The Notorious Habit
Almost every dog parents have the experience of being mildly surprised at his (or her) furry baby’s bad habit of eating shit. This article will help explain your pets’ abnormal behaviors and how to make them act more professionally. So you can enjoy life with the fluffy companion better!
A common fact is the disgusting behavior of eating shit will typically be indulged by dogs. Besides, a large number of dogs get this gross habit. If you happen to witness, don’t jump to the conclusion that your pet is crazy. Try to keep your mind open, or at least keep food in your stomach.
Reasons for Dogs Eating shit
Dogs don’t eat shit to repulse pet parents. There is a scientific name, coprophagia, describing the habit of stool eating. Coprophagia is mainly based on gastrointestinal issues. Dogs often conduct this behavior out of the desire to communicate about their biology, not because there is something wrong with them. Their tiny body gives out a warning when there is an imbalance or deficiency throughout the digestive process, leading to the fact puppies start eating poop. Enzyme insufficiency, intestinal parasite, and an overly processed diet can all be the reason for coprophagia.
A healthy pancreas provides the foundation for the proper absorption of nutrients as enzymes it produces play a detrimental role when they assist the digesting process. However, the pancreas can only provide several kinds of enzymes, which means the rest will be extracted from food. Dogs may resort to eating feces from theirs or other animals when they start to starving from enzyme insufficiency.
It is particularly the case when dogs are fed with poor-quality diets. Overly processed, dry-food, no-living diets, or food with no bioavailable ingredients will push dogs to search for other sources of nutrients. Older members also eat poop to protect the younger ones from consuming parasites. So try to feed your dog with good food and take care of Storing Your Dog’s Food Properly.
There are also behavioral causes of the idea of eating shit. Puppies having anxious and stressed feelings might consume poop, especially when they are living in kennels. Also, scientific research indicates that dogs can become habitual poop eater, as they sometimes mislead themselves by believing the elimination process is bad when they are punished for poop at inappropriate places. Besides, coprophagia might be a learned behavior when older dogs become role models followed by their litter.
There are Other Species Eating Shit
A common belief is the canine family is the only specie indulging in coprophagia. However, the truth that your dog has a lot of companions–a famous one, a guinea pig– might soothe you better. Not just guinea pigs, mice, and capybara are also included in the coprophagia family.
If you are the owner of a guinea pig and you happen to be unaware of this interesting fact, perhaps it is because this little one is extremely agile. Anyway, the guinea pig is another vivid proof that animals eat stools to be healthy, not because they are fundamentally broken.
Ways to Stop Your Pet Eating Shit
First of all, regulate nutrients consumed by your dogs and make sure that their food contains enough enzymes so they won’t intentionally seek out resources in stools. Unprocessed meals are highly recommended.
If you have enough time to stay with your puppies, you may pick up their feces as soon as possible so they won’t notice them! Curb your puppies’ urge by preparing toys that will beneficially alleviate their pressure is also a good idea.
Finally, as coprophagia is one of the dogs’ instincts, this behavior can be difficult to be eliminated. It is highly recommended that dogs have their feces checked on regularly, and once a year would be the proper frequency.
