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Eating Feces
Mother dogs do whatever they have to do to take care of their young. One of their duties is to lick the pups' genitals and bottoms in order to jump-start their ability to urinate and have bowel movements. Another motherly duty is to keep the nest clean. So after revving up their puppies' insides, they eat what comes out.
Dogs have only a fraction of the tastebuds that humans do, so this unpleasant duty doesn't faze them. And from their point of view, it has to be done. Apart from the need for basic housekeeping, eating the puppies' stools once kept dog families alive. Dog feces has a powerful scent, and it would have advertised the presence of puppies to every hungry predator within sniffing distance.
Dogs aren't the only animals who eat the stools of their young. Horses, cats, and many other mammals do it too. But there's a difference. Most animals take care of their young, then never eat feces again. Dogs, on the other hand, sometimes get a taste for it. They keep going after it every chance they get.
He Did It First
Dogs have always lived in groups. First, they lived with other dogs. Now, they live with people. As with all highly social animals, including humans, they're very impressionable. They learn how to play by watching other dogs play. They learn proper etiquette by following the examples of their elders. And they often eat feces for no other reason than they saw another dog doing it.
One reason that this habit is so common is that every dog watched his mother do it. Most puppies sample feces at some time or another. But most of them seem to give it up.
Doesn't Taste Bad
Children will often do crazy things because they saw their friends do them first. But once is usually enough. They won't jump out of a tree or put their fingers in a candle flame after the first painful experience. Dogs, however, will return to feces again and again.
Most experts have had to conclude that there's more at work than simple imitation. If dogs hated the taste of stools, they wouldn't keep eating it, but they do. So there has to be something about it that they like.
This isn't all that surprising. Dogs have always been scavengers. They'll eat roadkill as readily as their suppers. Old trash, pond muck, dead sparrows on the lawn are no less appetizing. Dogs start getting hungry whenever they sniff something with a pungent smell, and fecal matter certainly smells.
Not all fecal matter tastes the same. Dogs seem to have different preferences. Some are attracted to the stools of deer, cows, or horses. Others will eat the stools of other dogs. And a great many dogs are attracted to cat feces, possibly because cat foods are very high in protein and the dogs are going after undigested nutrients.
Look at Me
Dogs, no less than children, crave attention. They do whatever it takes to get it, including things they know humans hate. This probably explains why some dogs only eat feces when their guardians are around to watch. It's probably the equivalent of a six year old saying a dirty word and then watching for his parents' reaction.
Boredom has something to do with it, too. Dogs entertain themselves by putting things in their mouths. When not much is happening, they often nose around the yard, picking up sticks and putting them down, even mouthing rocks on occasion. Since they aren't offended by the smell or taste of feces, it's just another thing for them to pick up, play with, and explore.
Now That You Understand ...
Dogs occasionally eat so much feces that they get sick to their stomachs. For the most part, it's not likely to make them sick - although they may get worms from eating the stools of an infected animal. Their digestive tracts are very forgiving.
Fast Fix
Veterinarians sometimes recommend adding canned pumpkin or Accent meat tenderizer to a feces-eating dog's food. Assuming that it's his own feces that he's attracted to, these ingredients may give it a taste that he dislkes. This isn't a perfect solution, but it does work for some dogs. A product called For-bid, available in pet supply stores, does the same thing and may help.
Add some seasoning. Dogs won't eat feces that has been sprinkled with ground red pepper. Take a few minutes each day to season the stuff your dog usually eats - in the litter box, for example - will make it less appetizing. Even if your dog does take a bite, he'll wonder what the heck he's gotten into.
This isn't something that you can do halfway. If you do it for just a day or two, your dog will be resourceful enough to sniff out something that hasn't been treated. The idea is to treat the feces long enough that he assumes it's always going to taste like that. Once he gives it up for a while, he may forget about it.
Switch to a concentrated food. Average dog foods are designed for the average dog. They have an abundance of nutrients, but some dogs simply need more than these foods provide. They may turn to feces as a way of supplementing their diets. It's worth switching to a premium dog food. These foods provide highly concentrated nutrition in a form that's easy for dogs to digest. If their bodies' needs are being met, they may be less likely to look for extras.
Feeding your dog two or three times a day may help, too. Dogs who only eat once a day get hungry between meals. Feeding them more often will keep their stomachs satisfied, and they'll be less likely to forage on their own.
Page URL: http://www.sniksnak.com/doghealth/feces.html
Resource References:
Dog Care Companions, Jana Murphy & Editors of Pets, Part of the Family; 2000
