As surprised as I was to find so many online resources for the question, “Why do dogs eat poop?” I was even more surprised to learn of the various reasons for the same. These reasons enlightened me on why our pets prefer to munch on both others and their own waste. And as disgusting as it may look at first, the habit could actually let you know a lot about what your pet is going through at the moment.
Here are some of the more common reasons as to why a dog usually eats poop.
Nutritional deficiencies
Chances are you are not feeding enough nutrients to your dog or that he is being stripped off her essential nutrients by an illness. In either case, the nutritional deficiency would cause a condition called Coprophagia (aka eating poop). If your dog is eating poop, chances are he is trying to refuel his body with anything possible. And since poop would usually contain some amount of undigested proteins and other nutrients, eating it would give some energy to your otherwise malnourished dog.
Incomplete digestion
If your dog has a digestion problem or eats a meal that is hard to digest, chances are his poop would contain all the indigestible foods that went in. This would make the poop smell and taste pretty much like the foods that your dog ate. And that would make the perfect excuse for him to chow it down again. In most cases, the poop would serve as an additional nutritional snack for your dog in these cases.
Cleaning up
It is customary for mothers to eat the stools of their puppies until the latter stop weaning. The basic reason behind this action is to clean up the home and keep it free from germs. Another reason is to keep away predators that might be attracted to the smell of the feces. Your dog may follow this basic instinct and try to clean up after itself. It is also common to see dogs eating their poop in order to cover themselves if they tend to ‘go’ somewhere they are not allowed to (for ex: the living room).
Psychological behaviors
Maybe your dog is bored to death and decides that playing with his poop will be a fascinating pastime (he would eventually eat the poop). Or maybe he is so stressed out that eating his own stool would relax and soothe him to an extent.
