Seeing your dog eating poop from the litter box can be shocking. Your first instinct may be to punish the dog for this behavior; however, you should know that this is a natural instinct passed on by his ancestors. Coprophagy is the common term for this disorder.
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Natural Instinct
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In the wild, dogs eat the stool of their young to hide their presence, to stave off hunger or to obtain vitamin and minerals lacking in their diet. This is natural dog behavior.
Nutritional Deficiency
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A thiamin or vitamin B deficiency or a digestive enzyme deficiency may cause your dog to eat cat poop. Adding supplements to his diet or changing his food may solve the problem.
Behavioral
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Coprophagy can be the result of boredom, stress, anxiety or frustration. In some cases, it becomes a compulsive habit.
Medical
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A dog with a digestive or malabsorption disease may not be getting the necessary nutrients from his food. This can lead to excessive hunger, which may cause him to eat anything he can find.
Taste
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Some dogs simply like the taste of cat feces. Cat food has a strong odor, which is passed through to their stool, and this odor is very attractive to dogs.
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