Why does my dog eat feces from the cat litter box?

Answer 1

my dog does the same thing, she also eats toilet paper we still cant get her out of doing that.
Dogs will sometimes eat their own feces. Others are attracted to feces from other animals, such as cats, horses and deer. The reasons range from a vitamin deficiency to boredom or anxiety. The scientific name for this behavior is coprophagy. If your dog eats feces, be sure to report this to your vet. Even though it's very common, it's one of the behaviors associated with rabies, and there are health risks for stool-eating dogs. They can infect themselves with parasites, such as giardia, Filaroides, or coccidian. If the feces are around for two to three weeks or more, roundworms and whipworms may be present. Here are some suggestions for solving this problem:

Answer 2

Our dog was eating rabbit feces from our front yard. The vet told us the dog does this as a territorial thing, even though the dog might not want to eat it. Not exactly the same, but it could have something to do with your dog trying to claim it's territory.

Answer 3

It is a nasty habit but all dogs do it if they can get to the litter box.
Try moving it where they can't get to it. I think it is the taste. I have long said that if someone could invent a dog food that tasted like cat poo, they would be millionaires.

Answer 4

Dogs are wierd like that...they go by smell not disgustingness so maybe it has to do with what's still in the cat feces (not entirely digested I guess). Think about changing the dog or cat's diet.

Answer 5

That's a good question...my dog eats rabbit feces from the yard. I don't really know. I would think it is maybe some sort of territorial issue.

Answer 6

This behavior is very common in dogs. It is the result of either boredom or a vitamin deficiency. There is medication at your local pet store or thru your veterinarian that will stop this behavior. The product I know of is Deter Coprophagia Treatment. It works well because my daughter uses it for her dogs. Good luck!

Answer 7

There a certain proteins that can be obtained through feces. You'll notice Guinea Pigs particularly like these proteins and will turn around and excrete into their mouths. o_O

And, like the above posts, it is also a terriotry thing.

Answer 8

Short answer: because he's disgusting! Seriously, dogs don't think in terms of 'good' or 'bad', all they care about is 'interesting' and the stronger something smells, the more interesting it is. This is also why they get into garbage and roll around on dead animals. They want to use all their senses to get the full effect of interesting things. Think about where Rover's been the next time he licks you on the face...

Answer 9

Helping you clean it out?
Stopping Dogs From Eating Poop
Dog Tip: Stopping Dogs From Eating Poop (Coprophagia) Does your dog have a dirty little secret? ... Dogs naturally do not like to poop or urinate in their ...www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_PoopEating.php
http://www.paw-rescue.org/PAW/PETTIPS/DogTip_PoopEating.php

My Rott, Rocco, has been eating cat crap since he was just a baby. He is 5 months old and is still doing it. It is so gross. I know some dogs do itrottweiler.net/forums/puppy-development/64742-dogs-eating-poop.html
http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/puppy-development/64742-dogs-eating-poop.html

Answer 10

remember when you were a kid and would have easter egg hunts? thats what dogs think of cat litter boxes.