To wake up in the morning and have to think about your Yorkie eating his own poop is not a very pleasant experience. And I have had to face it. During that time I constantly used to think Why Does My Yorkie Eat Poop?
And, it was not just his own poop, he didn’t mind eating other animal’s poop as well! I used to be so disgusted at this and I almost wanted to give up on my Yorkie. But then I realized there must be a reason behind this. So I decided to find out the answer to the question – Why Does My Yorkie Eat Poop? And is it something specific to my doggo or is it common?
I asked people around me who were pet parents and even contacted my vet. There were so many new things that I got to know and I got the solution to my problem.
Keep reading if you are looking for solutions to your Yorkie’s eating poop habit.
Why Does My Yorkie Eat Poop? Top 12 Reasons
The first thing you need to know is that there is a proper term for your puppy’s poop-eating habit. It is called coprophagy. And it is a common behavior amongst puppies!
This behavior is caused due to many reasons. Let’s take a look at the reasons behind why your Yorkie is eating poop.
1. Poor Quality Diet That Does Not Meet the Nutritional Requirements
One of the most common and simple reasons behind your Yorkshire terrier eating poop is that his diet is not enough for him or is of poor quality.
If this is the case, they will eat feces to fulfill their requirements because to them it will appear like a snack or additional food.
The diet needs of a dog change with time. When your Yorkie is a puppy, he needs different nutrients. When he grows and becomes an adult, you need to feed him according to his requirements at that age.
As a dog owner, you must educate yourself about your pet friend’s dietary needs.
Looking out for some best quality food for your Yorkie? We’ve got you all covered here.
2. Natural Instinct
It might be a dog’s natural instinct to eat poop because they have inherited this habit from their ancestors – wolves. Wolves ate their stool to prevent their den from parasital infections.
They might even just be naturally curious to know the smell or taste of their own or other’s poop.
Sometimes, a puppy’s mother eats the poop in order to clean it. Your terrier might have picked up this habit from there.
3. Onset of Motherhood
After giving birth, your Yorkie might lick her babies around their anal area in order to ask them to defecate.
She also eats it to clean around the area until her babies have grown up enough to go out and defecate.
4. Behavioral Issue
Your Yorkie might also be eating his own poop because he has some behavioral issues.
While it could be because of reasons like boredom or stress, it might also be a consequence of your puppy staying home alone for long durations. This causes separation anxiety in your four-legged friend and they end up eating their own feces.
Click here if you want to know how you can help your dog in easing his separation anxiety.
5. Health Issues
Underlying health issues like nutritional deficiencies, intestinal or pancreatic diseases, thyroid diseases, bowel infections, and digestion issues can also be the reason why your Yorkie is eating poop.
6. Abuse by Past Owner Due to Pooping
Did your Yorkie have another owner before you adopted him? If yes, it is possible that the owner might have been abusive.
If a Yorkie is violently or verbally abused for pooping in the house or at the wrong place, he might eat his own poop to hide such an accident if it occurs.
This could be a traumatic experience for your four-legged friend.
7. Stress
Stress often leads to your Yorkie developing destructive habits like chewing around things, barking, nipping, and sometimes even eating his own poop.
Stress is caused due to many reasons like staying alone or shifting into a new home or constantly having a feeling that there is a threat around.
You should always notice how your Yorkie is behaving and try your best to not create stressful situations for him.
8. Parasites
If your dog’s body has parasites like tapeworm, they steal away some essential nutrients that your Yorkie needs.
Because your terrier needs it and wants to replace the deficiency that the parasite has caused, he will eat his own poop.
9. Incorrect Training
You might unintentionally be giving the wrong training to your Yorkie.
If you start behaving weirdly as soon as you notice a bowel movement in your puppy or run to clean the poop instantly, your terrier might get the feeling that his stool is something special and is something to be excited about.
It will catch his attention and the next time his curiosity might lead him into eating it.
10. Boredom and Lack of Activity
Boredom is another very common reason behind a puppy exhibiting poop-eating behavior.
If your puppy is sitting idle all day long and has nothing to do, he will just play around with his poop and eat it for fun.
11. A Liking for the Taste
I know it sounds very gross but for dogs, poop can be tasty.
In such a situation, the best thing you can do is keep your Yorkie away from it or distract him if he comes across feces somewhere. Pick his stool up as soon as possible.
12. Eating Cat’s Poop
It might be shocking for you but a cat’s poop is appealing to dogs. To them, it smells good!
Your terrier will dig into a cat litter box because for him, it is exciting and tasty.
Is Eating Poop Harmful For My Yorkie?
Eating poop is a natural behavior for some part of a Yorkie’s life so it may not be as harmful. But in some cases, it might have adverse impacts on your puppy.
Your Yorkie’s poop or any other animal’s poop is essentially what their body could not digest and harmful things that the body throws out. If your dog consumes it again, it is these harmful things that are going into his body.
Also, eating feces could be responsible for transmitting harmful parasites into your pet friend’s body. Cat’s poop might have worms or eggs and this could possibly infect your Yorkie puppy.
Overall, stool eating is a gross behavior and has no benefits so it’s best that your puppy does not eat it.
To your advantage, most puppies often leave this habit behind in some time. If your adult or senior dog is showing poop eating behavior, then it might be because of a serious problem.
How Do I Clean My Dog’s Mouth After Eating Poop?
Yes, it is very disgusting I know but you need to clean your terrier’s mouth after he has eaten poop. I am sure you don’t want him to roam around the house with that dirty or smelly mouth.
Usually, puppies don’t cooperate soon, but if you are lucky enough, your puppy will standstill. You can use a wet piece of cloth to wipe his gum, roof, and tongue. You can dip the cloth in coconut oil or saltwater for better results.
You can also give your Yorkie something to chew which will release saliva and it will automatically clean his mouth.
Or you can use this dog mouthwash to clean his mouth after he ate poop.
Top 6 Ways to Stop Your Yorkie From Eating Poop
1. Nutritious and High-Quality Food
It is very important to give your dog good quality food that contains all the necessary nutrients. It will keep your Yorkie healthy and he won’t have to look for nutrient replacements by ingesting poop.
Also, make sure you give him the appropriate amount of food. If you feed him less, then your pet friend will remain hungry and take poop as a snacking item.
Avoid feeding unhealthy food items and don’t give him excessive treats.
Check out this wholesome Whole Earth Farms dog food.
2. Mental and Physical Stimulation
Keeping your Yorkie mentally and physically engaged is another very essential task and it does not require you to do a lot.
A Yorkie puppy needs a maximum of twenty minutes of walk and an adult Yorkie would need 30 minutes. This is enough to keep him active and tire him out so that he does not indulge in destructive behaviors.
And, a short walk can be good refreshment for you as well! Take a look at all the important aspects that you should consider before taking out your pet Yorkie for a walk here.
Along with physical stimulation, mental stimulation is equally important. When a Yorkie is mentally active, he is more prone to being well-behaved.
Check out this engaging puzzle toy that you can get your doggo!
3. Consult a Vet for Any Underlying Health Condition
If you sense any weird activity in your pet that alerts you, immediately contact your veterinarian. Underlying health issues can become dangerous if not treated on time.
Even if you don’t sense anything wrong but your Yorkie’s poop-eating behavior is not going away and you think you are doing everything right, the best option is to consult a vet. You don’t know what might come out!
4. Use Multivitamins and Digestive Enzymes
The reason behind eating poop can be a deficiency of vitamin B in your doggo. Feeding your dog multivitamins as a supplement can be a good idea.
Check out this stool eating deterrent which contains five types of vitamin B!
You can also give your doggo some digestive enzymes to enhance the process of digestion. It will break protein making it much easier to digest and absorption of nutrients will also be increased.
5. Diligently Clean Your Yorkie’s Poop
If your dog is a poop eater, it might get very frustrating for you. To avoid letting your puppy think that his poop is something special, always be diligent and calm while cleaning your Yorkie’s poop.
Don’t let him feel that you are excited about it because he just might be doing it to attract your attention. Even while cleaning his mouth, be calm.
Express your disagreement with this behavior in a serious manner but don’t be violent.
If you are violent, it will have more bad effects than good and you need to be understanding. All this comes with adopting a puppy.
6. Place the Litter Box Away From the Yorkie’s Reach
Always keep the litter box at a place where your Yorkie cannot reach it. Try your best that your Yorkie has the least access to any unwanted thing.
You should also distract your Yorkie by giving him a treat or something when he is near the litter box or feces of other animals.
FAQs on Why Does My Yorkie Eat Poop?
1. Why Does Pineapple Stop Dogs From Eating Poop?
Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain, which makes the poop taste bad if ingested.
It makes poop unappealing to the dog and thus it stops him from eating it.
2. Why Is My Puppy Obsessed With Eating Poop?
Your poppy might be obsessed with eating poop because of underlying health issues or behavioral issues.
The reason could also be as simple as the fact that he likes how poop tastes.
3. How Do I Stop My Dog From Eating Poop on a Walk?
When taking your dog out for walks, you can put a leash around him that will keep him getting away from your reach. Also, keep an eye on him all the time when you are out with him.
Conclusion
Why Does My Yorkie Eat Poop is a question that you will find yourself asking at some point if you are a dog owner. If you read this article, you now know the reasons that instigate such behavior.
Other than all the ways mentioned above, you can also try crate training your puppy. All these ways will give effective results.
Just make sure that no matter how irritated you are, violence and abuse are something that you never turn to!
