Eating poop does not automatically mean your dog is ill, and many dogs that do it remain well. But it is not risk-free: feces can carry infectious organisms, and fresh poop is not necessarily safe. A sudden change in the habit, particularly with weight loss, vomiting or diarrhea, deserves veterinary advice. Nara’s view is to prevent access and pay attention to the dog’s overall health, rather than assume that poop eating proves a vitamin deficiency or a damaged microbiome. 1 2 3
Separate the habit from the hazard
Coprophagia means eating feces. The useful distinction is between why a dog wants to do it and what it might swallow when it does. A behavioral explanation does not make an exposure harmless; an unpleasant habit does not, by itself, diagnose disease.
In one voluntary owner survey, 16% of dogs whose owners answered the relevant question had been seen eating dog stools at least six times. That is evidence that the behavior is fairly common in the surveyed dogs, not a precise estimate for every dog population. The study found no association with the broad diet categories it examined. It did not medically test every dog for nutritional deficiencies. 4
Veterinary guidance describes behavioral reasons as common, while recognizing that inadequate feeding, poor nutrient absorption and illnesses that alter appetite can contribute. That is why a new pattern matters more than the assumption that every poop eater needs the same nutritional fix. 1 5
What the new study does—and does not—reassure us about
A September 2026 study compared 44 clinically healthy dogs: 23 reported to eat feces and 21 reported not to. It found no significant group differences in the fecal Dysbiosis Index, measured core bacteria, or carriage of the selected bacterial and viral enteropathogens. This was an observational comparison, not an experiment assigning dogs to eat contaminated stool. 3
The limits matter: parasite testing was not performed; diet and environment were uncontrolled; ingestion frequency and quantity were not objectively measured. The small sample could miss uncommon or subtle effects. These results do not establish that every exposure is safe or that poop eating benefits the microbiome. 3
Nara’s interpretation: this weakens the simple story that poop eating necessarily means a disrupted gut microbiome. It does not weaken the case for avoiding contaminated feces. Those are different questions, measured in different ways.
“Fresh” is not a safety certificate
Giardia provides an important counterexample to blanket reassurance. Its cysts are infectious as soon as they are passed in feces, and infection occurs when a susceptible animal swallows them. Contaminated water, food, objects and grooming can also provide exposure. A stool does not need to sit outside for days to be a potential Giardia source. 2
That does not mean every stool contains Giardia, or that every ingestion causes illness. It means the appearance and freshness of poop cannot reliably establish that it is safe.
Nor does a healthy-looking source animal settle the question. CDC guidance notes that healthy dogs can carry Campylobacter and other germs. Knowing whose stool it is gives useful context, but is not equivalent to knowing what organisms it contains. The available studies do not provide a dependable percentage risk for an individual mouthful of dog, cat or wildlife feces. 6
Start with less access, not more powders
A practical first step is to accompany your dog outside, reward moving away after toileting, and remove stools before they can be eaten. Keep cat litter areas inaccessible to dogs and use supervision or a lead around tempting deposits. Avoid punishment or turning retrieval into a chase. These are ways to reduce opportunities, not a promise that the underlying preference disappears overnight. 1 5
The 2018 survey found owner-reported success rates of only 0–2% for 11 marketed coprophagia products. This was not a randomized treatment trial: reporting, adherence and product selection could affect results. It is a reason to be skeptical of guaranteed fixes, not proof that every product or well-delivered training program must fail. 4
Nara’s provisional judgement: do not use poop eating alone as the reason to buy a microbiome test, multivitamin or supplement stack. Review the actual diet and health pattern first. That view would change for a specific product supported by convincing controlled canine trials, or for an individual dog with a documented nutritional or medical problem.
When the pattern needs veterinary attention
Contact your veterinarian about sudden, out-of-character poop eating, especially alongside weight loss, altered appetite, vomiting or diarrhea. A useful note includes when it started, whose stools are involved, food and medication changes, and other symptoms. A veterinarian can decide whether examination, parasite testing or further investigation is appropriate; the behavior alone does not identify a cause. 1 5
Do not dismiss illness as “just something disgusting they ate.” Vomiting, diarrhea that may be bloody, reduced appetite and unusual inactivity are among the signs the FDA lists for Salmonella infection in pets. They can have other causes too; seek veterinary advice rather than diagnose an infection from symptoms or this article. 7
For people in the household, ordinary hygiene still matters. Wash hands with soap and water after cleaning up, remove indoor fecal contamination promptly, and do not allow licking around mouths, faces or open wounds. A dog seeming well is not a reason to skip these precautions. 6
How confident is this answer?
Overall confidence: moderate. Fecal transmission of organisms such as Giardia is well established, and avoiding exposure is sensible. Confidence is lower in the size of the extra risk caused by coprophagia in healthy household dogs and in the effectiveness of marketed deterrents. Neither microbiome measurements nor owner surveys establish a long-term health or lifespan benefit.
For the related nutrition questions, see whether dogs need a multivitamin and what gut microbiome tests can tell you.
References
- PDSA. Why do dogs eat poo? January 2023. Veterinary guidance.
- Companion Animal Parasite Council. Giardia. Guideline.
- Pilla R, Sabetti MC, Antonelli F, et al. Coprophagy in Healthy Dogs Does Not Alter Fecal Core Microbiota or Increase Carriage of Enteropathogens. Animals. 2026;16(17):2715. doi:10.3390/ani16172715. Funded by the University of Milan; laboratory microbiome research also receives Purina support. Coauthor Jan Suchodolski holds a Purina-endowed chair and works at a laboratory offering microbiota assays for a fee.
- Hart BL, Hart LA, Thigpen AP, Tran A, Bain MJ. The paradox of canine conspecific coprophagy. Veterinary Medicine and Science. 2018;4(2):106–114. doi:10.1002/vms3.92. Supported by the UC Davis Center for Companion Animal Health; authors declared no commercial or financial conflicts.
- Horwitz D, Landsberg G. Dog Behavior Problems – Coprophagia. VCA Animal Hospitals. Veterinary guidance.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Preventing Campylobacter Infection from Puppies. Updated August 12, 2026. Public-health guidance.
- US Food and Drug Administration. Think Food Safety and Be Salmonella Safe. Animal-health guidance.