Episode 006: The Stink on Why Boston Terriers Eat Poop

Who doesn’t relish a good puppy kiss from man’s best friend? Those of us who own Boston Terriers know they are notorious for eating poop. It can be hard to comprehend why someone that we love so much can have such a dirty little habit. 

Check out the full article here: https://www.bostonterriersociety.com/boston-terriers-eating-poop/

You might also be wondering if this bad habit can cause other issues besides just being disgusting. Let’s talk about the reasons behind why Boston Terrier might eat poop and what you as the loving pet parent can do to stop it.

Why Boston Terriers Eat Poop

There are several reasons for a Boston Terrier to eat its poop. These reasons include Nutritional Deficiencies, Hunger, Prebiotics, and Bad Behavior. For a Boston, eating its poop is relatively safe. However, it is disgusting to their pet parents.

Before we can understand why Boston Terriers eat their poop, let us see why other animals eat its own feces.

Why Other Animals Eat Their Own Poop

Before we cover Boston Terriers, let us explore why other animals eat poop. For some species, coprophagia, or eating feces, is healthy and even necessary for existence. There are large groups of insects that make poop their primary nutrient source. 

Without them, we would all be drowning in it. Cecal or hindgut digesters like rabbits and hamsters eat their feces because it takes a trip twice through the system to get the full nutrient punch that they want. 

Baby Elephants, Hippos, and Other Animals

Baby elephants, hippos, and various other animals eat their mother’s poop to populate their gut with the good bacteria that are necessary for proper digestion. And mother dogs and cats have to stimulate their little ones to defecate and urinate by licking their genital region. During this process, they also consume the feces and urine that comes to keep their babies and the bed clean.

Coprophagia (eating of poop) is even seen in humans! Before you find yourself trying to picture that, fecal transplantation is a common procedure in treating different intestinal infections. The idea is that providing the patient with normal, healthy gut bacteria will crowd out the harmful bacteria and get rid of the infection.  

This procedure can also be used in our dog and cat friends to treat severe types of diarrhea. All of these animals or reasons for eating poop seem pretty viable, so what is your Boston Terrier’s excuse?

Reason Why A Boston Terrier Eats its Poop

While eating poop in other animals is widely understood, when it comes to our pups, it’s not so much. However, there are many theories out there. Let us take a look at them, and then you can decide if any of these apply to your specific pooch.

Nutritional Deficiencies

No digestive system is 100% efficient meaning that there are always undigested nutrients remaining in any form of poop. Dogs may seek out poop to get these nutrients if they lack it from their diet. Also, these nutrients can be enticing.  

If your Boston has a particular affinity for cat poop, it’s because cats require a diet that is very high in protein and the leftovers taste better because of it.  

Check out the full article here: https://www.bostonterriersociety.com/boston-terriers-eating-poop/