Why Dogs Eat Feces (Eat Shit)

[dog is my buddy]

Over the last few thousand years, we've narrowed the gulf of understanding between humans and dogs more than we have with any other species – until we witness dogs eating feces, that is. An owner is left scratching his head while the dog, inexplicably proud, runs up to give him a kiss.

What could possibly be the attraction?

It may be hard to believe, but stool-eating is not unusual nor abnormal for dogs. In fact, coprophagia – the medical term for stool-eating – might even be beneficial. Mothers routinely consume the feces of their puppies, a practice that keeps the nest clean.

The puppies may consume feces because of their natural curiosity. Like children, puppies go through a phase in which they explore their world by mouthing it. Most puppies lose the habit in a few months to a year. By then, they've figured out that the world offers a lot tastier choices than poop.
If the behavior persists into adulthood, it could indicate a problem. The dog may not be getting the right amount of nutrients in his food or he may be fed on an irregular schedule (which means he doesn't know when his next meal is coming). Or he may not be getting enough food as a whole. Or, he may be bored, and coprophagia is one way to pass the time.

Naturally, if the behavior is caused by some nutritional deficiency, it's important to correct the imbalance. The dog may need to be fed on a different schedule, and perhaps more often. Dry food may be more effective in curtailing the habit than canned food, especially high fiber food.

Some people suggest adding Tabasco® sauce, meat tenderizer, or some other dietary supplement (e.g. Certs®) to make the stool unpalatable. The tactic is rarely successful; if stool itself isn't unappetizing, it's hard to imagine what is.

One of the best ways to discourage the habit is not to give your dog the opportunity to consume feces in the first place. The yard should be regularly cleaned up and the dog's access to feces-rich areas should be curtailed. For a more detailed account of coprophagia and what you can do about it, see the article Coprophagia

Coprophagia

Coprophagia is the practice of eating stool (feces). There's nothing more disgusting to a dog owner than seeing their dog eat its own or another dog's stool, and then to have the dog saunter up, tail wagging, looking for a kiss and a few kind words.

"Why on earth would dogs do such a repulsive thing?" an owner might ask. What on earth is the attraction in this behavior? We may never know for sure but we do have an inkling about what initiates the behavior and can surmise how and why it continues.

The Facts About Coprophagia

Coprophagia is not an abnormal behavior for canines in certain situations. Bitches naturally consume their own pup's feces – presumably, to keep the nest clean. This behavior provides a survival benefit as it prevents unhygienic conditions from developing in the nest; a state of affairs that could lead to disease.

The biological drive to eat feces, which is implanted as a survival instinct, compels nursing bitches to ingest their pups' feces.

In addition, many puppies go through an oral stage in which they explore everything with their mouths, sometimes ingesting a variety of non-food items, including feces.

As time goes by, the majority of pups eventually learn that food tastes better than feces and they swear off the stool-eating habit for the rest of their lives. Some older puppies may continue to eat feces for a few months, but most grow out of the habit after the first year.

Barring nursing bitches, the majority of "normal" adult dogs have absolutely no interest in eating feces.

When Coprophagia is a Problem

Slow learners, "oral retentives," and pups in which habits are easily ingrained may continue to engage in coprophagia well beyond the accepted "norm" and may engage in it to excess. Such hard-core coprophagics continue the behavior long after their peers have developed new interests. Dogs like this, that seem addicted to the habit, may best be described as "compulsive."

Below is a list of possible contributing factors though more than one may be operating in any one case.


The opportunity to observe the dam eating stool

High protein, low residue, puppy food

Irregular feeding schedule

Feeding inadequate amounts of food

Under-stimulating environment

Constant opportunity to ingest feces

Inadequate attention/supervision

Veterinary Care

Diagnosis

Whether by nature, nurture, or a combination of factors, coprophagy rears its ugly head as a persistent and irritating habit that some long-suffering dog owners seem fated to endure. There are several different forms of coprophagy but, whatever form it takes, there are probably similar drives and predilections operating. Variations on the theme include:


Dogs that are partial only to their own stool

Dogs that eat only other dogs' stool

Dogs that eat stool only in the winter if it is frozen solid ("poopsicles")

Dogs that eat only the stool of various other species, often cats

Therapy

There are some "home" remedies that have been practiced, but they rarely work. Here are a few:


Adding Adolph's Meat Tenderizer® or Forbid®, commercially available preparations of pancreatic enzymes, to the dog's food


Adding crushed breath mints to the diet


"Doctoring" each stool with Tabasco® in the hopes of discouraging the dog from the habit

The following strategies have met with more success, though it is important to note that results vary:


Picking up all available stools (i.e. denying access)


Escorting the dog into a "picked up" area and walking him back inside the house immediately after he has successfully passed a bowel movement and before he even has a chance to investigate the fruits of his labor


Some dogs try to circumvent their owner's control by eating the stool as it emerges and for these incorrigible few a muzzle may be necessary


Changing the dog's diet and feeding schedule so that high fiber rations are fed frequently and perhaps by free choice. Hill's r/d Prescription Diet®, a diet that contains 10 percent fiber is a good option. It may work by allowing the dog to eat to satiation without gaining weight, or it may alter the texture of the dog's stool, making it less palatable. Dry food seems more effective than wet food in curtailing coprophagia


Lifestyle enrichment is also helpful. Make sure your dog has plenty of exercise and spends plenty of quality time with you each day. Some dogs respond when a "Get a job program" is implemented. Such a program is designed to encourage the dog to exercise his natural tendencies by means of activities like chasing, fetching, walking, pseudo-hunting, fly ball, agility training, etc.


Teach the LEAVE IT command

Although some of the above measures have occasionally been found effective on their own, it best to apply a whole program of prevention for at least six months to nip the behavior in the bud. If during this time, if the dog gets access to stool and ingests it, some ground will be lost. Hopefully, though, progress will eventually be made, even if it's one step back for every two forward.

Despite all these modifications in environment and training, some dogs persist in the habit of coprophagia. For these dogs, the compulsive disorder diagnosis may be worth considering. Some obstinate cases respond to the judicious use of human anti-depressants.

Although controversial, the obsessive-compulsive disorder diagnosis seems to fill the bill, on occasion at least, and it meets a couple of the scientific criteria for diagnosis.


Face validity: The dog appears obsessed with eating stool and compelled to ingest it.


Predictive validity: Extreme, refractory, coprophagy should follow a genetic predilection, occurring more frequently in anxious breeds of dog. The latter appears to be true, as the condition seems to be more common in certain breeds (e.g. retrievers). Also, the condition should, and often does, respond to therapy with anti-obsessional drugs.

Home Care

In the majority of cases, coprophagy can be successfully treated at home by means of a combination of management changes (exercise, diet, and supervised outdoor excursions) and environmental measures, but be wary of the occasional medical condition that masquerades the same way (your vet can help rule out such conditions).

By Dr Jon