Coprophagia in dogs – 5 reasons why dogs eat their poop

Have you ever seen someone’s dog or worse, your own dog eating their own poop? It’s a very unpleasant and disgusting sight, isn’t it? This habit is commonly called coprophagia. Dogs naturally sniff other feces to “read” or find out who has taken a particular territory. Some dogs, however, go to the extreme of consuming the feces entirely.

So Why do dogs eat their poop? There are many reasons why some of them resort to this disgusting habit. Below are just 5 of the most popular theories:

1. To supplement your own diet. A dog that eats poop is naturally deficient in nutrition. Probably the food they give him at home lacks enough nutrients or vitamins so that the poor dog chooses to eat the poop of other animals.

2. Stressed or bored dogs. Eating poop can be related to boredom or stress. This applies to dogs that are excluded from family life and therefore lack human affection and/or attention. They are typically poorly exercised and understimulated, so they resort to habits like pulling their fur, going around in circles for hours, and ultimately eating their own poop.

3. Dogs of carnivorous or scavenging heritage. This behavior may stem from their natural instinct to be scavengers or carnivores. Carnivores normally eat the entire carcass of the animal they killed; everything, including the digestive tracts that contain poop.

4. Parasites inside the stomach and digestive tract of the dog. Flatworms or other parasites steal calories and nutrients from your stomach and digestive tract. The dog with worms will naturally have a ravenous appetite to support the parasites in its stomach. An infested dog will even turn to poop to meet the needs of the internal parasites.

5. Poorly trained dogs to house. Dogs that are not well housetrained sometimes eat their own poop to hide or try to hide their inappropriate behaviors. This often happens to dogs who are punished for mistakes.

In addition to the above theories, lactating dogs eat their pups’ poop to keep the den area clean and hide their pups from potential predators. The puppies also eat their poop because they are emulating their mother’s behavior.

Coprophagia or dog eating its poop is a disgusting habit of some dogs. They naturally sniff the feces of other dogs to “read” a particular territory. Some dogs, however, go to the extreme of consuming the feces entirely. You don’t want your dog to have this type of habit; so learn why from the theories mentioned above.