Autocoprophagia in dogs

The one that is coprophagous is the one that consumes excrement. Wild boars are great consumers of their own droppings and those of other animals. Certain young animals such as elephants, pandas and hippos also eat their mother’s excrement to access and take advantage of the specific bacteria needed to digest the surrounding vegetation. The most obvious example of coprophagy is the common housefly. Everyone has seen flies in a pile of dog droppings. However, outside of the various degrees of perversity and mental illness, the practice of coprophagy among humans is considered completely repulsive. This is an understanding that we also expect our pets to adhere to. There are many arguments as to why a dog will consume the feces of a different animal, but the purpose of this article is to focus on autocoprophagy, or why a dog consumes its own feces.

In researching this topic and talking to dog owners, I’ve learned that this is a much more common problem than most would like to admit. Dogs, being natural scavengers, have aspects of this type of behavior already preprogrammed within them. Some feel that it is part of their genetic makeup. There is even an argument that wolves in the wild consume the digestive tract of their prey, thus consuming the animal’s fecal matter.

The basic non-medical reasons for an autocoprophagous dog’s behavior are quite simple. Some reasons for a domesticated dog’s poop-eating behavior could have to do with things as simple as boredom, lack of exercise, or hunger. Some have speculated that overfeeding could also be a trigger for coprophagia, because the food hasn’t been fully digested. Another reason could be stress within the animal. Stress could have anything to do with it, for puppies, it could be the fear of being punished for pooping in the wrong place. A common stressor that could trigger coprophagous behavior could be the fact that the animal has recently moved into a new living situation. The other common theory about this behavior is that the behavior was learned. Perhaps picked up at the kennel or observed elsewhere.

A more common reason for coprophagia is food allergies. If the dog is allergic to the food that he is eating, then he is not absorbing all the nutrients from the food before he poops. Food allergies in dogs have become much more common as a result of the supplementation of grains such as corn and soy in dog foods. In fact, the excretion that a food-allergic dog expels is usually partially digested. The theory is that the stool still smells relatively palatable, so the dog passes it back through his system. In these types of situations, the dog is passing unhealthy-looking stools, possibly even diarrhea. Aside from an actual allergy, there are also some other medical conditions that could lead to such behavior.

Pancreatitis is thought to be one of the main culprits of autocoprophagous behavior. The pancreas produces insulin and various enzymes such as amylase, lipase, trypsin, and chymotrypsin. These enzymes help in the digestion of food. If these enzymes leak out of the pancreas, it can lead to inflammation and a host of other problems. Coprophagia can also be a part of this. Once again, this has to do with incomplete digestion.

Another possible cause of autocoprophagia in dogs is exocrine pancreatic insufficiency. This disease is also known as maldigestion syndrome. This has to do with the lack of production of certain enzymes. When the pancreas does not make the right amount of enzymes, this is when maldigestion syndrome appears. The feces that are produced when a dog is in this state are not fully digested. The dog can consume his feces because he is constantly hungry. He is not digesting food well. In your quest to fill up on missing nutrients, autocoprophagy can take place.

The methods pet owners use to stop this behavior are varied. The common understanding is that punishment is counterproductive and could actually be a reinforcement of behavior. There are products like Potty Mouth from Four Paws that make a dog’s poop taste undesirable, even to a dog that likes the stuff. Dog owners have used food additives like pineapple chunks, meat tenderizers, and many other over-the-counter products to make their dog’s feces undesirable for their pets. Another method that seems to be commonly used is to flavor the dog’s feces with Tabasco or a similar hot sauce. However, immediate removal of stool directly after defecation appears to be the best option. Again, this is an article about autocoprophagy, and not intraspecific coprophagy, which is the consumption of faeces from a different animal within the same species, or interspecific coprophagia, which is the consumption of faeces from a different species. One hopeful theory on the subject is that if the dog’s behavior can be straightened out at home, the chances of it passing into another animal’s feces will be slimmer. In any case, all elements of autocoprophagy can be limited if the owner really pays attention to his pet.