Dog is eating poop

Your dog might be eating poop because of a rare illness called "coprophagia". 

There are some medical conditions that may cause coprophagia, such as Exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, Pancreatitis, Intestinal infections, and more. Get your dog checked out, just to be sure there is not a health problem that causes this unpleasant habit.

Maybe your dog is bored and eating poop as a toy, another source of play. Especially dogs which have come from puppy mills or pet stores may see it as a toy because their former environment was so barren. 

The emotional stress from a restricted or small area or being left alone for long periods of time without the companionship of the caregiver sometimes can result in the eating of his own feces. 

Therefore, give your dog more daily exercise, interaction with his people and mental stimulation.

There is evidence a possible cause of coprophagia (medical expression for your dog eating poop) is the lack or reduced intake of vitamin B. Vitamin B acts as a co-enzyme promoting several biochemical reactions to change carbohydrates into glucose which provides energy to the body. 

If the following conditions are true, it points very much to your dog having a vitamin B shortage: 

a) Excessive shedding

b) Constantly picks up fleas and ticks

c) Dirty and or decaying teeth

d) Motion sickness

e) Weight gain and constipation

f) Dog is on a vegetarian diet

g) Dog is getting antibiotics

(However if none of them apply your dog may still have a vitamin B shortage, albeit not that extreme). 

Commercial dog food contains vitamin B, unfortunately it is fragile and it's being affected by heat, light and air. So if the dog's food is left in its bowl for a long time, the B-complex vitamins will be destroyed. It is important the B-complex vitamins to be added as a supplement both to home made and commercial and diets.

Vitamin B  is available naturally in milk, eggs, brewers yeast, wheat bran, liver, wheat germ, kelp, kidney and heart, molasses; however even diets containing these, in many cases fall short of providing dog with enough Vitamin B. Being a water soluble vitamin, it should be fed twice a day.

Pet supplements can be found easily in the market: 

1. Supplements for the older dog

2. Vitamin B12

3. Vitamins and Supplements

When a dog is fed low-quality or inappropriate dog food, it feels like it should eat more in order to satisfy its body's craving for nutrients.
 
Dog foods must contain some specific levels of fat, minerals, vitamins and proteins depending on the lifestage of the dog. There are many complete and balanced dog foods in the market:

1. Taste of the wild 

2. Rocco & Roxie Liver Treats

3. Diamond Naturals

If you have cats, buy a self-cleaning litter box and place it in an area in your home where the dog can’t get to it, or buy a dog-resistant litter box. 

It is also recommended to improve your cat's diet and add digestive probiotics and enzymes at meal time in order to make its poop less appealing to your dog.

Overfeeding a dog can lead to coprophagia (medical expression for eating poop). An overfed dog can’t absorb all of the nutrients of its food, and may try to “recycle” its nutrient rich waste.

A yard or kennel where stools pile up might prompt a dog to 'clean up' his poops. Be sure to clean this area every day, and preferably just after the dog eliminates.

If a dog is punished for defecating into the house, it may eat its feces in order to hide the evidence or/and to avoid punishment. Typically, when a dog defecates in the house it is because it feels unable to hold it. Dogs don't poop indoors for spite; spite is a totally human, not a canine, emotion. 

If your dog is consistently hungry it might be an indication that he doesn't get enough (food, minerals etc.) and therefore tries to compensate that by eating his poop. Unless your dog is overweight, give him more food. 

Internal parasites may make a dog eat its own feces because the parasites can leach nutrients from the dog's system which it tries to get back by eating its poop. Ask the vet about it. 

There are some products to apply to the poops to discourage your dog from consuming them. You can find them in pet supply stores or from veterinarians. 

1. Forbid

2. Dis-Taste

3. NaturVet 

For puppies, eating poops may simply be a learning experience. Most puppies will develop a distaste for feces in fairly short period of time. So, if your dog is a puppy, just relax and give it some time: chances are that it will change its behavior in due time. Just try to discard waste whenever possible so your dog doesn’t develop bad habits.

Some products are especially made to tackle this problem, e.g. check out this one.

If you tried everything but nothing helps, educate yourself more about it, e.g. have a look here.

Find the stool and pour hot sauce over it, e.g. Habanero sauce. This makes the poop uncomfortable to eat but won't cause any real damage. After a bite or maybe several, your dog will come to the conclusion that it's not worth it.