A group of experts in behavioral medicine (GEMCA) from the Spanish Association of Veterinarians for Small Companion Animals (AVEPA) presented information on coprophagia (feces eating) in dogs and explained when such behavior is considered normal and when it indicates health problems. The relevant article was published on the official GEMCA website.
Coprophagia is a behavior related to the consumption of feces, which dogs inherited from their ancestors — wolves. According to specialists, wolves eat feces to prevent the spread of intestinal parasites around their den. Modern dogs do not have this necessity, so most of them have lost this behavior, although it still persists in some individuals.
Most experts believe that the only case when such behavior can be considered normal is during the lactation period of bitches. During this time, the dog stimulates the perianal area of the puppies for the first two weeks of their lives to induce urination and defecation. In doing so, it may ingest their feces to maintain cleanliness in the den. Puppies may also eat feces during play or while exploring their environment.
In other cases, coprophagia may indicate that the animal has health problems. Among the most common causes, specialists highlight vitamin and nutrient deficiencies (particularly vitamins B1 and B12), calorie restriction in the diet (in which case the dog tries to cope with hunger), digestive issues (such as exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, protein-losing enteropathy, various endocrine diseases, inflammatory bowel diseases, intestinal parasites), as well as side effects from medications (for example, appetite-stimulating drugs such as glucocorticoids, antihistamines, anticonvulsants, and benzodiazepines).
Additionally, coprophagia may have behavioral causes. These include mimicking the mother or other dogs, lack of attention from the owner, attempts to avoid punishment (for instance, for defecating indoors), as well as stress and anxiety.
To prevent such behavior in dogs, GEMCA experts recommend that owners feed their pets before walks, add sufficient fiber to their diet to prevent strong hunger, enrich the pet's environment to prevent boredom, and clean up immediately after defecation. Specialists also strongly warn owners against using any forms of punishment, both physical and verbal, as this may reinforce undesirable behavior and exacerbate the problem.
If such behavior is observed multiple times, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian.
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