Coprophagia In Dogs

In single dog homes only 20 percent of dogs had the habit while in homes with three dogs that rose to 33 percent.

Coprophagia in dogs.

Diagnosis of coprophagia in dogs. Dogs are known for their indiscriminate eating habits and will eat some unusual things. Although coprophagia is upsetting and revolting to us. Coprophagia was more common in multi dog households.

Yes you read right eating one s own poop. 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. A vitamin deficiency has also been ruled out as a reason behind puppies and dogs eating poop although cat poop does seem to be a particularly favourite poop. Some dogs have even been seen ingesting fecal material their own or from other animals.

Only 15 of dogs eat their own feces while 85 of coprophagic dogs eat another dogs poop. Eating his own stool eating another dog s stool and eating a cat s stool can all be strong identifiers to determine whether the problem stems from a behavioral issue. Females are the most likely to eat poop while intact males are the least likely. There are physical medical and behavioral reasons why dogs eat feces.

Coprophagia is a term which refers to consumption of faeces. Coprophagia is the scientific term for eating feces. Most dogs and puppies that do develop coprophagia are well fed and well cared for so a lack of food or malnourishment is not considered to be a factor in the problem developing. Coprophagia dog treatment can either be diet adjustment medical treatment for ailments or behavioral training.

In dogs while coprophagia appears to be purely behavioural there are indeed numerous medical problems that can cause or contribute to coprophagia. In adult dogs the innate behavior of grooming and cleaning newborn puppies and eating their excrement along with the well documented fact that dogs tend to be attracted to infections or discharges of their pack mates which they will sniff and lick may explain some of the motivation for coprophagia. Coprophagia is more common in multi dog households. It is a common problem in dogs and puppies.

If there is a deficiency in the dog s diet consult with your veterinarian to find the best diet to suit the digestive needs of your dog. If the coprophagia seems to be compulsive it may take intensive training to fix the problem. In this article we will focus on coprophagia due to deficiencies in digestive enzymes. Coprophagic dogs prefer stool that is less than two days old.

The diagnosis is made more from the symptoms that you notice in your dog.