Dogs can undergo coprophagia for many factors, some health, some behavioral. The first thing to be clear about to understand why dogs eat feces is that the taste capacity of dogs is less than that of humans.
Veterinary studies have concluded that dogs that eat feces are included in an pica disorder, defined as one in which animals ingest elements that are not usual in their diet.
It can be normal for a dog to consume feces for maternity: the mother eats everything that is in the environment of the puppies to keep the space clean and avoid diseases. Some analyzes of canine behavior indicate that why dogs eat feces is related to imitation. Puppies can learn this behavior by watching it from the mother.
Why do dogs eat feces? A health problem
But dogs can also ingest feces for a health problem. The main one has been determined to be a dietary deficiency. As they have a smell with many properties and super developed, they smell certain elements in their feces that they lack in their diet. For example, why dogs eat feces may be due to a lack of vitamins, minerals, or low-calorie diets.
After all, feces are digested food. That is why canine pets can look for in them what they do not find in their usual diet. But this is not the only cause. Another could be that they suffer from hyperadrenocorticism, a disease of the pituitary gland that causes increased circulation of corticosteroids in their blood.
Intestinal malabsorption and canine diabetes are other pathologies that explain why dogs eat feces.
Drawing attention is another cause
When the dog consumes feces it can be treated by attracting the attention of its owners in the middle of a period of stress. Anxiety, separation discomfort, lack of freedom or boredom are other causes of canine coprophagia.
There is also the case of small dogs that do not have adequate toilet training and that, to avoid being reprimanded by their human relatives, eat the feces to hide the lack.
In extreme cases, when dogs have limited habitats that are neglected, dogs may eat their feces to clean up their space. Also, when they are abandoned in closed places and do not receive food.
How to prevent the dog from eating feces
Understanding why the dog eats feces is essential to address the situation, correct it and prevent it from continuing over time. There are some recommendations, the first of which is to ensure that the dog has a clean and totally healthy habitat. Stimulating him with a treat right after a bowel movement is another strategy to divert his attention from the stool.
Another way is to remove the feces quickly or remove the dog from the site where it has defecated. They also recommend including nutritional supplements in the diet to help the absorption of some nutrients and are recommended when symptoms such as halitosis, diarrhea, flatulence or pancreatic insufficiencies occur.
Constant exercise is essential for the dog, so a good way to avoid and correct this situation is to design exercise routines with toys and other tools. There are also those who bet on putting in the food some substances that, when digested, will be unpleasant for the dog, so it will reject the feces. They are solutions sold in veterinary stores and some are made up of pineapple, yucca, or mint essence.