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Eating Feces

When a Beagle Eats Feces | Coprophagia

Overview

If you get a bit frustrated because your Beagle keeps eating poop, you’re not alone. Coprophagia is a top behavioral concern seen with dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds. A Beagle may eat his own feces, most often when home alone, or may be seeking out feces of other dogs or animals when outside. In some cases, a Beagle may try to eat cat feces. 

Though this is not uncommon behavior, it is certainly one that needs to be addressed. Not only can a Beagle get ill from eating feces, in some cases it points to an underlying problem that needs to be resolved. 

Here, we’ll cover everything you need to know if your Beagle puppy or dog is eating feces, including how to stop it from happening. 

Can a Dog Get Sick from Eating Feces?

Depending on whether a dog eats his own or that from another animal, there are health concerns: 

Eating his own feces: May lead to upset stomach and/or intestinal distress, may suggest a lack of proper nutrition (which in itself can lead to both short and long-term issues), and any dog being treated for worms may re-infect himself via eggs found in feces during the ‘shedding’ process. 

Eating feces from other dogs: There are many parasites and disease that can be spread if a dog eats another dog’s feces. Top concerns include worms (roundworms, whipworms, tapeworms, hookworms) and disease including Campylobacter, coronavirus, cryptosporidiosis, giardiasis, parvovirus, and salmonella.  

Eating cat poop: A dog can contract worms from a cat, if she has worms and even if she is being treated for them, via eggs found in feces during the ‘shedding’ process. Additionally, 3 diseases a dog can most commonly contract from eating cat feces are clostridium, salmonella, and Campylobacter.

Possible Reasons a Beagle Will Eat Feces

The reasons behind coprophagia fall into 3 categories: Health, nutrition, and behavioral. 

1. Health. 

There are several illnesses that have coprophagia as one of the symptoms; however, for most of these conditions, there will be other, much more pronounced symptoms. That said, it's always wise to have the following ruled out, if any of these are suspected. Health conditions in which coprophagia may be present include by are not limited to:
  • Inflammatory bowel disease. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, weight loss, gas, and/or abdominal pain. 
  • Intestinal tumors or cancer. Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting of blood or feces, abdominal swelling, black or tarry stools, and/or hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which causes confusion, trouble walking, and/or weakness. 
  • Intestinal bacterial overgrowth. Symptoms include larger or more frequent stools in comparison to food intake, vomiting, gas, weight loss, abdominal pain, and/or increased appetite. 
  • Parasitic infection (includes worms and some fungal infections). Signs of worms are very varied depending on the type, but include vomiting, diarrhea, coughing, low energy, swollen abdomen, changes in appetite (increase or decrease), weight loss, poor coat texture, skin irritations, and worms that can sometimes be seen in the dog’s stools. 
  • Lymphangiectasia (intestinal tract disease). Symptoms include weight loss, diarrhea, abdominal pain, swelling in the limbs, vomiting, and/or cough. 
  • Age-related (young or old) nutrient absorption issues. Even without any health issues at play, very young puppies or older senior adult dogs may simply have troubles absorbing nutrients. 
2. Nutritional. 

This revolves around fillers, which are ‘empty’ ingredients meant to bulk up dog food (commonly employed as a cost-saving tactic by the manufacturers of cheap, inferior dog foods). Fillers include corn, corn bran, soy, wheats, hulls, husks, some ‘meals’, by-products, certain oats, mill runs, and more.

If a dog eats 1 cup of superior wholesome food, he’ll receive the benefits (fuel and nutrients) of 1 cup of food. 

If a dog eats 1 cup of inferior food with fillers, he’ll be full at first (he technically ingested 1 cup of food), and he’ll be receiving some fuel and nutrients, but also a lot of ingredients that the body cannot process. A good portion of fillers will pass through the body, providing nothing.

So, that 1 cup was actually only 3/4 cup or less. Though appearing to eat enough, a dog can be severely lacking in carbs, healthy fats, protein, and a wide range of vitamins and minerals.  If this applies to your Beagle, this can cause your dog to seek out another food source. And, a dog’s own feces can be a tempting food source; if the food contained fillers, much of those were not even digested by the body; there are food bits (albeit, low-value ones) mixed within the feces. 

In addition, there is a theory that a vitamin-B deficiency may lead to coprophagia, though other vitamins or minerals are suspected as well. 
3. Behavioral. 

This includes: 
  • Boredom. Lacking stimulation, boredom can set in quickly, leading to a dog inspecting and ultimately eating his feces. 
  • Stress. This may include separation anxiety, a chaotic environment, a move to a new home, or any other event or situation that a dog finds to be overwhelming. 
  • Unintentional training. The hubbub that occurs when a dog eats his feces (rushing over, inspecting the dog, speaking a mile-a-minute) may cause him to repeat the behavior to gain attention. 
Note: Though some sources will claim it as factual, there is no proof that a dog will eat feces due to ‘hiding’ an accident. There is also no proof that coprophagia is a continuation of puppy behavior, as young pups do not eat their own feces. 

How to Stop Your Beagle from Eating Feces

Keeping the aforementioned causes in mind, there are 3 main things that can help: 

#1 Offer top-quality filler-free, well-rounded meals and snacks. Avoid kibble with corn, wheat, soy, hulls, husks, and other fillers. Be sure that food offers all vitamins and minerals. 

One of the absolute best kibbles is Wellness CORE Natural Grain-Free. This is simply one of the best brands out there with zero additives, no synthetic preservatives, and top ingredients. The original formula has a turkey and chicken base. There is also an Ocean recipe with a base of whitefish, herring, salmon and menhaden, a wild game recipe with a base of duck and lamb, and even a reduced fat recipe. With these, there are excellent levels of omega and antioxidants as well. 
There’s several good choices for snacks. Keep in mind, dry is best for snacks between meals and chewy/moist is best for reward.

For dry treats to tide your Beagle over in between meals, Wellness CORE Marrow Roasts Treats are terrific. These hold up to the same standards of having only wholesome ingredients. These are crunchy on the outside and have real marrow on the inside. There's both beef and turkey. 
For training treats, Wellness WellBites Natural Grain-Free Treats are fantastic. Since it’s important that your Beagle finds training rewards to be extra delicious, there’s some great choices: chicken & lamb, chicken & venison, beef & turkey, turkey & duck, and lamb & salmon.
#2 Limit ability to eat feces.
There are several things you can do:

In your yard/outside:
  • Clean up feces in your yard. This involves both stools belonging to your Beagle and those belonging to any others (neighbor dogs, etc.). This can be done with traditional poo bags. Attaching a poo bag container to your dog’s leash helps make this convenient. Or, you may wish to use a ‘pooper scooper’. Weather permitting, you can use a hose to spray down feces; however, do keep in mind that if feces contains worms this can contaminate the soil.
  • Supervise. While opening the backdoor and just letting your Beagle out is certainly easy, if your Beagle has a strong coprophagia problem, it’s a good idea to supervise until other aspects have started to work to stop the urge.  
  • Leash control. When you take your Beagle outside, do so on leash and harness. As leader, you are in charge of where your dog goes and what he does. While there should not be any old feces in the yard (if you are following the suggestion of keeping that cleaned up), if your dog does head toward some, immediately give a ‘No’ and direct him away. If your Beagle goes to investigate at pile of poo while out on a walk, give a good tug (not a problem if you’re using a harness) and keep him moving. 
If you're looking for a good harness for your Beagle, the Authentic Puppia Soft Dog Harness is a great choice for this breed. It's easy to put on, is adjustable, and comes in 12 colors. 
  • If you do see it happen, stay calm. If your Beagle eats feces due to the sudden rush of attention that happens, do not allow this goal to be achieved.
When home alone: 

Work to create a stimulating environment. Note that these steps can help with separation anxiety as well. 
  • Have lots of interactive toys to keep your dog busy. This includes interactive toys that respond to a dog’s touch, such taking toys, squeakers, and/or crinkle toys. Additionally, treat-release toys like the OurPets IQ Interactive Food Dispensing Toy are always helpful.
  • Leave on a TV (some cable providers offer channels specifically for dogs to enjoy) or have music playing. 
  • Adjust breakfast time. Generally, when a dog eats, this will trigger a bowel movement a certain amount of time later. If you can move breakfast up by an hour, this can lead to a bowel movement that happens later in the day, and thereby creating a smaller window of time that the feces are there for your Beagle to possibly ingest them. 
#3 Try a deterrent supplement or aid. 

Ensuring optional nutrition and limiting access should be your main focus, since only some deterrents work, and for those that do, they do not work for all dogs across the board. What may work for one dog may not work at all for another. In addition, a tolerance can be built up; what works great now may lose its effectiveness later on which may require a change in methods after a period of time. Therefore, let’s go over what to not waste your time with and which ones may be worth trying: 
Do not use:

X - Hot sauce. The idea of this is sneak over to a fresh pile of poo and drizzle this over it; later, when your dog comes over to inspect the feces, the hot sauce will burn his mouth, making for such an unpleasant experience that there will be no future attempts. This method does not fix any underlying issues and does not help if a dog eats his feces when home alone. Additionally, hot sauce can cause actual burns to the mouth, upset stomach, and startle a dog, making this unethical. 

X - ANY supplement or aid with MSG (monosodium glutamate). This can cause minor to severe allergic reactions. It is included in MANY coprophagia supplements and is in many meat tenderizers (a home remedy). Read the ingredients on the packaging of any supplement you are thinking of using! 

What may work:

1) Pineapple. This contains bromelain, an enzyme that aids in the absorption of protein and helps with digestion. More protein absorption can potentially decrease the urge to seek other food sources. There is anecdotal evidence that this can cause stools to taste bad, thus acting as a deterrent. For a Beagle puppy, crushed pineapple can be given; serving size is generally 2 tsp per meal. For an adult Beagle, pineapple chunks can be given; serving size is 7 to 8 pieces per meal. 
2) Pumpkin. 100% real pumpkin is a great food to keep on hand since it can help with intestinal issues such as constipation or diarrhea. Since it works with digestion, it may aid in the absorption of nutrients, thus potentially decreasing urges to seek other food sources. Only use real pumpkin, not canned pumpkin pie filling. Puppies can have 1 teaspoon per day and adult Beagles can have 4 to 6 tablespoons per day. If you note that your Beagle’s stools are being runny or are too firm, cut back or stop the pumpkin. 

3) Adolph’s Meat tenderizer with No MSG. This is one of the few meat tenderizers that does not contain MSG, but it does contain papin, a protein-digesting enzyme derived from the papaya fruit. Since it works with digestion, it may aid in the absorption of nutrients, thus potentially decreasing urges to seek other food sources. In addition, there is anecdotal evidence that this causes stools to taste bad, thus acting as a deterrent. Dosing is not set, as this is an off-label use. We’d suggest nothing more than a light sprinkle.
4) Prozyme powder. If your Beagle is on a great food but is still eating feces, you'll want to consider this sort of supplement, as it can help puppies and dogs that have trouble absorbing nutrients. It can also help with issues such as loose stools. More nutrient absorption can potentially decrease urges to seek other food sources. Read the labeling for dosing instructions. For this, Trophy Prozyme Powder a good choice; it is 100% all natural and derived from plants. 
5) Potty Mouth. This is a supplement chew designed to taste just fine, but cause stools to taste terrible. It is only effective for some dogs, and may be worth a try; though, Potty Mouth has rather low reviews with only a handful of owners being satisfied. As of the time of this writing, there is no MSG and ingredients are brewer’s yeast, cayenne, biotin, vitamin B1, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, niacinamide, iron, and copper. Serving size is 1 piece per 10 pounds. 

How to Stop a Beagle from Eating Cat Feces

Aside from following the previous recommendations, such as ensuring your Beagle is on a high-quality kibble and has things to stay occupied, there are a couple of things you can do. One is to keep the litter box out of reach of your Beagle. Many owners choose the top of the washing machine. The other is to consider obtaining a cat litter box with a cover that will prevent your dog from accessing it.

A Final Word

Although lots of dogs eat their own poop or that of another animal, coprophagia is something that should not be ignored. Your Beagle can become ill, and it often points to a need for something to change in regard to your puppy or dog's care. 
Other Helpful Articles: 
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Taking Care of a Beagle's Teeth - If you ignore dental care, you'll probably regret it. Canines can suffer from terrible tooth decay. 
Can a Beagle Live Outside - Chances are that your Beagle loves to be outdoors, but would your dog be okay actually living outside? 
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