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Why is my puppy eating poop? Is it normal, and how can I stop this?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Staffordshire Bull Terrier | Male | unneutered | 4 months and 18 days old

Hi my puppy (4 months) will eat his poo how can I stop this and is this normal behaviour ?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on April 6th, 2018

It's quite a common behavior, many dogs especially young one eat either their own poop or poop from other dogs. there are several supplements that help making the poo very bad to the taste, this helps in some cases, one example for such a product is called "Deter".

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3Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on July 7th, 2017

    Unfortunately this is a rather common problem in dogs and is called "coprophagia". This is especially common in puppies as they often witness their mother performing this behavior on her pups. It is best, however, to have your vet check your pup out to be sure they do not have any intestinal parasites and that they are absorbing their food/getting adequate nutrition so that we know there isn't a medical reason for this problem. In the meantime, it is best to prevent your pup from being able to accomplish this behavior by taking him out on a leash or going out with your dogs so you can immediately pick the poop up and prevent the behavior before it becomes an established habit. There is a product you can purchase called "for-bid" that you can sprinkle on the food of the dog whose poop is getting eaten to make it distasteful as well. This product works for some dogs, not others. You can read more about this issue at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1613

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