Vizslas are a hunting breed, so that they will eat just about anything. So why is my Vizsla eating poop? Why would he want to consume his waste? There are many reasons your dog may be eating feces, and understanding them can help you determine the cause of this behavior.
So, why is Vizsla eating poop? The most common reasons why Vizsla eats poop are isolation, health issues, anxiety, getting attention, restrictive confinement, improper diet, and the taste.
If you want to know more about each of these reasons, read further. I will be disclosing everything about Vizsla’s poop-eating habit in this article.
Facts About Vizslas Who Eat Poop
When it occurs in puppies, coprophagia is generally the process of exploring the world around them. Most likely, this will happen when they get a chance to find out what something feels like in their mouth.
Some puppies also eat poop because they don’t digest their food and tend to regurgitate it, which can smell more delicious than the original meal.
In adult dogs, the most common cause of this behavior is an intestinal disease such as roundworm. However, dogs dealing with stress or other medical ailments may also eat feces because they experience a change in their sense of smell and taste.
Why Is Vizsla Eating Poop?
If your adult dog starts to eat poop, you should consult with the Vet to rule out any health problems such as parasites, a low-calorie or nutrient-deficient diet, malabsorption syndromes, diabetes, etc.
Sometimes, your pet prefers to eat its poop due to some environmental or behavioral circumstances, like:
Vizsla Eats Poop Due To Isolation
Generally, keeping the dogs in crates or kennels for a more extended period develops separation anxiety. So, to soothe themselves, they eat their poop.
If your Vizsla starts eating its feces, there are high chances that they might be suffering from separation anxiety because they were alone and isolated for too long.
Restrictive Confinement
If your Vizsla spends more time enclosed in a smaller space than they typically do when given the opportunity, your dog may turn to eat poop as a means of getting back some control. If you have noticed this behavior in your Vizsla, make sure you provide them with more room or opportunities for exercise by incorporating walks into their daily activities.
Vizsla Eats Poop Due To Anxiety
Usually, Vizsals from the breeding house where they lived crowded and threatened areas will more likely be resentful. Hence, they will lose faith in humans and foods given to them by humans and will refuse to eat.
It’sIt’s not unusual for a puppy or a dog that is new in the house to eat poop due to anxiety of being away from its mother too long. In addition, these dogs have never socialized with other animals or people before. So, they can feel uncomfortable when they are alone in a crowded area.
For Attention
Vizslas love to be around people and always seek attention. Moreover, the owners see poop eating as bad behavior and give more care to them when they eat poop.
Therefore, when they feel that their owner is ignoring them, they start to eat poop and waste just for the shake of attention.
Your Vizsla Eat Its Poop Because Of Taste
Poops are the by-products of what they eat. Thus, these dogs can smell the remains of their food in their poops. As a result, they will associate feces with real food and eat it.
Furthermore, frozen poops are chewy that most dogs enjoy eating.
Improper Diet
Your Vizsla eats its poop due to the lack of nutrition in its diet. However, this medium-sized dog doesn’t need a lot of food. But still, you need to fulfill its nutritional requirement.
However, sometimes the owners fail the dietary need of their Vizslas. So, they eat their poops to full the nutritional deficiency.
Health Issues
Some diseases like Malabsorption syndromes, Diabetes, Cushing’sCushing’s, thyroid disease, kidney disease, bowel disease, and GI infections can cause a dog to eat its poop. In some cases, the underlying condition may be reversible with treatment.
How To Stop Your Vizsla Dog Eating Poop?
Undoubtedly, poop-eating habit isn’t a good behavior of a family dog like Vizsla. So, you need to do something to stop your pal from eating its feces. Thus, some of the ways you can adopt this are:
Vitamin Supplementation Can Stop Vizsla From Eating Poop
Vitamin supplementations are an excellent way to stop your dog’s poop-eating habit. But, if you feed your Vizsla with high-quality food, it will probably not eat its poop. However, the dog does this for some reason (even after taking vitamins). So, consult a veterinarian and change the vitamin regimen according to his prescription.
Enzyme Supplementation
Since the texture of poop fascinates your Vizsla to eat its feces. So, you can use some enzymes to soften the surface of the poop, like papain. Thus, these enzymes can suppress your Vizsla’sVizsla’s urge to eat poop.
As a result, your pal will be less likely to eat poop.
Taste Aversion Products Will Stop Vizsla From Eating Poop
Some products like camomile, pepper-plant derivatives, garlic, and parsley will make your dog’s stool less appealing. Unfortunately, these ingredients also have the power to mask the strong and unpleasant smell of their poop, so you may find it disgusting and unappealing.
Coprophagia In Vizsla
Coprophagia is a compulsive behavior that leads the dog to eat its poop or other animal’s feces that came into contact with it. Further, this can lead to many diseases like canine parvovirus and pseudorabies (if you recently vaccinated your infected dog).
Further, it is a common problem if you have more than one pet in your house. Moreover, a study also says that only 20% of the dogs have coprophagia with a single pet. But dogs in a family comprising three or more pets have 33% chances of this habit.
However, this problem usually persists in pets with gastrointestinal issues. Thus, if Vizsla shows coprophagia, you need to be attentive and seek the Vet’s help.
What Should I Do If My Vizsla Eats Dog Poop?
Some people may punish their dogs for this behavior, but it’s important to remember that dogs who eat feces are usually not hungry and have more medical problems that need attention. The best thing you can do if your Vizsla is eating poop is to manage the environment and train them.
And the best things to do if your Vizsla starts eating poop may be:
- First, maintain a clean surrounding around your Vizsla.
- Potty train your Vizsla.
- Always supervise your dog during walks and exercise.
- Ensure that your dog cannot reach its poop after defecating.
- Give command training to your dog to control its behavior.
Conclusion
Summing up, I hope this article gave you all the necessary information about the pooping eating habit of your Vizla and the ways to manage it. Since these dogs are perfect family dogs, it is your responsibility to manage their behaviors.
Further, through proper training, you can shape your pal and manage its habit as per preference. I hope you learned a lot about your Vizsla through this article.
To resolve your queries, please mention them in the comments.
