases during the winter months
Researchers disagree on why dogs eat poop, though theories abound. Some think dogs just like it (and who am I to judge?), though it more likely stems from survival or ancestral origins. Other experts speculate the habit may be physiological or behavioral.
Lisa Radosta DVM, DACVB, owner of
Florida Veterinary Behavior Service in West Palm Beach, Florida, recommends physical and fecal examinations to rule out physiological factors such as parasites, nutrient or calorie deficiencies, and absorption issues. Experimentally, the addition of B-vitamins, especially thiamine, seems to help.
If a medical cause is ruled out, Radosta said the most effective strategy is to target a possible behavioral issue. Start with some of these simple fixes:
~Exercise with your dog. Anxiety and isolation can be strong behavioral triggers for coprophagia. An active, engaged pet is less likely to develop stress-related habits.
~Eliminate the opportunity for your pet to indulge by keeping the yard—and the cat’s litter box—clean.
~Teach the command “leave it” or “drop it.”
~Train your dog to come to you as soon as he eliminates by providing a reward or extra attention that redirects him from the object of his obsession. Eventually, he will associate elimination with this new rewarded behavior.
As for Chloe, I keep reminding myself that, as gross as it may seem, this is a fairly normal behavior. I'm working on her "drop it" command and my yard has never looked tidier.
Oh, and I'll definitely steer clear of her canine kisses.
Kathy Murphey, who lives with one human and Chloe, their poop-eating pooch, considers her snacking decisions to be far more palatable than either of theirs.