After giving birth, a mother dog may display behaviors that are unfamiliar or surprising, including eating feces.
Some changes in behavior during the postpartum period can be part of normal maternal activity, but repeated poop eating should still be considered in the context of the mother’s recovery and the care of her puppies.
The timing of the behavior, how frequently it occurs, and whether the mother appears to be recovering normally can help determine whether it is a temporary postpartum behavior or a reason for concern.
We explain why a dog may eat poop after giving birth, what you should know during recovery, and when veterinary advice is needed.
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Dog Eating Poop After Giving Birth: Why It Happens
A dog may eat poop after giving birth because motherhood naturally increases behaviors associated with cleaning and caring for newborn puppies. Mother dogs lick their puppies around the rear to encourage urination and defecation, and they may consume the resulting feces as part of keeping the nest clean.
The behavior can also be influenced by the mother’s increased nutritional demands. Lactating dogs require considerably more energy than they did before pregnancy, with calorie requirements potentially reaching several times those of a normal adult dog during peak lactation.
If the mother is eating her own stool rather than the puppies’ stool, or if the behavior is accompanied by other signs of illness, it is worth considering medical contributors as well.
Dog Eating Poop After Giving Birth: Common Causes
Normal Maternal Cleaning Behavior
The most straightforward explanation is maternal behavior.
After puppies are born, the mother spends much of her time cleaning them and maintaining the nesting area.
Licking the puppies encourages them to eliminate, and consuming their feces can help keep the area clean.
This is a normal part of maternal care and does not necessarily indicate that anything is wrong with the mother.
This is especially likely when she is eating the puppies’ fresh stool rather than seeking out feces elsewhere.
Related: Dog eating poop and throwing up (Why it happens)
Increased Appetite During Nursing
Nursing places substantial energy demands on a mother dog. Her nutritional requirements rise as she produces milk and cares for the litter, with peak energy needs occurring several weeks after birth.
A very hungry mother may become more interested in scavenging and eating unusual things.
If she appears constantly hungry, is losing weight, or does not seem to be getting enough food for her stage of lactation, her diet and feeding plan should be discussed with a veterinarian.
Poor Nutrition or Inadequate Calorie Intake
A nursing dog needs a diet capable of supporting both her own needs and milk production.
Underfeeding or an inappropriate diet can contribute to nutritional problems and increased food-seeking behavior.
Inadequate nutrition and medical problems affecting nutrient absorption can contribute to eating of poop.
This does not mean that every postpartum dog eating poop has a nutritional deficiency.
Maternal cleaning behavior remains a much more straightforward explanation when she is otherwise healthy and is primarily eating her puppies’ stool.
Gastrointestinal Upset
Digestive problems can contribute to coprophagia. Conditions that cause gastrointestinal upset or interfere with nutrient absorption may change appetite and stool characteristics, potentially making feces more appealing to some dogs.
Look for accompanying signs such as diarrhea, unusually soft stools, vomiting, abdominal discomfort, weight loss, or changes in appetite.
Related: Dog eating poop and has diarrhea (Causes and what to do)
Intestinal Parasites
Parasites are another possible medical contributor, particularly if the mother has abnormal stools, weight loss, or increased appetite.
Fecal testing is commonly used to check for intestinal parasites in dogs. Parasites can also spread through fecal contamination, making hygiene especially important around a newborn litter.
A veterinarian can determine whether testing or treatment is appropriate based on the mother’s condition and the puppies’ health.
Poor Digestion or Nutrient Absorption
If food is not being properly digested or nutrients are not being absorbed normally, a dog may develop increased hunger and abnormal eating behaviors.
Malabsorption, digestive enzyme deficiencies, parasites, and other medical conditions that affect nutrition as possible contributors to eating of poop.
Weight loss despite a good appetite, persistent diarrhea, or unusually large or abnormal stools would make this possibility more important to investigate.
Postpartum Illness
The period after giving birth requires close observation because problems can develop in the mother even when the birth itself appeared normal.
Mastitis, for example, commonly occurs during the postpartum period and can initially cause only subtle changes before progressing to painful mammary glands, fever, lethargy, loss of appetite, vomiting, or more serious illness.
Other reproductive or metabolic problems can also occur after birth. Therefore, if poop eating appears alongside obvious changes in the mother’s health, it should not automatically be attributed to maternal behavior.
Related: Dog eating poop side effects (Potential side effects)
Dog Eating Puppies’ Poop After Giving Birth
A mother dog eating her puppies’ poop after giving birth is usually normal maternal behavior. Mother dogs commonly consume their puppies’ feces to keep the nesting area clean and reduce odors.
They may also lick the puppies to stimulate urination and defecation, particularly during the first few weeks when puppies cannot eliminate normally on their own.
This behavior generally decreases as the puppies mature and begin eliminating independently.
However, excessive poop eating can also be encouraged by hunger, stress, or easy access to feces.
The mother should have constant access to fresh water and an appropriate, nutrient-rich diet while nursing, and the whelping area should be kept clean.
Dog Eating Her Own Poop After Giving Birth
A dog eating her own poop after giving birth can be a maternal behavior, particularly during the first days after delivery.
Mother dogs naturally lick their puppies and consume their waste to keep the nesting area clean and reduce odors that could attract predators.
Some mothers may continue eating their own feces while caring for the litter, especially when they are spending most of their time with the puppies.
Stress, hunger, increased nutritional demands, or simply having easy access to feces can also contribute. The behavior usually becomes less frequent as the puppies become more independent.
However, if it is excessive or accompanied by weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, abnormal vaginal discharge, or other signs of illness, the mother should be examined by a veterinarian.
Dog Eating Poop After Giving Birth and Losing Weight
A dog eating poop after giving birth and losing weight may be experiencing the high nutritional demands of nursing.
Producing milk requires substantial energy, so a nursing mother can lose some weight if she is not consuming enough calories.
Increased hunger may also make feces and other readily available food sources more attractive.
However, significant or rapid weight loss should not automatically be attributed to nursing. Intestinal parasites, inadequate nutrition, infection, retained placental tissue, or other postpartum problems can also cause weight loss.
If she is becoming thin despite eating well, has reduced energy, diarrhea, vomiting, poor milk production, or appears unwell, veterinary evaluation is appropriate.
Dog Eating Poop After Giving Birth and Not Eating
A dog eating poop after giving birth and not eating may have postpartum illness, pain, stress, or gastrointestinal discomfort rather than simply exhibiting normal maternal behavior.
A brief reduction in appetite can occur around delivery, but a mother dog that refuses food should be monitored closely because nursing greatly increases her nutritional and fluid requirements.
Loss of appetite after giving birth can occur with conditions such as metritis (uterine infection), mastitis, retained placental material, gastrointestinal illness, or low calcium levels (eclampsia).
If she refuses multiple meals, becomes weak or restless, vomits, develops a fever, has foul-smelling vaginal discharge, painful or swollen mammary glands, tremors, panting, stiffness, or seizures, she needs prompt veterinary attention.
Related: Old dog eating poop (Causes and what to do)
When to Call or Visit the Vet
Contact a veterinarian if a mother dog that recently gave birth is eating poop and also has:
Refusal to eat or a major decrease in appetite
Repeated vomiting or persistent diarrhea
Significant or continuing weight loss
Marked weakness or lethargy
Fever or seeming unusually unwell
Painful, swollen, hot, red, or discolored mammary glands
Abnormal milk, including blood or pus
Difficulty nursing or caring for the puppies
Puppies that are not nursing well or failing to gain weight
Heavy or concerning vaginal discharge
Signs of abdominal pain
Tremors, stiffness, restlessness, or other unusual neurologic signs
Any rapid deterioration after giving birth
Postpartum problems can sometimes become serious quickly, so a mother who appears genuinely ill should not be monitored at home solely because she is also eating poop.
Dog Eating Poop After Giving Birth: Treatment
Treatment depends on whether the behavior is normal maternal cleaning or whether an underlying medical problem is contributing to it.
The veterinarian may examine the mother, assess her nutritional status and postpartum recovery, and recommend fecal testing, bloodwork, or other diagnostics when indicated.
If parasites, gastrointestinal disease, nutritional problems, or a postpartum disorder are identified, treatment is directed at that condition.
When the mother is healthy and the behavior is simply related to cleaning her puppies, no medical treatment for coprophagia may be necessary.
Key Takeaway
A dog eating poop after giving birth is often related to normal maternal behavior, especially when a mother is eating the feces of her newborn puppies while cleaning and caring for them.
Mother dogs naturally stimulate their puppies to eliminate and may consume the resulting stool as part of keeping the nesting area clean.
If she is eating her own poop, the behavior is new or excessive, or it occurs with weight loss, diarrhea, vomiting, poor appetite, weakness, abnormal mammary glands, or problems caring for the puppies, a veterinary assessment is more appropriate.
The important distinction is whether the mother otherwise appears healthy and is successfully caring for her litter.