Why do dogs eat their own droppings (and when to worry)

Why do dogs eat their own droppings? Among the reasons, those of ancestral origin and only very rarely dysfunctions and pathologies

He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him

As disgusting as it may seem, dogs like it eating excrement, by the way not necessarily theirs or those of their fellow men. Among the reasons, those of ancestral origin and only very rarely dysfunctions and pathologies.

As veterinary Valentina Chiapatti writes on her blog, there are several myths to dispel about dog coprophagia, that is the habit of this delicious furry to eat the feces. First, while it is possible that the tendency is due to intestinal worm infestation as well as pancreatic insufficiency, these causes are fortunately very rare.

Same thing for vitamin and mineral deficiencies, in the past pointed to as a certain reason. Subsequent studies, conducted by providing the animal with an overdose of this element and not noting any difference in behavior, have greatly undermined the belief.

"Before you think that your dog is sick - writes Chiapatti - just think that he likes it".

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The dog likes excrement

Il atavistic behavior of these four-legged friends of ours, in fact, foresees that the mother cleans the den from the poop of her puppies by eating it. And the little ones, learning the behavior from their mother, could enjoy it growing up.

The luckiest dogs of today, moreover, often eat foods rich in nutrients whose palatable odors remain in their feces (we take into account that the smell of dogs is extremely finer than ours, that we probably only catch the most disgusting component of the feces. ).

But it does not end there, because many dogs not only eat their poop, but also those of other species, such as that of herbivores, for them a delicacy, of cats (pure carnivores), but above all ours, which, eating an extreme variety of food, we produce (evidently) very appetizing poop for them.

Incidentally, even though we humans generally consider such a practice disgusting, recent studies have shown that make mom eat some poop it could be good for the immune system of babies born with caesarean section, more "behind" on this of babies born with natural birth.

Why it can be dangerous and how we can limit the damage

Unfortunately, however often our beloved furry friend is really attracted to feces, this behavior, if repeated, can be dangerous for his health, because in doing so he can contract parasites as well as ingest remnants of drugs potentially harmful to him or her. .

How to prevent it? Unfortunately, if our friend does it because he is very attracted to it, explains the vet, there is no sure way. You can try to distract him, but the fatal attraction to stool may still win. And most importantly, while adding repellent substances to his feces can be helpful, it is not at all useful for other people's droppings.

It sure is very wrong to reproach him if he poops in a place that we do not like because for fear he might decide later to remove the "body of the crime". Same thing if you try to distract it by screaming or running: the dog will get scared and swallow it faster, or maybe think it's a game, with the same result.

It could be a physical or psychological condition

Unfortunately, many dogs live in very narrow spaces, such as in kennels, where, not being able to move far from the places of excrement, they clean up by eating everything. And this behavior could also tend to remain adopted in the family.

In rare cases, but still possible, one hides behind the coprophagia pathology, which can be very serious, from intestinal worm infestation to pancreatic insufficiency. But usually the behavior in these cases is accompanied by other symptoms.

If in doubt, however, it is better to contact a veterinarian.

Sources of reference: amicaveterinaria.com

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