Coprophagia: Dogs that eat poop

Coprophagia is defined as eating feces or poop.

Coprophagia refers to the ingestion of feces, or poop. Canine coprophagia occurs when a dog eats his own poop or the poop of another animal. Unfortunately, it is a reasonably common occurrence and one which pet owners rarely appreciate. Fortunately, there are some good ways to treat coprophagia in dogs.

 Causes of coprophagia in dogs

There are many different theories to explain why a dog may elect to eat poop.

• Some people feel that canine coprophagia is a residual habit relating to the fact that almost all mother dogs ingest the feces of their young during their first weeks of life. Coprophagia, however, is not limited to female dogs, nor is it only seen in female dogs which have produced litters of puppies.
• It has been theorized that a lack of nutrients in the diet may cause the dog to eat feces. However, this has never been found to be the case in any of the studies which have been carried out.
• Some theorize that the nutrients in the diet may not be completely digested while passing through the intestinal tract. In this case, eating the poop or feces is similar to recycling in that the nutrients are consumed a second time in an effort to provide further digestion.
• In some cases, a disease process may lead to excessive hunger or the diet may simply be offered in inadequate quantities to satisfy the dog, leading to coprophagia. Pain may also cause coprophagia in some instances.
• Boredom is thought to be the reason some dogs elect to eat poop.
• Separation anxiety can cause many strange habits in dogs, including coprophagia.
• It is also thought that, under the right conditions, some dogs may become conditioned to unpleasant responses from people when finding feces. These dogs may resort to eating the feces rather than allowing their owners to find the poop.
• In many, if not most cases, coprophagia is simply a habit with origins which are not understood or discovered.

It goes without saying that coprophagia is quite alarming and repulsive to a dog owner. However, apparently, our dogs do not share the type of revulsion we feel when watching another creature consume fecal matter.

Risks associated with dogs eating poop

When a dog consumes his own poop, there is little risk of introducing any disease process which is not already present. If the dog seems healthy otherwise, there is likely little to worry about. If there is any doubt as to the dog's health, a veterinarian should be consulted.

There is risk of exposure to numerous diseases when a dog consumes the poop of another animal. Diseases passed from one animal to another in this fashion include:

• viral infections, such as parvovirus and coronavirus
• parasites, such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, Giardia and coccidia
• bacterial infections, such as Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter

Every attempt should be made to discourage the ingestion of feces from other animals, especially other dogs.

For more information about treating coprophagia: Coprophagia Treatment: Dealing with Dogs that Eat Poop 

The copyright of the article Coprophagia: Dogs that eat poop is owned by Lorie Huston. Permission to republish Coprophagia: Dogs that eat poop in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.