Content
- Animal behavior and faeces consumption
- What makes your dog eat feces
- Tips and advice to prevent your dog from eating feces
If your dog eat feces is exposed to several health problems that can encourage the appearance of bacteria or parasites in the intestine, among many other problems. This is not only a problem that we are not happy with, but it can also have serious consequences for your health.
Coprophagia or ingestion of feces is common both in dogs and in other animal species and although it is common, it usually disgusts dog owners when they observe this behavior.
If what you want is to definitively solve this problem, then continue reading this PeritoAnimal article to find out because your dog eats feces.
Animal behavior and faeces consumption
It is likely that when you decided to adopt a dog, no one explained to you that this could happen, much less thought about it. THE coprophagy or ingestion of feces is more common than we think and although it should be avoided it is important to know a few things.
It is a behavior that in nature has its importance since many animals resort to it if they go hungry or need extra nutritional value. Through the faeces we expel food residues that are no longer of interest to our body, even so, there are undigested food residues that can still be used.
We speak then of feces that contain food residues that still maintain sustenance that, in the wild and when hungry, become essential. Here enter not only dogs but also rabbits, rodents, cattle, horses, among others. The dog is not the only animal that eats feces!
What makes your dog eat feces
Since we already know the reasons for coprophagy in nature, it remains to be determined what is the cause that leads our pet to eat feces.
Do you suspect that your dog eats feces but you don't know exactly when it does? If you are concerned about this issue, then you can always place one or two cameras that cover the perimeter of your garden. See what your dog does and how he behaves when you're not home.
Below, we offer you a list of possible causes that cause your puppy to eat feces:
- The dog wants to get your attention in the park by eating feces. Despite giving you a hard time, maybe your pet just wants you to spend time during your walk in the park. Think about whether you give him enough attention and play with him.
- Your dog has digestive problems. See that your dog has diarrhea? Do you have problems digesting your food? Is it a puppy? Sometimes the difficulties that puppies have to eat correctly make them prefer to eat "soft" food, in this case feces. Change his food for a few days to a softer one in a can or pâté, if you don't see any changes, take him to the veterinarian.
- Your pet is affected by loneliness. If your puppy spends many hours alone, then it is likely that out of boredom and loneliness he will decide to eat his own feces. Think if you have enough time with him.
- have a very clean dog. If you observe a habitual cleaning behavior in your pet (they clean themselves, don't drink when the container is dirty, etc.) you may decide to eat feces to prevent their habitat from being dirty. Spend time cleaning the house and garden on a regular basis. You cannot allow your dog to live surrounded by dirt.
- Are you hungry. Maybe the food you're giving him isn't enough. Lack of vitamins and minerals or starving to excess is a serious problem. You should solve it by giving him more food or higher quality feed.
- Your bitch has just had puppies. If you find yourself in this situation, your dog is likely to eat the feces to avoid the smell and thus the presence of possible predators. Clean times constantly so she doesn't have to do this task.
- There is a very curious dog: Especially puppies out of curiosity can explore and eat their feces or that of another pet. They can find an appetizing taste in them and that's why they eat them. Don't let this happen, you should tell him "No" and keep him well fed so that it doesn't happen again.
- negative behaviors: If we use punishment regularly with our puppy when he defecates at home or if we bring his snout close to the feces giving him a scolding, he can even eat them to avoid this situation. Avoid negative behaviors and always use positive reinforcement.
- other problems: If you notice that the causes are serious, may stem from a disease or you are simply not able to identify the causes, consult your veterinarian to help resolve the problem.
Tips and advice to prevent your dog from eating feces
Below, we offer you a short list with useful information that can solve this behavior:
- Keep your puppy's zone clean. Of course, hygiene will not only help to solve this problem, it will also help the dog to be less likely to suffer from some kind of illness or infection. Hygiene in your space, in the food or drink container or in your bed is essential for a dignified life for any pet. This is part of the 5 freedoms of animal welfare.
- Tell him "No" right now. You must say "No" at the moment you catch your pet to eat the feces and, for that, he must understand the "No". You should also reward him with congratulations when he eats the usual food, in this way we reinforce the desired behavior. In addition, you should never hit or yell excessively at him, as this can aggravate the problem, as out of anxiety and worry he can continue to eat the feces to try to make them disappear.
- Add pieces of pineapple to your usual diet. We are talking about very small pieces of this fruit that will change the taste of the stool. In many cases this trick makes the dog stop eating the feces.
- Avoid buying overly processed foods. We recommend that you avoid foods that contain excess carbohydrates, fats, etc. Find out what types of dog food there are and offer them the best you can.
- Shock Therapy: Make Your Dog Hate Feces. Sprinkle lemon juice or vinegar on the stool. What this will do is create an unpleasant taste for them, which may or may not work.
Remember that ingesting both your feces and other pets' feces is dangerous and has risks to your dog's health. This behavior can be a cause of an illness or disorder in the animal itself. Avoid this behavior at all costs by dedicating time and taking it to the vet if you cannot resolve this behavior.
