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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Why does my dog eat is own poo ?

20 replies

RunforFun · 12/01/2011 11:15

and worse ... other dogs poo !!!

Obviously its rare to find any in the garden as they all get picked up and removed, but due to all this snow there have been a few that have sat there unnoticed for a while nicely hardening in all this cold weather.

But we often find poo out on our walks that have been left by some lazy owner forgotten and if shes off the lead she will find and eat it.

Its just so gross.

OP posts:

silentcatastrophe · 12/01/2011 11:31

It's normal dog behaviour. You can change the habit with training if you want to. If you keep all your de-fleaing and worming treatments up to date, you shouldn't have any problems, I don't think.

Batteryhuman · 12/01/2011 17:19

It is a disgusting habit and my lab has worn a basket muzzle when out and about for 9 years as a result. There is NOTHING worse than clearing up a pool of vomited up dog poo. If you can't train her (and I failed as it is very difficult to spot him doing it when he is off in the undergrowth) then a muzzle may be your only solution. She will hate it at first but will get used to it (lots of treats) and all other dog owners will think she is vicious but ANYTHING is better than vomited poo.

ceebs05 · 12/01/2011 17:34

my dog does this - it's disgusting. We have tried to train her not to which worked at first and she knows she is not supposed to do it (understands 'leave it' command). But sometimes she would rather eat the poo than whatever treat i have - so she just tries to wolf it down before i can get to her to stop her.

It doesn't appear to have caused her any ill effects except stinky poo breath! Would love it to stop but I'm afraid I've given up and have just accepted that she will do as she's told 80% of the time.

Buda · 12/01/2011 17:42

Mine does it too. I hate it. She seems to have started since there was lots of frozen poos in the garden.

We have 2 labs and it is the younger one who does it. And we think she only eats the older ones poo. I bought some tablets called 'Stool Repel' to try and stop it. We are only on day 2 though so don;t know if they are working.

Girl in pet shop suggested more walks and stimulation. Says it can be a sign of boredom. Which it could very well be in our case.

CamelToeAndWine · 12/01/2011 18:09

Adding pineapple to their food is meant to help stop them eating their own.

Batteryhuman · 12/01/2011 18:25

My lab also had a severe bout of hemorragic enteritis which nearly killed him. He could have picked up the bug from dog poo. It is really important not to allow your dog to do this.

Batteryhuman · 12/01/2011 18:26

My lab also had a severe bout of hemorragic enteritis which nearly killed him. He could have picked up the bug from dog poo. It is really important not to allow your dog to do this.

Want2bSupermum · 12/01/2011 18:30

Our dog did this and a young kid at the local petstore told us to try a higher protein diet. About a week after switching he no longer ate poo.

Catsmamma · 12/01/2011 18:34

a diet change can help prevent it, sometimes the poo still smells appetising!

fartmeistergeneral · 12/01/2011 18:37

I have 2 dogs at 1 year old who do this and it is utterly disgusting. Interestingly, they don't eat each others', only other dogs'.

The only solution I have found is to take a frisby or a ball out with me when I take them for walks and they are so preoccupied with that they don't think about poo eating. If I was to leave them off the lead with no frisby/ball, they would spend the whole walk snuffling out poo and wolfing it down with me screaming NOOOO - but by the time I get to them, it's wolfed down.

I have had to clean up vomited poo, and it was by far and away the most disgusting thing I have ever had to do. It was mountainous......

Original poster

RunforFun · 13/01/2011 11:45

Am sitting here reading stories of vomited poo and feeling quite nauseaus myself.

Some interesting ideas thanks.

So far my 'training' and I use the term loosely has consisted of screaming at the top of my voice ...

'DONT DO THAT YOU DISGUSTING DIRTY DOG ... ' but I accept that a far calmer approach all round may be necessary

I am very anal (sorry ) about the regular worming so hopefully that will prevent anything nasty.

Dogs hey !

OP posts:

JaxTellersOldLady · 13/01/2011 11:58

it is indeed a disgusting habit. My dog ate his poo when he was on a high dose of steroids and was ill. I started feeding him a banana each day (although pineapple is supposed to work too) and it helped.

He doesnt do this now that he has put weight on and we changed his diet.

Agree; cleaning up poo vomit is disgusting.

fartmeistergeneral · 13/01/2011 18:49

I have heard that feeding them banana and pineapple helps, they don't like the taste when it comes out the other end and leave their poo alone.

Unfort. my dogs are quite discerning and never eat their own poo or each other's, only other dogs so can't use the above to stop it.

MotherJack · 13/01/2011 22:34

Can I just add something to this thread to lighten the general, understandable, revulsion? I found the following quote from a "why does my dog eat it's own poo" site:

In addition, some dogs enjoy "poopsicles" exclusively and prefer to just eat poop during the winter months.

Poopsicles

30andMerkin · 14/01/2011 08:20

Mine has now stopped eating other dogs', which is good from the infection point of view, but will still eat his own.

We started off taking him to toilet in the garden on lead to avoid rock eating, we seem to have broken that habit, but now if we let him off lead to do a crap he usually eats it. Nice. In fact yesterday we were out in the woods, he started eating one, so I called him a way, he ran BACK to finish the job. Bleurgh!

I didn't really know what to do, so I ran off in the opposite direction in the hope that would spook inspire him to follow! Nope, he just things I've invented a new crazy Poo-And-Chase game.

fartmeistergeneral · 14/01/2011 09:09

I don't think I can stop mine. I can be screaming at them like a banshee and running up with had raised to smack them away from the offending article and they keep munching crazily with one eye on me, then run off munching like mad.

JaxTellersOldLady · 14/01/2011 13:44

pmsl @ poopsicle that made me chuckle.

I suppose the only upside is that it is one less poo to clear up in the garden... provided it doesnt get up chucked in the house.

Shewhoshallnotbenamed · 15/01/2011 00:10

bleurgh!

I am no good with such matters - human or animal.

My dog did this for the first year and my Aunt recommended pineapple. It worked!

I then got a kitten, was worried that she wasn't pooing as there was never anything in her tray. Then found the dog helping herself one day! Yuk!

I reckon pineapple. If it's other dogs poo, try the distraction technique and/or keep on a lead so he can't skulk off and find some.

Oh and lol @ poopsicle too!

TechLovingDad · 17/01/2011 16:51

Our breeder warned us that our puppy "will eat her own poo at some stage". She put it down to a vitamin B2 deficiency and said to put powdered yeast in her food. Worked immediately.

Since she then went onto adult food, she has a quick sniff of a turd then ignores.

memphis83 · 19/01/2011 15:37

i went to the vets and they gave a tablet to crumble in the food for a week and he never didit again

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