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Why does my dog eat her own poop? Is it normal and how to stop?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Pomeranian | Female | unspayed | 5 months and 10 days old | 10 lbs

Why does Delilah eat her poop? She eats it depending on the consistency of it.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Amber W

Answered By Amber W

Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist

Published on August 13th, 2017

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Delilah is adorable! Unfortunately most of the time when a dog is eating it's own feces, it's just because they've developed the habit and decide that they like it. Obviously it's a pretty gross thing to do and can lead to reinfection with GI parasites so it's a behavior we want to try to stop. First you should do regular and immediate removal of feces in the yard so Delilah has less of a chance to get to the poop. You can also try feeding something like Forbid (a product you can purchase) or a small amount of pineapple juice mixed in with her food. This will sometimes stop a dog from eating their own feces.

Very rarely this behavior can be a sign of a nutritional deficiency so if it continues have Delilah evaluated by your veterinarian. And bring a stool sample for evaluation as well to ensure she has not picked up a GI parasite.

Hope this helps!
Vote Icon1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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