Chihuahua and Poo not a Good Mix

I bet you thought I meant Poo as in Poodle in reality I meant Poo as in Poop A friend recently went camping in a rather rural area and, as most of us dog lovers do she took her Chihuahua with her

I bet you thought I meant Poo as in Poodle in reality I meant Poo as in Poop!

A friend recently went camping in a rather rural area and, as most of us dog lovers do she took her Chihuahua with her. When she returned home her Chi suddenly got sick and she took him to the vet.

Not knowing the exact cause of her Chihuahuas illness the vet gave him an antibotic shot along with other medications for his upset stomach?. Because of the area they camped in there may have been bear poo present and her sweet little Chihuahua decided to feast on it.

I was not too alarmed by her story; I raise horses and my Chi will eat horse droppings every chance they get and end up with upset stomachs afterward. I talked to my vet about this rather disgusting issue; I was assured it was not at all uncommon.

She did warn me to keep an eye on them for a condition known as Coprophagia an abnormal eating disorder. Coprophagia can be extremely serious as it can lead to parvo which is spread through feces.

Dogs can have a variety of other eating problems, just as we humans do, such as anorexia (extreme starvation, and deadly weight loss), and gorging (serious, unhealthy overeating). For this article I will focus mainly on coprophagia and some of the reasons behind this disorder.

Coprophagia - Definition and Possible Reasons
Coprophagia is the ingestion of poop that is neither accidental nor incidental. It is deliberate and habitual.

Possible Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
1. Is your dog hungry? If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

3. They might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

4. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. Possibly a sign of neglect.

5. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

6. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to keep her puppies safe by hiding the poop from predators.

7. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as an experiment or novelty.

8. Your dog might see other dogs eating poop from this, they learn to eat poop too.

9. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. There?s no accounting for taste and it obviously doesn't make sense to us but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that.

10. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, from his own poop or poop from another animal.

11. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, try feeding more frequently.

12. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans. In this case, your dog may eat poop purely by accident. Obviously, this does not explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

Patricia Ellison is an experienced Chihuahua Breeder and dog lover, her kennel is located in Chiloquin, Oregon. Patricia provides vital dog care and training information to dog lovers worldwide atPatz-Dogs.com Although she exclusively breeds and sells Chihuahua, info is provided on many breeds