Perhaps you have actually owned a puppy or have one right now, most likely you have been curious about why pet dogs actually eat poop. It is awful, unattractive, and generally quite unsafe in several ways. Still, you should know that if your puppy feeds on poop, he’s not alone. In fact, it is a fairly common conduct that can induce a considerable amount of anxiety for owners. Identified as coprophagia, the consuming of poop is often a indication of much deeper anxiety or nutritional issues.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
Dogs will eat poop for any number of motives. The simplest explanation is because they may be hungry or they can indeed be aiming to clean up their space. If you don’t give food to your pet enough or if they are really in a dirty pen, they will work get rid of these issues, typically resorting to ingesting their waste.
There are also health problems associated with poop eating. Your dog might not be getting enough nutrients caused by parasites or viruses that suck the nourishing substances dry of their food. They simply might not be having the nourishing substances they need from the dry food they are given each day.
Other pet dogs will eat poop as an anxious practice, or perhaps as they quite simply have observed you picking it up and are trying to mimic your actions in their own way. They might also be replicating other dogs eating poop.
The important thing to understand is that regardlesss of why dogs eat poop in your household, the issue can be fixed relatively easily.
The way to Adjust the Dog Behavior
If your dog needs to eat poop, the very first thing you ought to do is check for any health problems. This is especially true if the dog never did it before and has begun a short while ago. Dogs that eat poop frequently could have worms or other harmful bacteria or may not have enough food. See your veterinarian to determine why this is taking place and then treat it right away.
In case your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health, they just don’t have any other problems that could lead directly to the problem, and they do not stop doing it, you have to deal with whatever other issues might be causing them to eat poop.
Start with keeping the garden clean of poop. Take off the poop from your backyard daily, check the paths near your home and pick up any poop your pet leaves. It is not important why dogs eat poop if it is not a health problem – it is actually behavioral and can be taken care of by removing the origin of the problem.
Adjusting the Habits
Additionally, you can take other steps to stop the eating. It might seem strange that bitter apple and cayenne might possibly be worse tasting for a pet than the poop, but they’re. On top of that, if you feed your dog a spoonful of pumpkin puree a day, the poop will taste a lot less appealing to them. Additionally you can spray them with a water bottle or employ a sharp “No!” whenever they start to eat poop.
Ultimately, eliminating the reason behind the problem is the most effective way to resolve your dog’s coprophagia issues, but if you regularly take your dog to dog parks or allow them off the leash outside, you’ll want to take more advanced steps. Remain consistent, watch them diligently and by all means, don’t allow them lick your face.