Why Dogs Eat Poop

By Keep the Tail Wagging

The show didn’t cover poop eating, which would have been perfect in this segment, so I’ll write about it here.  Rodrigo has a history of eating his poop – not the poop of other dogs, just his own.  This is related to his GI issues and adding a quality digestive supplement is what helped him.

When I was researching adding pancreas to his diet, I stumbled across a condition in dogs called EPI or Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency,  In this condition, the pancreas, which is the organ that regulates blood sugar level and produces digestive enzymes, isn’t working correctly resulting in symptoms that I was seeing in my dog.

I imagine Dr. Courtney and Dr. Olivieri cringing if they read that I used Google to diagnose my dog.  I talk to my vet too! I promise!

I give my dog a pancreas supplement called Bio Case Plus which has stopped the EPI symptoms, allowed him to produce raw fed poops finally, and stopped the poop ending.

• Read what I learned about EPI in dogs.
• Order Bio Case Plus for your dog.

What is Pica?

“Pica is a medical issue referring to a dog’s craving of a non-food item and the subsequent eating of said item. Coprophagia, meanwhile, is the eating and ingesting of feces. Generally, neither of these conditions are the result of an underlying disease, however, it can occur.”  Source: PetMD.com

My other dogs don’t eat random things.  My cat went through a period when he would eat the carpet; I bought him a few more cat toys and he stopped eating the carpet.  Now we have a few repairs to make around the house.

Why Dogs Eat Crazy Things

• Hunger
• Boredom
• Anxiety
• Stress

Medical Conditions that Cause Pica

• Anemia
• Diabetes

• GI Issues, like IBD (inflammatory bowel disease)
• Increased hunger
• Intestinal parasites
• Malnutrition
• Neurological disease
• Vitamin deficiency
• Thyroid disease

Signs of a Blockage in Dogs

• Vomiting
• Loss of appetite
• Diarrhea and/or tarry stools
• Difficulty pooping or inability to poop
• Lethargy
• Burping

If you think your dog has a blockage, call your vet immediately.  On this episode, Dr. Courtney spoke with a woman who’s dog ate glue, which expanded in his gut and created a life-threatening blockage that required surgery to remove.

The dog is fine today.