Why Does My Dog Eat Poop?
Coprophagia (kop-ruh-fey-jee-uh) is the scientific term for poop eating. Dr. Hart concluded on a study of the matter, canines are inclined to the activity thanks to their canine DNA, "possibly stemming from their wolf ancestors" who would eat poop to clean the den protecting other pack members from parasites. The study concluded no specific behaviors, such as separation anxiety or destructiveness, were related to Coprophagia.
From my experience with dog clients, dogs who eat poop or dirt are usually lack in digestive enzymes, minerals or probiotics and their gut may be bothering them and they're trying to soothe themselves by eating poop and/or dirt. You want to rule out parasites or malabsorption problems as I’ve found these may be causing the issue as well.
I'd recommend probiotics, digestive enzymes, and naturally occurring minerals added to your dog's food, and/or giving them humic and fulvic acid. If you're on a budget you can opt to try one of the products below to see if it works and if your dog is still eating poop after 4 weeks, try another.
As for my product recommendations below, I carefully examine all ingredients to ensure the product is quality for your dog. In case any of the makers of my product recommendations make future changes in ingredients after this blog was posted, please double check the ingredients after clicking the link. Xylitol is toxic for dogs; never give your dog anything with xylitol. Maltodextrin is appearing in a lot of supplements also and should not be given to your dog.
Naturally Mineral Rich Food Toppers:
Nettle Infusion
Pour 8 oz almost boiling water over 1 tbsp Stinging Nettle Urtica Dioica in a glass mason jar, place organic cheesecloth or natural parchment paper in between the lid and the jar, as many canning jars contain BPA. Steep at least 6 hours and serve within the next 24 hours. Use Approximate Dosing chart below and add into your dog’s food. You can put leaves and infusion into food, no need to strain to leaves out.
I’m obsessed with this dried loose leaf Stinging Nettle from Foster Farm in Vermont: https://fosterfarmbotanicals.com/products/nettle-urtica-dioica
If you live in New England I’d recommend nettles in the link above, but if you live elsewhere I recommend sourcing organic stinging nettle from a farm near you (or your backyard if you have it, but always make sure you use thick gloves and the stingers dry out before consuming or administering). Always check the harvest date as you want to consume it within the next year of harvest to reap the benefits.
Approximate Dosing:
Small dog (0-30 lbs) 1-2 tsp
Medium dog (30-60 lbs) 1-2 tbsp
Large dog (60+ lb) 2-3 tbsp
Nettle Seeds
You can order organic nettle (Urtica dioica) seeds on the internet. I like Strictly Medicinal's organic seeds. Add the approximate dosing from the chart below into your dog’s food.
Approximate Dosing:
Small dog (0-30 lbs) 1/8 tsp
Medium dog (30-60 lbs) 1/4 tsp
Large dog (60+ lb) 1/2 tsp 2x daily 3-4 times a week
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton has many benefits, as do the rest of these remedies, but staying on the topic of poop eating, phytoplankton delivers a broad spectrum of sea minerals including zinc, iron, selenium, manganese and magnesium. Start with adding 1/4 tsp into each meal (2x daily).
Additional food toppers for poop-eaters:
Probiotics (With or away from food)
Saccharomyces boulardii is a good one if the dog has been on a lot of rounds of antibiotics, as it increases IgA production in the gut which is needed to properly absorb other probiotic strands. Without proper IgA production, you could be wasting money on all probiotics as the body isn’t able to utilize them.
You want to be sure to rotate probiotic stands and not give the same one continuously for a long period of time. I like to switch probiotics at 8-12 weeks, going no longer than 12 with one. There is an exception I make with Saccharomyces boulardii.
The length of time you give your dog Saccharomyces boulardii depends on the length of time your dog has been on antibiotics. If your dog has been on more than one course of antibiotics, I’d recommend a minimum of three months with Saccharomyces. Look out for any kind of herxheimer, or healing reaction in your dog, such as soreness, hair falling out, fatigue, after administering Saccharomyces, especially if your dog has candida. If this is the case, back down the dose you’re giving your dog. If the reaction is severe then stop the administration completely, give at least a few days break and then restart at a much lower dose. Go as low as possible and you can always increase the dose with time. As with any herxheimer reaction, side effects shouldn’t last more than 72 hours and if they do, stop the supplement completely and speak with your herbalist or health professional.
You can administer either 20-30 mins before food, with food if it’s the only way your dog will take it, or a couple hours after eating. For a medium size dog (see weights in charts used above) use 1 capsule 2x daily, for a small dog 1/2 cap 2x daily and a large dog 1.5 caps 2x daily.
My dog and human clients have had good results using the Pure brand (very clean ingredients and high probiotic content) Saccharomyces probiotic I included for you below:
Digestive Enzymes
I like Dr. Goodpet's Digestive Enzyme. It also contains the probiotic Lactobacillus acidophilus. It's very economical compared to a lot of other digestive enzymes sold for dogs. It is also neutral energetically which is good if you’re unsure of your dog’s energetics. I like that I can use it with both my warm to hot dog clients and cool to cold dog clients. I included this product photo and link below. Use as directed on bottle.
Healthy Gut is another digestive enzymes dog product. It is a quality product with excellent results for some dogs. It includes multiple probiotics and prebiotics in addition to the digestive enzymes. However, if your dog runs warm to hot energetically, I’d recommend sticking with the Dr. Goodpet Digestive Enzyme in the link above. If using the product below, administer as directed on the container.
https://www.canineherbalist.com/supplements/healthygut-j3sww-kr3he-s9flb
Supplement for your poop-eater to try AWAY from food:
Humic and Fulvic Acid
You may have noticed your poop-eating dog also likes to eat dirt. Humic and fulvic acid are derived from soil and contain high amounts of decomposed organic matter. They support gut health and aid digestion. Supplementing them may be just what satisfies your dog and keeps them from eating poop and/or eating holes out of your yard. Soil based products are becoming more researched and proving the wisdom of ancient healers.
I recommend this product below contains humic and fulvic acid. The reason I say away from food is because it contain bentonite and you don’t want to serve clay with food and it interferes with nutrient absorption of the meal. Otherwise, dose the below product as directed on the container.
Again, make sure you rule out parasites and other diagnosis with your holistic vet first. If you’re wanting a more individualized protocol for your dog who is struggling from poop eating and/or other issues, you can book a dog herbalist consultation with me here.
We may think it's gross when our dogs eat other dog's or their own poop, but now you can understand there may be a health reason for this behavior. It could be your dog is actually really in tune with their body and don't care what they look like in trying to soothe their gut or get their issues taken care of. So, before you might judge your dog for eating poop, see if it's something you can help them fix which is causing their behavior.