Subscribe Feed (RSS)Is Your Dog Eating Poop? - 9 Causes and How to Put Put a Stop to this Disgusting Behavior
September 8th, 2007 by admin | Filed under Uncategorized.Eating their own poop or that of another dog is not only a disgustingly
bad habit that many dogs partake in but it can also be an indication of
health problems.
Abnormal indigestive behavior such as eating poop, rocks, iron, glass,
ice, screws, gravel, dirt, or just eating abnormal amounts of food can
be related to PICA (Pie-Kuh)–consistent ingestion of nonfood material
or Coprophagia (cop-ra-FAY-jee-a)–ingestion of feces.
According to The Merck Veterinary Manual, PICA and Coprophagia can be
signs of behavioral problems such as obsessive compulsive disorders.
However, some animal studies by holistic veterinarians suggest that a
lack of nutrition may also be the culprit.
Although your dog may be eating a well-balanced diet of both wet and
dry foods, the ability of your dog’s digestive system to properly
absorb the nutrients in the fool may be less than adequate. Dogs are
instinctively driven to scavenge or find foods to supplement their
needs and will often turn to such things as feces, vomit, and decaying
flesh to find these valuable nutrients.
Some foods that are difficult for a dog to completely digest, such as
carrots and grain-based foods, can become a trigger for the dog to
ingest feces. A diet low in carbohydrates and high in protein may
help to improve your dog’s ability to digest food and to produce stools
that are less appetizing.
Many holistic veterinarians suggest supplementing your dog’s diet
with enzymes such as those found in Prozyme. Other suggest the use
of herbs such as ginger or cinnamon in tiny amounts (1/8 to 1/4 tsp)
sprinkled on their food to make the feces less appetizing. The
addition of pineapple, spinach, garlic, and pumpkin, in small amounts,
to your dog’s food can also help in making the feces less desirable
to eat.
If you have a dog that is eating his or other animal feces, you
should first have them examined by a qualified veterinarian.
Coprophagia may simply be due to a lack of nutrients, however,
there are many other possible causes including Exocrine Pancreatic
Insufficiency (the inability of the pancreas to produce a sufficient
amount of digestive enzymes), Pancreatitis (an inflamed pancreas),
and intestinal infections.
While the feces may provide the nutrients the dog is seeking, they
may also contain parasites such as round worms or whipworms and can
lead to other more serious medical disorders.
There are three types of Coprophagia:
Autocoprophagia–when a dog partakes in eating his or her own feces.
Intraspecific Coprophagia–when a dog partakes in eating the feces
of another animal in his or her own species.
Interspecific Coprophagia–when a dog partakes in eating the feces
of another species of animal such as cat feces or deer and rabbit
droppings.
Other reasons for a dog eating feces include a need for attention,
(even if it is from being disciplined by their owner), copying other
animals who engage in eating feces, following the maternal instinct
to clean up, or simply not being fed enough to satisfy their appetite.
Whatever the reason, it may be more than just a disgusting habit and
should be investigated to ensure the health of your canine.
Article written by JD Hutchinson
dogbreedcenter.com dogbreedcenter.com
Copyright © 2006 Is Your Dog Eating Poop? This article may be
reprinted on the condition that the writer’s name and web address
are prominently displayed, and left intact.
JD Hutchinson is the creator of DogBreedCenter where you can find detailed information about the AKC approved dog breeds at dogbreedcenter.com/dog-breeds.htm. dogbreedcenter.com/dog-breeds.htm. We also provide quality dog supplies and top notch customer service. All sales through the DogBreedCenter come with a 190 Day Money Back Guarantee. The customer always comes first!
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