I was recently asked what to do if dogs are found eating poop. Doesn't that sounds just repulsive? Just the thought of the word eat and poop in the same sentence is wrong. Don't you agree?
So the veterinary community has come up with a much more appropriate name for this condition, Coprophagy. Though it's just one more medical term we can't pronounce, it is better than "eating poop."
Sometimes canine creatures like to chow down on a candy bar from the yard. To humans it seems gross, but for dogs it is just as good as a treat from the jar. There are different reasons why dogs eat their own or even other creatures poo. One reason is physical. With dogs, the taste bud and the sense of smell aren't as connected as in humans. Though our sense of smell is highly developed, our taste is usually more mild. When a dog makes a poo, sometimes the food is not fully digested, therefor the smell of the poo may be like the food or what was in the food. As you know, we are always hungry so it's like an extra side dish.
Sometimes puppies in training may eat their poo for behavioral reasons. They can become confused as their senses are developing and mistake the poo for food.
So how do you get the pups to, 'heal from Coprophagy?' It has been said you can spice up the piles. Add something hot to it so when they eat it their mouths will taste hot or even meat tenderizer. After a few weeks of this they should stop completely. This should not harm your dog, but take caution as it could upset tummies. You may want to chat with your vet before taking this step. Another way to help the healing process it to pick up some sort of enzyme from your pet food store or even add some pumpkin to each meal. These things can balance out your dogs level of nutrients and take away the desire to chow on an after dinner snack.
Good luck with the Coprophagy.
(How many times can one use the words poo/poop in a blog post?) : )
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