Dog Eating Poo

[Pitchick]

Why the hell would my dog eat dog poo? and quite often. My parents have seen her eating it at least once a week.

Can anyone please explain.

thanks

Mel

[ellz]

Because it can.

Nobody knows exactly why they do it. Perhaps it is a throwback to dogs in the wild who may have cleaned up after themselves to remove their trail to make it harder for predators to find them. Perhaps it is a cleaning regime when they don't think their environment is clean enough. It is even suggested from time to time that it is a lack of certain vitamins and minerals.

About all you can do is pick up as regularly as you can and don't let it lick your face unless you can close your mind to where its mouth has been!

:D

[puggy_puggy]

Is it just her own poo that she eats or others?

If it's just her own poo then maybe she has some stomach/digestive enzymes lacking that break down the food. Her food might be going straight through her so she gives it another go when it come out the other end because it still smells and tastes like food.

[oakway]

You could try putting some cheap plain label crushed pineapple in the dogs food that usually stops it.

Thousands of dogs do it.

Some grow out of it some never do.

[puggy_puggy]

You could try putting some cheap plain label crushed pineapple in the dogs food that usually stops it.

Doesn't work for those with the missing digestive enzyme.

[moggy]

Sophie was eating her poo and we tried lots of things. Changed her diet, put chilli powder on it, fed her pineapple in her food, cleaned it up as soon as possible, growled at her etc. etc. but nothing seemed to work.

Then for a few weeks she would bring a bit up in the evening and put it on the back door mat.

But hopefully we think she has grown out of it, she is 13 months old. We haven't had any "presents"

left on the mat for a couple of weeks now and my husband always finds poos to clean up each morning in the yard. We are keeping our fingers crossed.

And yes, DON'T LET YOU DOG KISS YOU!!!! LOL

[AML]

My girl is going through a phase at the moment of eating possum poo.

[Pitchick]

Because it can.

Im not 100% sure if its her own poo but am thinking it is.

I too think that she is doing it as she is lacking in something in her normal food.

Good I can let my parents know that its not just my dog.

Thanks guys

[puggy_puggy]

My girl is going through a phase at the moment of eating possum poo.

:nahnah: The pugs love 'possum poo treaties'

[~Anne~]

Why the hell would my dog eat dog poo? and quite often. My parents have seen her eating it at least once a week.

Can anyone please explain.

thanks

Mel

Do a search on this forum for the word 'caprophagia' and you will uncover many threads with very interesting information and advice.

[AML]

My girl is going through a phase at the moment of eating possum poo.

The pugs love 'possum poo treaties'

[Bjelkier]

My Lab would eat his own as a pup but he's stopped now, thankfully.

But both will get into any kind of other poo you can think off, roo, possum, horse cow, its all good but the best it the kitty litter I have to be extra vigilent to keep them out of that. We call it kitty crunchies here

[Pitchick]

Why the hell would my dog eat dog poo? and quite often. My parents have seen her eating it at least once a week.

Can anyone please explain.

thanks

Mel

Do a search on this forum for the word 'caprophagia' and you will uncover many threads with very interesting information and advice.

Thanks for that.

[Rockafella]

my 14 week old staffie has been doing this for a couple of weeks now too, I just thought he was being really good and doing all his business outside

That was till I smelt his breath and caught him in the act.

I've been assuming its because it's going through him too fast for him to get all the nutrients so he has to have a 2nd attempt!!!

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I think it's Corophragia? I've had a few dogs that have done this, it's is FOUL. When it is their own poo, you can try feeding them something different and pick up constantly. It can be a sign of boredom - is she getting enough exercise/mental stimulation?

My dogs haven't eaten their own poo but they do it when we go walking, if people all picked up I wouldn't have the issue!

[Pitchick]

hi dogmad

I have 3 dogs and they all get a 15 minute walk after work on their own for 3 or 4 days a week and then they go for a big run on the weekends.

during the day, at the moment, my mum is home most part of the day and is usually outside with them, so I would say they most likely are not bored. but hey I could be wrong.

i have checked out the thread PRS advised me and have found some good info.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Depending on their age, they would probably benefit from a longer walk in the morning. I find that dogs under 4 years of age need about an hour in the morning - I rarely take on dogs of that age as I don't have enough time for that amount of exercise really.

[Pitchick]

Depending on their age, they would probably benefit from a longer walk in the morning. I find that dogs under 4 years of age need about an hour in the morning - I rarely take on dogs of that age as I don't have enough time for that amount of exercise really.

The youngest is 6. Unfortunately I dont have enough time in the mornings thats why I take them at night and at this time thats all the time I can give them during the week. For me to give them at least half hour in mornings I would have to be getting up at 4.30am and I aint getting up that early. The weekends are different they get a lot of exercise.

[ravensmyst00]

Why the hell would my dog eat dog poo? and quite often. My parents have seen her eating it at least once a week.

Can anyone please explain.

thanks

Mel

Dogs that eat their own poo is usually a sign that they are deficient in essential vitamins and minerals that they may not be getting from their meal the first time they eat it. For whatever the reason their digestive system cant break down these nutrients fully the first time round so they go and eat their poo.

The first question anyone should ask when this is happening is - what are you currently feeding your dog?

While you may be feeding the top of the range dry dog food it wont always give your dog the nutrients it needs. Feeding raw does the exact same thing. I used to have the problem of my dogs eating their poo as well as dirt, rocks etc. This was curbed by adding a supplement which contained dolomite to their diet. Dolomite is a natural form of Calcium and magnesium which does not build up in the system as other calcium suppliments do what isnt used by the body is excreted. The suppliment I used also provided kelp, garlic, and rosehips. After being on the suppliment for 2 weeks I had no further incidence of poo eating and a brighter healthier dog.