Why Does My Dog Eat Poo? Causes and How to Stop It
Few behaviours disgust UK dog owners more than coprophagia — the technical term for eating faeces. Whether your dog eats their own stools, other dogs' faeces or something even worse from the garden, it is a behaviour that is simultaneously baffling and repulsive. Understanding why dogs do this is the first step towards reducing it.
Key takeaways
- Coprophagia is surprisingly common in dogs and has multiple potential causes including nutritional deficiency, malabsorption, parasites and medical conditions — a vet visit rules these out.
- The most reliable management strategy is environmental: pick up faeces immediately, keep dogs on lead near other dogs' faeces, and supervise closely during walks.
- EPI (exocrine pancreatic insufficiency) is a specific treatable condition — particularly in German Shepherds — that commonly causes coprophagia alongside weight loss and digestive problems.
Why Do Dogs Eat Poo?
Coprophagia in dogs has multiple potential causes and in many cases there is no single identifiable reason — it simply appears to be a normal, if unpleasant, canine behaviour. In wild dogs and wolves, eating the faeces of the pack's puppies is a den-cleaning behaviour that reduces the scent trail attracting predators to the den. Mother dogs routinely eat the faeces of their young puppies — this is entirely normal.
Puppies frequently engage in coprophagia between about 4 and 9 months of age as part of exploratory behaviour — they simply put everything in their mouths, including faeces. Many puppies grow out of this without intervention.
In adult dogs, possible contributors include: nutritional deficiency or malabsorption (the faeces of other dogs may contain partially digested nutrients); gastrointestinal enzyme deficiency; parasites causing increased hunger; medical conditions including diabetes, Cushing's disease or thyroid disorders increasing appetite; certain medications (particularly steroids) significantly increasing food drive; and boredom or attention-seeking.
Medical Causes to Rule Out
Before attributing coprophagia purely to behavioural causes, a vet visit is worthwhile to rule out medical contributors — particularly in adult dogs that develop coprophagia suddenly after a period of not doing it. Conditions associated with coprophagia include exocrine pancreatic insufficiency (EPI, where insufficient digestive enzymes are produced, causing malabsorption), intestinal parasites, malnutrition on a poor quality diet, and gastrointestinal disease affecting nutrient absorption.
EPI is a condition seen particularly in German Shepherds and is characterised by weight loss, frequent large loose stools, increased appetite and coprophagia. It is treatable with pancreatic enzyme supplements added to food, and affected dogs typically improve dramatically.
Your vet can assess for parasites with a faecal examination, and test for EPI with a TLI (trypsin-like immunoreactivity) blood test if indicated. If a medical cause is found and treated, coprophagia often resolves.
Practical Management Strategies
The most reliable practical solution for coprophagia is simply removing the opportunity: pick up faeces from the garden immediately rather than leaving it accessible, keep your dog on a lead in areas where other dogs' faeces are present, and supervise closely during walks to intervene before eating can occur.
A strong 'leave it' or 'drop' cue — trained using positive reward-based methods — is very useful for interrupting the behaviour on walks before your dog reaches faeces. This needs to be trained in low-distraction environments first and well established before relying on it in real-world situations.
Feeding a high-quality, nutritionally complete diet that meets all of your dog's needs removes the nutritional deficiency motivation if present. Ensure parasite prevention is up to date and discussed with your vet — regular worming and flea control reduces parasitic drivers.
Deterrent Products and Supplements
Several commercial products are marketed as coprophagia deterrents in the UK. Most work by making faeces less palatable through added ingredients (such as monosodium glutamate derivatives, yucca extract, or bitter compounds) in the dog's food or stool. Products like Deter and coprophagia-specific supplements are available from UK pet shops and online.
Results with these products are inconsistent — some owners report significant improvement, others report no effect. They are worth trying, particularly for dogs that primarily eat their own faeces, but should be considered alongside environmental management rather than as a sole solution.
Ensuring faeces are cleared up promptly remains the most reliable deterrent — a dog that never has access to faeces cannot eat them.
When to Seek Veterinary Help
Seek veterinary assessment if: coprophagia has started suddenly in a previously unaffected adult dog; it is accompanied by weight loss, increased appetite or abnormal stools; your dog appears generally unwell; or the behaviour is so intense and frequent that it is causing health concerns.
Coprophagia carries a risk of parasite transmission — dogs that frequently eat other dogs' faeces may need more frequent worming treatment. Discuss appropriate parasite prevention with your vet, particularly if you live in an area where the dog has regular access to other animals' faeces.
For compulsive or very intense coprophagia that does not respond to management and medical investigation, a referral to a veterinary behaviourist may occasionally be warranted.
Find a Vet Near You
If coprophagia has appeared suddenly or is accompanied by other symptoms, a vet visit is the right first step. Standard UK consultations average £61.99.
Use [CompareMyVet](https://app.comparemyvet.uk) to compare vet prices near you and find a practice offering transparent, fair fees for health consultations.
Common questions
Eating faeces risks transmitting intestinal parasites (worms, protozoa) between dogs. Dogs that regularly eat other dogs' faeces should have appropriate parasite prevention discussed with a vet. Eating their own faeces poses lower direct risk, but the behaviour should still be addressed for hygiene and management reasons.
Cat faeces are highly attractive to dogs — cats have a higher protein diet and their faeces contain residual nutrients that dogs find irresistible. Placing the litter tray somewhere the cat can access but the dog cannot, or using a covered litter tray with a cat-only access hole, is the most effective solution.
Many puppies do grow out of coprophagia by around 9–12 months without specific intervention. Adult dogs that develop the behaviour for the first time, or where it persists and intensifies, are less likely to grow out of it spontaneously and benefit from management and veterinary investigation.
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