Send medical records requests to lhac@lakehowellanimalclinic.com

LAKE HOWELL ANIMAL CLINIC WAS PERMANENTLY CLOSED ON SEPTEMBER 9, 2022. NOTIFICATIONS WERE SENT TO ACTIVE CLIENTS, TO THE MAILING AND/OR EMAIL ADDRESS WE HAD ON FILE. TO GET YOUR PET'S MEDICAL RECORDS, SEND A REQUEST TO lhac@lakehowellanimalclinic.com. WE ARE NO LONGER APPROVING MEDICATION REQUESTS FROM ONLINE PHARMACIES.

Coprophagia

Coprophagia  is one of the most upsetting dog owner complaints.

Coprophagia is defined as the ingestion of feces, either from another animal or from the dog itself.  Dog owners are usually confused and disgusted by this behavior while their dogs have the time of their lives eating all poop in sight!

There are several reasons for this behavior in dogs:

  • Attention-seeking behavior: Owner gets very upset when dog eats poop and the dog enjoys the attention, even if it is the owner screaming at them

  • Cleaning up: This happens commonly in dogs that are confined to a crate or if they have been punished before for pooping in the house or in their crate.

  • Anxiety: Dogs will do odd things when anxious or stressed

  • Overfeeding: this will increase the amount of protein in the feces, making it attractive for the dog to eat

  • Health problems: Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency; Intestinal parasites; food malabsorption and others

  • Your dog may be hungry: maybe the food is not nutritious enough or eating routines change

  • Instinct: Some dogs may feel the urge to eat or roll on their prey’s or opponent’s feces to mask their own scent

  • They just like it: Your feelings of disgust are irrelevant to your dog. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. It's warm, moist, and contains protein and fat.

Treatment includes behavioral modification therapy or altering the feces to affect its taste. There are several products available online or through your veterinarian to prevent coprophagia. These are food additives that will give feces an odor that makes it undesirable to your dog. You do not add these to your dog’s food but to the food belonging to the animal which feces your dog is eating.

Nydia Melissa Perez, DVM

5/11