My dog eats its own poop. Why is this happening and how to stop it?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | unspayed
Lucy is eating her poops. What does it mean and how should we stop her from doing it?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on November 16th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is actually not that uncommon. It is unclear why it happens. However, it usually does not need any type of therapy or change of routine. I would recommend you discourage this behavior as much as possible. This will eventually most likely stop. Good luck!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on November 8th, 2018
Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While it is not normal, it is not uncommon especially in your dogs. This is often times not an indication to feed them more. Usually they grow out of this behavior. I usually just recommend discouraging this behavior as much as possible and letting them know that it is not ok. Eventually, it will most likely stop on its own. Good luck and have a great day!
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
My dog eats poop. Why? And how can I stop this behavior?
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! Stool eating, also known as coprophagy, is actually quite common in puppies and in many adult dogs too. In fact, if not addressed in a timely manner, there's a risk that this unwanted behavior may end up becoming a recurring habit. There are many theories and potential reasons why dogs decide to eat their feces. These include poor digestion, boredom, stress, attention seeking, and a lack of vitamins/minerals in the diet. The latter is highly unlikely if you're feeding your dog a high quality commercial food, since these generally provide all the nutrients your dog needs. The effective way to deal with this behavior depends on the exact cause. So, it's always recommended to consult with your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I've Started Feeding Him More, He Don't Have Worms Either. How do you stop your pup from eating his own poop? Is it normal?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! While it is not normal, it is not uncommon especially in your dogs. This is often times not an indication to feed them more. Usually they grow out of this behavior. I usually just recommend discouraging this behavior as much as possible and letting them know that it is not ok. Eventually, it will most likely stop on its own. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My Boston has started eating poop. I'm not sure why its something that has just started. What can I do? And do you know why?
This is usually just a naughty habit and does not indicated any underlying nutritional problem or concern. The best thing you can do, if she is eating her own poop, it to clean up her feces after every time she goes. It may also be helpful to use a product like Forbid that you sprinkle on her food which helps discourage eating the feces. If she is going after other dog’s poop it is probably best to avoid this areas if possible since feces can spread disease. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Boop by Petco. Best of luck.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I have a five month old beagle that just recently started to eat it’s poop. Should I be concerned and what can I do to stop it?
Hello, and thanks for using Boop by Petco. This is a very common behavior, although it's one we'd rather discourage! There are a number of supplements that can be added to the food to help make the stool taste bad, which can help discourage the behavior. Here's one as an example: https://www.chewy.com/naturvet-coprophagia-stool-eating/dp/108229?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=NaturVet&utm_term=&gclid=CjwKCAiA-vLyBRBWEiwAzOkGVPLBJ024r9rE78liXPh4JRjTnhFpDCKA-BBWL3q-8ikGIMvqWrHxfxoCDrYQAvD_BwE Otherwise, as simple as it sounds, simply cleaning up those stools as quickly as you can is the best route to go. If you can clean up the stools before Bailey can reach them, sometimes we can break the cycle of the behavior and help them stop the habit. Hope this helps. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Why does Delilah eat her poop? She eats it depending on the consistency of it.
Hi there and thanks for using Boop by Petco! Delilah is adorable! Unfortunately most of the time when a dog is eating it's own feces, it's just because they've developed the habit and decide that they like it. Obviously it's a pretty gross thing to do and can lead to reinfection with GI parasites so it's a behavior we want to try to stop. First you should do regular and immediate removal of feces in the yard so Delilah has less of a chance to get to the poop. You can also try feeding something like Forbid (a product you can purchase) or a small amount of pineapple juice mixed in with her food. This will sometimes stop a dog from eating their own feces. Very rarely this behavior can be a sign of a nutritional deficiency so if it continues have Delilah evaluated by your veterinarian. And bring a stool sample for evaluation as well to ensure she has not picked up a GI parasite. Hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My dog eats her stool and she had bad breath i dont know why she suddenly started doing this. And another problem we started winter in egypt so she had crust in her hair this is normal or there is a treatment for it?
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! Sometimes dogs can eat their own stools for different reasons. Sometimes it is purely behavioral and this behavior can be corrected. In other instances it may be because of a medical reason such as parasites, lack of nutrients and in most cases because of a stress factor. It would be recommended to check for any possible stress at home such as something new (perhaps new construction). If that is not the case, you can consider switching her diet. If that does not improve this issue, have her evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Food & Nutrition
Thank you Linda G, MS, DVM for your answer yesterday about the IAMS puppy food for Coco Mocha, who's 8 weeks old. She's a Yellow Lab / Black Lab puppy. I have another question for you why would she eat her poop?
Unfortunately with the way the Boop by Petco forum works it is difficult for an expert to know that you have an additional question. I can try to answer your question but if you want to ask Dr. Linda G you could try starting a consultation with her. Many dogs will eat feces - it is usually behavioral and not a sign of an underlying problem. To discourage the behavior I recommend close monitoring during potty breaks and picking up poop immediately. At 8 weeks old I think you would have good success in training her to stop this behavior simply by distracting or preventing her from having access to any poop that could be eaten.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 1 yr old McNabb eats dog poop. Why and what can I do about it?
Coco is adorable! Thanks for posting pictures. You didn't mention is she eats her own stool or other dogs' stool and if this is a new behavior. I am attaching a link to a handout below that discusses stool eating as well as possible reasons and treatments. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1613 If this is a new behavior, then I would recommend having your veterinarian examine Coco and perform a fecal sample to evaluate for any problems. If Coco is eating her own stool, then you can discuss one of the food additives like ForBid that can be mixed into her food. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
New Pet
Hi, I just adopted a puppy and he's eating his poo where I got him from Houston human society and they didn't told me anything about it I came to petcock and the dog trainer told me to give him this pills call Coprophagia to prevent eating his feces
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! There is really no good medical therapy to prevent this so I am not sure how well those pills would work. This is usually a behavior that dogs tend to improve from relatively quickly. I would just try to avoid him eating his feces and discourage this behavior as much as possible. It is very likely that he will eventually improve on his own. Good luck and have a great day!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi...im not 100% sure but i think that Thanos mightve ate his poop..if this was to b true..should i worry??
Hi there and thank you for using Boop by Petco to address your concern. I would not be concerned by this. He should be fine after eating his own poop. If this is a behavior that you would like to try and stop, you can try a product called Forbid, which can be found online quite easily. You can also try and put bitter apple spray on his poop and see if this helps. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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