Q:  I have a female Black Lab named Abby who is just 10 months old. In the last month or so she has started eating poop. She does not eat her own poop, but she eats my other dog's poop. This started after we changed both dogs' food. Why does she do this?  How do I get her to stop?  She has no other health problems, takes no medicine, and the other dog is not sick either.

A:  Eating poop, technically called coprophagia is more common than you would think in dogs, although the behavior tends to start earlier than Abby’s age and, in some cases, even fade by around 10 months. However, other dogs seem to develop a “taste” for poop and continue to try to indulge for the remainder of their lives.

Broadly speaking, coprophagia can result from either “physical problems” or “behavioral problems.” One type of physical problem would be that your dog’s diet does not provide all the nutrients she needs so she is looking to the poop to supplement her intake. Most commercially available foods will do a good job of meeting your dog’s basic nutritional needs, but you can learn more about what nutrients your dog needs and how to choose a food wisely by clicking here. You also may want to try switching brands again to see if this solves the problem.