The Good, the Bad, and the Disgusting.

Some dogs love to eat poop. They crave cat poop, horse poop, or the poop of unseen backyard creatures. Some enjoy the feces of fellow canines. Some prefer their own. Some hunger for a certain frozen wintertime treat, i.e., poopsicles. The official term for poop-eating is coprophagy, from the Greek for feces, copros, and eat, phagein. But in any language, it’s just plain gross! And if your dog is a culprit, you may be struggling to understand this exasperating habit.

Here’s the scoop.

Feces-eating is actually a healthy and natural practice for dams with young pups. Puppies are born with an immature digestive system. The dam must lick the perineal area (i.e. the anus and genitals) of each puppy after feeding to teach the pup how to urinate and defecate. Consuming the puppies’ excrement serves the additional purpose of keeping the den clean and removing odors that could attract a predator. Some pups seem to learn this routine from their mothers. They may learn to stimulate themselves and then consume the feces. This behavior tends to wane as the pup is weaned. By the same token, it’s not uncommon for a curious older puppy to sample his own poop. This is usually self-limiting.

But why would a self-respecting grown dog engage in such a filthy habit? To a human, it’s disgusting. Not to mention the possible health risks of parasites or other vile infections. Here are some possible reasons.

Medical causes

• Some dogs may eat feces to make up for a nutritional deficiency. This can result from a poor diet or a digestive problem that interferes with nutrient uptake (such as parasites, food allergies, or pancreatitis). If your dog is eating his or her own feces, the first step should be a visit to the veterinarian. Your vet will recommend tests such as bloodwork and a fecal examination to exclude possible medical causes.

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