The medical term for your beagle eating poop is coprophagia. It is an eating disorder resulting from nutritional issues or it could be a sign of deep anxiety. Read on to find out the possible causes and most importantly what to do to stop your beagle from eating poop.
Reasons For Your Beagle Eating Poop
Beagles eat poop for different reasons. It could actually be to free their space from dirt, or they may be hungry enough to eat it. Make sure the dog learns to toilet at specific locations. Also, ensure your Beagle gets enough to eat. If not, the dog takes matters into its own hands and will not hesitate to eat poop.
Dogs suffering from parasite attacks lack the nourishment needed to be healthy. They may also suffer from worm trouble. In any case, health concerns increase the chances of malnourishment. The dog is forced to eat its own excrement if the condition persists over a long time.
Anxiety could be a strong reason why beagles eat poop. If it sees you clearing excrement, it will try to replicate your action with its mouth. It can’t hold the poop and so swallows it. Watching other dogs indulge in the habit may have the same effect.
Whatever the cause, you have reason to believe the poop-eating problem can be resolved and quite easily at that. This is the key.
Home Remedies to Stop Your Beagle Eating Poop
Helen Ubinas in a revealing article for Dogster provides a list of home remedies that she personally tried with her own dogs.
Pepper or hot sauce: Generously sprinkle on the poop that your dog is ingesting. Enough potent sniffs or bites, the theory goes, and your dog will be turned off to eating poop.
Pumpkin: Add a few spoonfuls of canned pumpkin to dog food. Theory: Pumpkin tastes good going in, but not so good in excrement.
Meat tenderizer: Apply generously on dog food. It apparently makes the dog’s waste taste awful. Read the complete story here.
Making Adjustments in Behavior
Health problems are the most common reasons for beagles eating poop. If you notice it happening recently and all of the sudden, you can be sure the dog is suffering from some ailment. Regularly eating excrement is a sign of worm trouble, or your dog may be suffering from parasite attacks. If you are sure the dog is well-fed, the only option left is to consult a vet, get the dog checked completely, and begin prompt treatment.
If your beagle does not suffer from any health problem, observe changes in the dog’s behavior leading to the eating habit. Recurring incidents of coprophagia may be due to other reasons.
Maintain cleanliness in the yard by scooping off the poop. Ensure the path leading to your house is clear of excrement. Observe behavioral patterns, if health problems have been ruled out. You may be able to spot why your beagle eats poop by constantly monitoring its actions.
Commercial Options to Stop Your Beagle Eating Poop
Helen suggests these two commercial products, which she personally tried with her dogs in her battle against this habit. A word of caution, though, as soon as her dogs were off the pills, they went back to their old habit.
For-bid: This is a popular taste deterrent you can easily get online, from your veterinarian or your neighborhood pet store. Sprinkle the stool-eating preventative on dog food to make the stool unpalatable.
Nasty Habit: This is just one brand of a widely available liver chewable to help break your dog off the nasty habit. Dosages are based on your dog’s weight. And if the pills don’t do the trick the first time, you can repeat the treatment.
Making Necessary Adjustments
Proper training may help resolve the problem of your beagle eating poop. If the habit persists when you take the dog to public places like parks or when it’s off the leash, opt for professional advice. Consistent efforts on your part will produce results quite easily. Make sure your dog does not lick your face until you solve the issue.
What is your experience with your beagle eating poop? Have you found any ingenious trick to stop this habit? Share with all the beagle community by leaving a comment below.
