Q. Why does a puppy eat its own waste?
A. Coprophagia, or eating of the feces, is an unfortunate activity of some dogs. There is no good science that explains why some dogs would do this because most of them are eating a complete, balanced diet.
Fortunately, most young dogs outgrow this habit as their tastes "refine." There are some powdered additives that can be sprinkled on your dog's food to discourage coprophagia, but they are totally unproven.
The best strategy is to keep dog waste cleaned up as much as possible, and continue feeding a high quality puppy or dog food. Regular deworming treatments, as often as two weeks apart, are also recommended for young dogs with Coprophagia. This is a simple liquid or granular formulation that your veterinarian can prescribe.
Best,
Jon Geller, DVM
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