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Dog Behavior Series 3 - Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?


Would you like to know the mystery for getting your canine to quit eating crap?Keep reading to discover my top 3 tips to achieve this by gaining an understanding of your dog's behavior.

Anyone familiar with dogs know they do strange things. While they all have their own unique personalities, there are some traits that are just outright disgusting. Eating poop is one of them. I think you will agree this subject is revolting, but it is a common problem that needs to be addressed because of the potential underlying medical issues associated with this behavior.

Why do dogs eat poop?

The act of eating poop, also known as coprophagia, is a common behavior among dogs. Most cases appear to be behavioral, but there are numerous medical problems that could be the cause for this behavior that must be ruled out before a behavioral diagnosis can be made. I recommend making an appointment with your vet to rule out any underlying medical reasons for your dog's behavior. This article will provide you with enough information on the topic to communicate intelligently with your vet.

So what are the reasons why your dog eats poop? Let's find out what they are and what you need to understand in order to eliminate the problem.

Let us start with medical issues that can cause this dog behavior:

One
Digestive enzyme or pancreatic deficiency. A dog's pancreas secretes digestive enzymes to aid in the digestion of food but many dogs don't make enough of these enzymes. Poop can be a good source of digestive enzymes.
Two
Intestinal mal-absorption. This condition occurs when nutrients are not absorbed properly as a result of a poor diet, which also increases appetite. Cheap dry dog foods contain ingredients that are impossible to digest so they pass undigested.An adjustment in diet to one that is more absorbable, or one with various protein sources might be valuable.
 Your Vet can help you with these dietary choices.

Three
Intestinal parasites. Intestinal parasites deprive your dog of nutrients and can lead to malnutrition or vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Healthy dogs can also get this condition as a result of eating poop.

The most common reason for poop eating by dogs is nutritional deficiency; lack of iron, other minerals, and vitamins.

If your vet has ruled out any medical issues for your dog's poop eating behavior, then I recommend these three tips.

Tip Number One
Prevent access to poop as much as humanly possible by keeping his environment free of poop so your dog can not eat it.

Tip Number Two
Ensure your dog is fed nutritional, digestible food. Between the grains and by-products, among other unhealthy ingredients, your dog is expected to eat something that is not good for him that will eventually cause health issues and behavioral problems.

Tip Number Three
Ensure your dog has plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, and family interaction. The need for companionship is an instinct common to both dog and man. Many dog behaviors have no other cause than the solitary confinement imposed on them by their owners. Bored dogs tend to develop far stranger behaviors and habits than dogs that get plenty of exercise, mental stimulation, social interaction, and love.

Now let's recap:

Taking care of an ineffectively edible eating routine, starving, and ailments that decline assimilation, for example, stomach related chemical inadequacies or parasites can prompt lack of healthy sustenance or nutrient and mineral insufficiencies, and in this way,, an increased appetite and possibly poop eating.

Make an appointment with your vet to determine if you are dealing with a medical issue or a behavioral problem.

Use positive reinforcement and other good training skills to change these behaviors into ones that are more acceptable to you.

Knowing these behaviors are natural for dogs will help you better understand them so you can provide better alternatives for these potentially problematic behaviors.

Hope you enjoyed this segment on Dog Behavior, specifically on the topic of why dogs eat poop, and hope you walked away with something of value. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to my channel on YouTube, Dog Behavior Videos. Thank you so much for reading. I look forward to seeing you inside my next article. Please like, share, comment, and subscribe. Until next time. Bye Bye.