Dogs That Eat Their Own Poo?

[OSoSwift]

Yep I have heard pineapple helps. I have a tin of the crushed variety in the cupboard!

Oh and it MIGHT be normal for a dog, but it is still gross!

[ash&elar]

Thanks for the replies everyone I think everything you have all mentioned or suggested makes sense, I guess I just didnt think of how to the dog they would smell more to the poo then the poo as in they would be able to smell the food still in there..... Yes I know about dogs and cat poop.... woke up the other night to Julie helping herself to a 3am snack out of the kitty litter was not a nice way to wake up and then I figured I might as well change it etc to stop her from trying again ( there was only the one poo that she had already eaten but she prob would of kept hunting for more if there was the smell there)

Oh T. that was a great image right there MR whippy anyone????

[hilaryo]

Totally normal, just unpleasant

Many beagles do it regularly - my experience and others I have talked to.

[OSoSwift]

Even though them eating cat poo - and other poo is gross. Eating another dogs poo or their own is another whole level of disgusting!

[AmandaJ]

This article mentions it but you need to go to 14.3

http://books.google.com.au/books?hl=en&amp...p;q&f=false

I believe the reference comes from the Bradshaw and Thorne book (1992)

http://www.allnaturalpetcare.com/Animal_Nu...ts_Raw_Food.pdf

This one is pro raw diet - although I do agree generally in the rational behind raw - I'm paranoid about Toxoplasma gondii (already have one permenantly on medication because of it and my bitch needs to be tieter tested prior to mating because of it) so I feed mainly cooked. Again they say enzyme.

[Bulldust]

One of my girls snuck into my mums house and cleaned out her cats litter tray, my mum was absolutely delighted

Edited October 9, 2010 by Bulldust

[ash&elar]

One of my girls snuck into my mums house and cleaned out her cats litter tray, my mum was absolutely delighted

Hahahaha Im sure your mum would of been happy

It wouldnt make them sick would it? If the cat is healthy? I just know they say cat poo has alot of bad bacteria in it (I know its poo its gonna have all that bad stuff lol) and I forget what it is that they say can be harmful for pregnant women??? anyone know? I can google it I guess.

ETA Oh ok what I have just found says its Toxoplasmosis, a parasitic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii. which AmandaJ mentioned with the raw diet.

ETAA The link http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/132242

Edited October 9, 2010 by ash&elar

[AmandaJ]

One of my girls snuck into my mums house and cleaned out her cats litter tray, my mum was absolutely delighted

Hahahaha Im sure your mum would of been happy

It wouldnt make them sick would it? If the cat is healthy? I just know they say cat poo has alot of bad bacteria in it (I know its poo its gonna have all that bad stuff lol) and I forget what it is that they say can be harmful for pregnant women??? anyone know? I can google it I guess.

Yes it is...Unfortunately that's one of my reasons for research - Toxoplasma gondii (here I go again) is carried by rodents and birds. As cats are lovers of these things their poo carries the ocysts of the Toxo. While contracting Toxo in a healthy animal is not dangerous to that animal it can cause the female to miscarry a baby - or a litter of pups or kittens. Toxo in an immuno-compromised animal can be deadly. Unfortunately a lot of vets who are presented with "fitting" dogs generally go straight for the juvenile epilepsy and don't check further. They treat the seizures but not the cause and in the end the dog dies or seizes so badly that it is put down. Both of mine are bird catchers - my boy was immuno-compromised when he contracted Toxo and it effected his nervous system hence the fits. My girl is healthy but because she is a catcher will need to be tested prior to any mating.

[AmandaJ]

Oops sorry - click happy

Edited October 9, 2010 by AmandaJ

[Kirty]

Three of my four dogs do it, and the fourth used to do it! I swear the main offender taught the others. Its absolutely disgusting. The main offender will literally stand behind the others while they go... I guess the only upside is that there is less sh*t to pick up...

[ash&elar]

One of my girls snuck into my mums house and cleaned out her cats litter tray, my mum was absolutely delighted

Hahahaha Im sure your mum would of been happy

It wouldnt make them sick would it? If the cat is healthy? I just know they say cat poo has alot of bad bacteria in it (I know its poo its gonna have all that bad stuff lol) and I forget what it is that they say can be harmful for pregnant women??? anyone know? I can google it I guess.

Yes it is...Unfortunately that's one of my reasons for research - Toxoplasma gondii (here I go again) is carried by rodents and birds. As cats are lovers of these things their poo carries the ocysts of the Toxo. While contracting Toxo in a healthy animal is not dangerous to that animal it can cause the female to miscarry a baby - or a litter of pups or kittens. Toxo in an immuno-compromised animal can be deadly. Unfortunately a lot of vets who are presented with "fitting" dogs generally go straight for the juvenile epilepsy and don't check further. They treat the seizures but not the cause and in the end the dog dies or seizes so badly that it is put down. Both of mine are bird catchers - my boy was immuno-compromised when he contracted Toxo and it effected his nervous system hence the fits. My girl is healthy but because she is a catcher will need to be tested prior to any mating.

ok thanks for the info! It does make sense. It said that for people (in the link) that its carried through raw meat, cat feaces, or by transmition from mother to fetus. But for human the most common transmision was through raw or undercooked meat.... This might be why I remember being told as a kid not to eat red or pink pork??? I guess pork over the other meats such as lamb or beef because of the foods that pigs eat or??? Very interesting anyway.

[ash&elar]

Three of my four dogs do it, and the fourth used to do it! I swear the main offender taught the others. Its absolutely disgusting. The main offender will literally stand behind the others while they go... I guess the only upside is that there is less sh*t to pick up...

is your Pia a whippet??? also I ask because in your signiture she looks just like my parents whippet Cindy

[AmandaJ]

One of the studies I read some time ago was about a sheep grassier in northern Qld who called in the vet because he found a lot of dead newbon lambs and some of his older females were sick or dying. When the vets tested the flock they found most of the flock had Toxo. It was also recently found in some cattle.

[ash&elar]

One of the studies I read some time ago was about a sheep grassier in northern Qld who called in the vet because he found a lot of dead newbon lambs and some of his older females were sick or dying. When the vets tested the flock they found most of the flock had Toxo. It was also recently found in some cattle.

Well there you go maybe I shouldnt eat my steak pink then!!! Though it also said that most people have had it and are immune to it i think??

[aussielover]

Some dogs can do it due to lack of variety in their diet.

[ellz]

It's the canine equivalent of chewing your fingernails or picking your nose....mostly just a bad habit.

HOWEVER, a dog WILL eat horse shit with relish because that is nature's way of providing them with certain minerals and trace elements and it is a very natural thing for them to do.....if somewhat revolting!

[ellz]

Some dogs can do it due to lack of variety in their diet.

This isn't actually true. Dogs don't require variety in their diet. They eat to live, not live to eat as we humans do. They do not have sophisticated taste buds as we do.