Why do mom dogs eat their puppies’ poop?
This dog blog will answer the major question, “Why do mom dogs eat their puppies’ poop?” we will also cover what coprophagia is, the reasons for coprophagia, and how to stop coprophagia in your dog.
Why do mom dogs eat their puppies’ poop?
Mom dogs eat their puppies’ poop because they want to keep the den of the puppies clean. They also eat it to protect their puppies from any predators because the smell of the poop attracts various kinds of predators. It is completely normal for a mother dog to eat puppy poop in the early days of life until weaning.
What is coprophagia?
The poop-eating behavior is called coprophagia. It is a normal and common behavior in canines but it can be due to abnormal reasons. It is normal for a mother to eat poop until the puppies are weaned.
If the female dog is eating poop after weaning then there might be a problem with the mother of the puppies. You have to check or visit a vet to find out what is the problem with the mother dog.
What are the reasons for coprophagia in dogs?
Following are the reason for coprophagia in dogs:
Protect puppies
The mother dog wants to protect its puppies therefore the mother dog eats the poop of the puppies. The smell of the poop is attractive to the predator around and they will try to eat the puppies. This is a natural behavior of the female dog to protect their puppies.
Keep den clean
The next thing is to keep the den clean. If the den is dirty with poop, there is a greater chance of diseases spreading from the poop of the dog to other dogs. The mother wants to protect its puppies so it will eat the poop to keep the den clean.
Stress
The next thing is stress. If the female dog is eating poop after weaning the puppies then it is an abnormal behavior of the female dog. It could be because of the stress on the dog. It will affect the health of your dog and it will start eating poop. Stress could be because of isolation, the death of a puppy, or some other stress.
Digestion problems
The next thing is the digestion problem. If your female dog is facing digestion problems then it will eat poop to gain maximum nutrients. The poop is soft so your female dog feels less difficulty in digesting the poop.
You should take your female dog to the vet. Your vet will analyze the condition of your female dog and treat it accordingly. Give soft food to your dog so that your female dog doesn’t eat poop.
Malnutrition
Your dog is not getting enough nutrients so it will try to eat the poop of the puppies. It is very natural for female dogs to eat poop if the nutritional requirement is not met. Your female dog will try to gain as many nutrients as it can get from the poop.
Internal parasites
The next problem is the internal parasites. Internal parasites can cause your dog to eat poop, especially worms. Worm infestation can cause blockage in the intestine of your dog so you need to be careful if your dog is suffering from such a condition.
Following are the major clinical signs of worm infestation in your dog:
- Loss of appetite
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Dehydration
- Eating poop and mud
- Lethargy
- Rough coat
- Weakness
- Weight loss
Seeking attention
It might be due to seeking attention. Dogs love their owners. They want the love of their owners. If the owner is not paying attention to its pet dog, it will do weird things like eating poop to grab the attention of its owner.
If you give proper attention to your dog, it will not do anything weird.
Hunger
Sometimes hunger is the reason for the poop-eating behavior of your dog. If you are not giving enough food to your dog, it will eat poop to fulfill its physical need from it. You should give calculated food according to the age, weight, and sex of your dog. Consuming more than that is also harmful to your dog.
How can you stop your dog from eating poop?
You can stop your dog from eating poop by:
- Eliminating nutritional deficiencies
- Give proper nutrition to dogs.
- Planned a deworming schedule for your dog.
- Give proper training to your dog.
- Remove any form of stress in the environment.
- You should give proper attention and love to your female dog.
Conclusion
In this dog blog, we answered the major question, “Why do mom dogs eat their puppies’ poop?” we also discussed what coprophagia is, the reasons for coprophagia, and how to stop coprophagia in your dog.
