Why does my dog eat its own poop?
This is a question that we often get from sitters and owners who work with Rover. Help the community out by answering them in our forum!
2 Answers
Coprophagia refers to the ingestion of feces, the most common form of pica in dogs. Moms licks their pups bottoms to clean them, puppies may engage in this behavior and grow out of it. The best solution is to simply pick up after your dog's bowel movements and properly dispose of it.
I am certainly no expert but I've heard several theories behind why dogs do this. However, the majority of what I've heard is boredom. If a dog isn't getting enough exercise or is left alone outside too long, it isn't unlikely for them to engage in this behavior. I have also heard this can indicate gaps in nutrition but from what I've observed of my own pets, I think it relates better to pure boredom!
If you can't get to it before your dog then I would get a powder called "forti-flora" by purina and you sprinkle X amount onto the top of your dogs food and it should stop them from eating heir feces. The powder contains an ingredient that the dogs don't care for.