My Dog Ate Deer Poop

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What can dogs get from eating deer poop?

Is it ok for dogs to eat deer poop?

In short, not really. Dogs eating deer poop can be quite dangerous and comes with some health risks. If you read on, you can see the reasons why dogs like eating deer poop, then I will detail dangers associated with this peculiar habit

And finally, tips on how to prevent your dog from eating poop, and what to do if they do manage to steal a bite when you turn your back.

The opening of this article probably made you squirm a bit. I apologize. The reason I painted a picture like that is to remove the judgment from the whole sordid topic and laugh about it a little. “Coprophagia” (that’s the fancy name for eating poop) is extremely common in dogs.

In fact, the American Kennel Club cites a study that showed 24% of the dogs in the sample ate poop at least once (view source).

If we multiply that to the dog population as a whole, that is a quarter of all dogs that have once had a nibble on their own dung or that of other species – such as deer poop/

So, let’s set the stigma aside for a moment and think about the reasoning behind it. I joked that poop could just be delicious and – who knows – I could be right.

Most scientists believe that dogs eat the excrement of other animals because they contain nutrients. Like most things in life, blame it on evolution.

That may be the origins of this strange habit, but there are also specific behavioral and psychological factors at play.

They are lacking in nutrients

Dogs are clever beings, so when they are lacking in nutrition, they seek it from other sources. Their ancestral past shows that deer poop could contain something they are deficient in.

This innate draw to eating poop for these reasons are generally because of extreme hunger, parasites in their intestines, diabetes, Cushing’s disease, or some other source of malnutrition.

They learned it from other dogs in your household

Yes, your other dogs’ may be the culprits here! According to the American Kennel Club, eating stools is a more common behavior in dogs from multi-dog households.

If they have seen other dogs do it and get away with it, they may also start snacking in this peculiar way.

FAQ

How do I stop my dog from eating deer poop?

Feeding him more food or feeding him more frequently throughout the day might stop him from eating deer droppings. Changing the type of food you feed him to a quality, veterinarian-recommended food might also stop him from supplementing his diet with deer feces.

Can dogs get sick from eating wild animal poop?

Eating their own poop is harmless, but consuming poop from other animals may cause health problems if the stool is contaminated with parasites, viruses, or toxins. In most cases, this behavior will fade before the puppy is about nine months old.

How toxic is deer poop?

Amswer: Deer droppings do have the potential to transmit both E. coli and chronic wasting disease (CWD), the latter of which is specific to deer and elk and has symptoms similar to mad cow disease.