Nothing is sweeter than bringing your newborn home from the hospital. That is until your dog becomes enamored of the baby! Many dogs become protective playmates of their newborn pack members.
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But what happens when a dog becomes fascinated with the baby’s poopy diaper? Here, we mean fascinated to the point of eating baby poop. Will the baby poop make the dog sick?
In this article, we’ll take a quick look at dogs and their love of eating poop. We’ll also let you know whether or not eating baby poop will make your dog sick. Let’s get started!
Why Do Dogs Eat Poop?
This is a topic that many pet parents are not able to deal with. Many are horrified when their dogs eat poop of any kind. As humans, this habit or need is unfathomable. But to dogs, eating poop is part of their natural behavior.
The behavior of poop-eating has a fancy name—it’s called coprophagy. Dogs eat poop for many different reasons:
- Mother dogs: eat their puppies’ poop to keep the den clean
- Starvation: dogs will eat poop to keep from starving. Poop is a food source.
- Nutritional deficiency: dogs may eat poop when they’re not getting enough nutrients from their food
- Illness: can cause a dog to eat poop
- Anxiety & stress: also can lead dogs to eat poop
When it comes to a baby’s poop, it’s not certain, but the dog may view the poopy diaper as a yummy snack. Or maybe the dog is cleaning up after the new “puppy.”
Can baby poop make your dog sick?
Baby Poop & Dogs
Yes, baby poop and other types of poop can make a dog sick. Poo can carry bacteria, foods, and medications that are harmful or even toxic to dogs. However, in most cases, a dog eating the poop from the family baby should be OK. But this should not be a regular occurrence.
Another issue that could be even more dangerous is if the dog ate a poopy diaper. Diapers can cause problems such as an intestinal blockage and more.
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Ask a Vet Live NowSymptoms of Eating Baby Poop in Dogs
You may notice these symptoms if your dog has eaten baby poop:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Lack of appetite
- Stomach pain
These symptoms should be short-lived. If they last longer than 24 hours, then it’s time to call the vet.
And if your dog has eaten a poopy diaper, consider this an emergency. Call the vet now.
If your dog has diarrhea and vomiting, the vet can treat these symptoms with medications. Your dog will be OK.
If your dog has eaten a diaper (cloth or disposable), he may require emergency surgery. This will depend on where the diaper is located in the dog’s digestive system.
For dogs who continually try to get at poopy diapers, then you may need to visit the vet. The goal here is to see if your dog has any underlying medical condition causing him to eat poop.
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Julie
Julie is a graduate of the University of North Carolina, Wilmington, where she studied Animal science. Though contrary to the opinion of her parents she was meant to study pharmacy, but she was in love with animals especially cats. Julie currently works in an animal research institute (NGO) in California and loves spending quality time with her little cat. She has the passion for making research about animals, how they survive, their way of life among others and publishes it. Julie is also happily married with two kids.
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