Why Do Dogs Eat Dirty Diapers?

As nauseating as the thought of dirty diapers is to you, your dog likes the taste and smell of dirty diapers. They do not see dirty diapers as a waste but as a tasty meal for them. You should not be shocked if you get your dog eating tampons too.

 Dogs eat dirt diapers as a way of cleaning, a survival mechanism, boredom, nutritional issues, or because of their strong sense of smell. Despite this, such situations demand quick intervention. If untreated, they can lead to more serious health issues for your dog.

Why Do Dogs Eat Dirty Diapers?

 As A Way Of Cleaning

There are various biological reasons why your family dog is so obsessed with your baby’s excrement. Coprophagy, or eating feces, is a normal aspect of mother dog behavior. To keep the cave clean and decrease the number of scents that could attract predators, female dogs will eat the puppies’ feces. Maybe your dog truly sees the baby as a puppy in need of attention? That’s a cute explanation for their horrible behavior.

Survival Mechanism

On the other side, the whole system is likely a survival tactic. In other words, eating poop “may be one of many appetitive coping mechanisms that have evolved to cope with the adversity of famine.” They may be attracted to the excrement because it has the promise of a food source.

Boredom

Since the arrival of your child, your dog may not even be getting as much care. Boredom can stem from a lack of physical activity and mental stimulation, which can lead to unpleasant behaviors such as diaper eating.

Strong Sense Of Smell

Dogs have a stronger sense of smell than us, and they utilize it to explore the world. They are sometimes interested in objects that have a strong odor, as horrible as it may appear to us. This type of attraction to baby excrement is possible. Human feces are no exception to dogs’ attraction to other animals’ feces.

Nutritional Issues

If your dog tends to eat the feces of other animals or dirty diapers, there might be something lacking in his diet. A dog who gets all of the nutrients he or she requires from his or her diet is unlikely to seek out alternative food sources.

Your veterinarian or an animal nutritionist may be able to assist you in putting together the finest diet for your dog.

What Happens If A Dog Eats A Dirt Diaper?

GI Obstruction

If your canine eats diaper filling, the material performs its role and begins to absorb up fluids and moisture in your dog’s tummy. It will begin to expand as it does so, possibly filling the entire space and causing a full obstruction.

Furthermore, because the filling substance absorbs as much moisture as possible, your dog is at risk of serious dehydration, which is a life-threatening condition that can lead your dog to collapse and even cause death.

Infections

Feces are a breeding ground for bacteria, and human feces are much more harmful since they may contain food remains, drugs, and other potentially toxic substances for your dog.

The lack of pre-existing medical issues makes the ordinary dog’s immune system able to defend itself from these bacteria. 

 Peritonitis

Cloth diapers are a great eco-friendly option, but be careful not to leave them where your dog may see them.

Most commercially available cloth diapers have buttons stitched right on them, however, homemade cloth diapers may have other closures that your dog could easily tear off and consume.

Safety pins, for example, have the potential to perforate the abdominal cavity, causing inflammation of the membrane that lines the abdominal wall.

Peritonitis in dogs is exceedingly serious, with a high fatality rate. Vomiting, diarrhea, bloody stools, and a hurting belly are among the early symptoms, which are comparable to those of a gastrointestinal blockage.

Peritonitis, on the other hand, can swiftly progress to blood poisoning if left untreated, as the rupture of the intestinal membrane allows gut germs to enter the bloodstream.

My Dog Ate A Dirty Diaper, What Should I Do?

If your dog eats a diaper in whole or in part, you can either ring the vet or visit him. However, early veterinary care can help reduce your pup’s chance of illness. Even if you phone your vet first, they will likely ask you to bring your dog in for an examination. Follow your vet’s advice!

Keep cool and provide your vet with vital information such as: Which diaper was eaten, How much was eaten, Whether the diaper was clean, At what time you believe the incident took place, and any symptoms you’ve seen in your dog

Bring an unused diaper so your vet may identify the best treatment approach.

How DO I Prevent My Dog From Eating Dirty Diapers?

Canines have an instinctive attraction towards the smell of dirty diapers. Such an inclination can be hard to eliminate. Thus, the greatest strategy to avoid your dog from eating diapers is by storing them out of their accessibility.

Start by replacing your garbage containers with secured ones. You might use massive ones that would be hard for your dog to knockdown. Additionally, you can utilize a locking cover so your dog can’t pull out its inner stuff. As always, having preventive measures in place is the best way approach to avoid these events.