An adult dog eats feces when something is wrong with them. This behavior is natural only in mother dogs who eat the remains of their puppies and in young dogs. It doesn’t have to mean that if your dog eats feces, it may be physically ill. It could also be a psychological problem. Find out here why eating feces endanger animal and human health and when you should go to the vet.
Does Dog Eat Feces: Natural Behavior or Problem?
Dog mothers often eat their pups’ excrement in the first few days after birth. This will keep the small family’s resting place clean. In addition, the small puppies only drink breast milk during this time, so that in principle, there are no toxins or pathogens in their piles. A puppy or young dog eats feces because he is curious, and some constituents of the wastes seem to smell attractive to appetizing dogs. It has been suggested, in part, that eating feces helps growing dogs build healthy intestinal flora. This behavior becomes a problem when it becomes a habit, and dogs eat all kinds of wastes in an uncontrolled manner.
In adult dogs, it is not natural for them to ingest other living beings’ legacies. It either indicates stress and frustration or means that the dog is sick. A dog eats feces if he feels stressed by poor hygiene in his home, kennel, or frustrated because he does not know his place in the family. Some speculate that dogs eat poop when they are malnourished to take in the missing nutrients. But eating feces can also be caused by inflammation of the pancreas.
Health Risks From Eating Feces
The problem with eating feces is that it is unsavory and stinks from a human point of view. All kinds of pollutants also pathogens can be found in the excrement of animals and humans. A dog eats the feces of a drug addict in the park, and the drug residues in it can cause poisoning. Doses of worming agents that are far too high can be found in horse manure, which could harm your dog. In general, you must always expect that there are residues of drugs or poisons in foreign feces. Dogs can also get along with all sorts of parasites like worms when they eat feces. It is also possible that they catch an infection from bacteria, viruses, or germs. The remains of the wastes in your dog’s mouth can infect people with diseases such as Hepatitis via a smear infection.
When To See The Vet?
It is better to go to the vet than not going at all. Get a full blood test and exam to discover if your dog is suffering from nutritional deficiencies or if its pancreas is inflamed. Nutrient deficiencies can have various causes, such as faulty dog nutrition, parasite infestation, or certain diseases. Here, the vet must first treat the underlying condition. It is also essential to have your dog examined to see whether his poop-eating has already had any health consequences.