Poop-eating is surprisingly common and mostly harmless to dogs eating their own poop. Coprophagia, is the scientific name for this vile habit. Ingesting the stool of other animals, on the other hand, puts a dog at higher risk for intestinal parasites, viruses or toxins.
Lisa Radosta DVM, DACVB, recommends physical and fecal examinations to rule out physiological factors such as parasites, nutrient or calorie deficiencies and absorption issues. Experimentally, adding B-vitamins, especially thiamine, seems to help. She offers basic tips to curb this nasty behavior.
Source: AAHA Pets Matter, August 9, 2016.
Benjamin Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB, University of California, Davis, revealed the results of a pet owner survey in 2012 in which he and his team learned that:
- Twenty-four percent of dogs were seen eating stool at least once
- Stool consumption is more common in multi-dog households
- Females are more likely than males to eat stool
- Intact males are the least likely to eat stool
- Coprophagia typically increases during the winter months
INSIGHTS: Pets Matter is a blog and monthly e-newsletter for pet owners. As an AAHA member benefit, it can be personalized from a practice and distributed to its clients each month. It is designed to encourage open dialogue with clients, prompt them to schedule appointments and discuss their pets’ health with the hospital’s veterinary health care team.