Why Do Dogs Eat Poop? April 1, 2009 by
K9 Magazine News Editor Dogs
have always been scavengers. They’ll eat roadkill as readily as
their suppers. Household rubbish, pond muck and dead sparrows on the
lawn are no less appetising to certain dogs.
A dog’s digestive process tends to kick into action the moment
they sniff something with a pungent smell and, as we all know dung
certainly does smell.
Not all animal poop tastes the same though. Dogs seem to have
different preferences. Some are attracted to the stools of deer, cows
or horses. Others will eat the stools of other dogs and a great many
dogs are attracted to cat droppings, possibly because cat foods are
very high in protein and the dogs are going after undigested nutrients.Boredom can be a motivator. Dogs entertain themselves by putting
things in their mouths. When not much is happening, they often nose
around picking up sticks and putting them down even mouthing rocks on
occasion.
Since they aren’t offended by the smell or taste of dung,
it’s just another thing for them to pick up, play with, and
explore. When we spot them doing this it can provoke an immediate and
high energy response from us. Bored dog, highly
‘entertaining’ response from dog’s owner – see
where this might be going? Don’t for a second dismiss the idea
that sometimes put poop in their mouths because it provokes a response
from us. Yes, they really do ‘go there’.
Dogs occasionally eat so much dung that they get
sick to their stomachs. For the most part, however, it’s not
likely to make them sick - although they may get worms from eating the
stools of an infected animal. Their digestive tracts are very
forgiving. If you happen to own a dung eating dog you must make sure
they’re wormed regularly.
The standard advice is to worm your dog four times a year, this may need to be more frequent if your dog is a poop hound.
The people who live with dogs, however, are less forgiving. For one
thing, it’s an ugly sight that no one wants to watch.
There’s also the fact that dogs who eat dung have heart-stopping
bad breath. It takes some serious devotion to get past that!
Poop-Eating Tip: Veterinarians sometimes recommend
adding garlic or canned pumpkin to a dung-eating dog’s food.
Assuming that it’s his own dung that he’s attracted do,
these ingredients may give it a taste he dislikes - although it’s
hard to imagine that anything could make it taste worse than it already
does. This isn’t a perfect solution, but it does work for some dogs.