My Dog Ate Deer Poop Will He get Sick?
My Dog Ate Deer Poop Will He get Sick?
Do you live in an area with deer? Have you taken your fur baby on a lovely walk, then encountered some deer poo, only to have your dog chow down on the poo? You’re not alone! This is a common problem in dogs!
While we find this horribly gross, for dogs it’s like eating the finest caviar. Dogs seem to like almost any type of poo, including deer poo. This fascination with eating poo even has a name, it’s a condition called coprophagia. Unfortunately, this habit can cause health problems in your fur baby if he eats a lot of deer (or any other) poo.
Deer Poo Can Make Dogs Sick
Dogs that love to munch down on deer poo can become sick from bacteria and other substances in the poo. So, if your fur baby has a poo-eating habit, it’s time to get him checked at the vet. The vet will check for any health issues and may determine your dog does have coprophagia.
Symptoms of Coprophagia in Dogs
If your fur baby is eating feces from deer and other animals on a regular basis, there’s a high probability he is suffering from coprophagia. He may even develop these symptoms:
- Stomachache (big surprise!)
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Intestinal parasites
- Infections
There are medical conditions that can cause this poo-eating habit including:
- Parasites
- Drugs (such as steroids)
- Malabsorption syndrome
- Diabetes
- Cushings
- Thyroid problems
Diagnosis of Coprophagia in Dogs
The vet will perform a thorough physical exam and will also order a wide variety of tests. These tests will be used to rule out other medical conditions that could cause your canine companion to eat deer poo.
There are treatments available to help your dog feel better and to stop eating poo.
At home, you can also do the following to keep your fur baby away from the tempting poo morsels:
- Keep your dog on a leash when walking in places that may have deer poo
- Keep the yard free of all poo
- Keep a favorite treat on hand to distract your fur baby away from the poo
- Change your dog’s diet and/or feed him small amounts more often
By following your vet’s instructions and doing what you can at home to help your fur baby avoid poo, the chances are high for a full recovery from this nasty habit. The main issue is to keep your fur baby from accessing poo throughout this process now and in the future!
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Ewww. That’s really gross! Coprophagia or however it’s spelt is not supposed to be found in dogs because they will never know it’s a health issue until it brings them down. They don’t know how long the poo has been in the open or what has grown in it. As dog owners, we shouldn’t even let our dogs make this a habit.
Right. We can’t let them get used to loving poo to always jump on it whenever they see one. If you stay around where you find lots of that, keep your dog or puppy from accessing poo. For me, I always keep an eye out when going out so that I can easily pull my dog away when I see poo in front.
Ohh! This is really amazing! I had to read the content twice. Lately, I have been noticing more deers around my home and I’m the type that gives some level of freedom to dogs.
I’m glad I found this on time. I just have to do something about her freedom now so she doesn’t come down with what will give both us of us a headache soon.
Exactly. Dogs that love to munch down on deer poo can become sick from bacteria and other harmful substances in the poo. It’s never healthy or ideal for us to always let our dogs eat any poo they find even if it’s their own lying in the yard. They may not look it, but it will definitely make them sick.