It is normal for the dog, man’s best friend, to do many things that we humans find repulsive. All of a sudden, the dog rolls in some unidentified carcass outside during the morning walk, or all of a sudden it has some unidentified bone, which it found in a ditch, in its mouth. But for many, the most disgusting thing is when their usually cute and nice dog suddenly eats poo. Either their own, or someone else’s. But what is it due to?
From herbivores – no weirdness
If your dog eats poo from herbivores, such as horses, hares or cows, there is nothing strange. The poo of herbivores contains fibers and microorganisms that dogs and other carnivores need, writes Beautiful Dog.
If your dog eats its own poo
If, on the other hand, your dog eats its own feces or poop from other carnivores, it could be a signal that something is not quite right. For example, a lack of proteins or some other nutrient. Try giving your dog fresh food for a period instead of dry food and see if the problem goes away, writes Härliga hund.
If your dog continues to eat poo, you can contact a veterinarian to find out that nothing more serious is causing the behavior.
– It’s not always super dangerous with poo, but just like with everything else, poo contains residual products and there can be viruses and such and different types of bacteria that the dog is not used to. If they ingest it, it can cause disturbances in the intestinal flora and some viruses are more dangerous than others, says Åsa Risingchief veterinarian at Anicura Kumla animal hospital to Swedens radio.
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