The phenomenon of poop-eating is well known in veterinary circles. In fact, it even has a scientific name -coprophagia.
Dr Clara Lauinger, a vet based south-east of Melbourne on the Mornington Peninsula, says it’s a throw-back to the pet dog’s wolf ancestry, where it was a necessary step in keeping the den clean.
“I think the biggest thing for coprophagic dogs is owner vigilance,” she says.
“Ideally not allowing them to run too far in off-leash parks would be the first step. It is also a good idea to ensure they are properly wormed and have a balanced diet, as sometimes it can mean they are deficient in certain minerals.”
Poop-eating is most prevalent in “greedy” dogs (looking at you, Labs!), dogs from multi-dog households, as well as Terrier and Hound breeds.
Rule out medical issues
American vet-reviewed portal Spruce Pets say it’s also important to rule out any medical reasons your dog might be eating poop.
Then, they recommend cleaning up doggie-do in the backyard so that it’s unavailable for peckish pups.
“Keep your dog on the leash when defecating. If his attention goes to the faeces, immediately turn his attention to you (try teaching the ‘look’ command). Reward him for paying attention to you with a tasty treat, then immediately pick up the faeces and discard it. Another helpful command to use at this time is to say ‘leave it’.”
It can be a puppy thing
The good news is if you have a poop-eating puppy, they’re likely to grow out of the habit by eight to nine months of age.
For young dogs, it can be a learned behaviour from their mothers, who will often lick them clean and might ingest a little poop in the process.
As a general rule, Jimmy from Jimmy’s Dog Training says the key is to stop giving your dog access to poop.
“When you’ve got two dogs that live together, you’ll get one following the other and literally take it straight out of the spout,” he tells Paws N’ All.
“You need to interrupt it every time. The more freedom they get to do it, the more they’ll do it.”
He advises redirecting to a toy or treat, so that your dog registers that it’s “more awesome NOT to do the thing”.
Dogs eating human poop – ergh!
Meanwhile, Dr Lauinger is also the co-author of a study on dogs that suffered marijuana toxicosis or poisoning after snacking on human poop. She says the dogs were also at risk for other diseases including salmonella and giardia.
“It is possible that the presence of marijuana in faeces increases its attractiveness for ingestion by altering its scent, texture or taste,” she says.
