Why does my dog eat cat poop?
Coprophagia is defined as the consumption of poop. Little research has been done on this particular behavior, so veterinarians can only guess why dogs do this. However, dogs aren’t the only animals that eat poop. Many other animals eat poop on a regular basis including rodents, gorillas, many insects such as dung beetles and flies.
Herbivores such as rabbits and rodents eat their own poop because their diet of plants is hard to digest efficiently, and they have to make two passes at it to get everything out of the meal. This is equivalent to a cow chewing its cud. However, because a cow has four stomachs, they are able to re-eat their food without having to poop it out first. Deer, moose and other four-stomached herbivores also chew their cud.
Many animals, including dogs, eat poop because poop contains vitamins produced by the intestinal bacteria that the animal can’t absorb through the intestinal wall. So, they get these vitamins by eating poop. Another reason that some animals, including dogs, eat poop is because poop contains protein. Dogs are particularly fond of cat poop because cat poop is high in protein.
Sometimes dogs may eat poop out of boredom; others may observe other dogs eating it and imitate the behavior. It may be a way of getting attention because owner tends to reprimand them and, therefore, pay attention to the animal. A female dog will eat the poop of her pups as a way to keep the den clean and reventing the scent of the poop from attracting predators. Some particularly dominant dogs may eat other dogs’ poop order to remove it, and therefore remove other dogs’ presence. This is because poop is one way in which dogs mark territory.
Some scientists believe that eating poop is just a trait passed down to dogs from their ancestors. Coyotes and wolves have been known to eat their own poop during food shortages, and have also been known to eat the poop of herbivores which contain many of the B vitamins. Starving dogs will eat their own poop, as well.
It may even be possible that there is no theory or particular reason why dogs eat poop. They may do it simply because it tastes good to them. Whatever reason they do it, try to keep them from eating poop because many parasites, including giardia, coccidia, roundworms and whipworms, can be transmitted through dog and cat poop. Additionally, clumping litter can pose a health threat to dogs if they eat it. Think of what the litter does when a cat urinates in it. Similar things may happen in a dog’s stomach if it eats enough of the litter.