Eating Feces

[mnkybrs]

Hi all,
I have a 3 y/o female Rottie that we got over a year ago as a rescue from the pound. She is our second Rottie we have had. We just love the breed so much. I have a question to ask. She likes to eat pieces of her feces. I have caught her a few times doing it and I just bark at her and tell her to drop it and leave it. She also likes to bring pieces to the back door and leave them on the step. I pick up her business daily and try to do it as often as I can. I do not like seeing her piles in the yard. Does anyone else have this problem? Or is it just a dog thing? How can I discourage her from eating her stuff? Thanks

[Anne]

There has been a lot of discussion on this subject. We think it's horrible but some dogs do 'recycle'. If you scroll down to the bottom of this page you will find a few other threads about coprophagia.

[aldelgreco]

mix meat tenderizer into each of their meals. (of each dog that potties in your yard.)
don't know how or why it works, but i had the problem with my dachshund and my girilfriend's aunt told me that trick. (she has 6 rescue dogs and fosters.)
as soon as i started with that, it just seemed to stop. don't buy the product "potty mouth". it doesn't work and makes your dog puke everywhere because it puts cayenne pepper in the pill so the poop is not as appetizing.

also, you should clean the yard in the morning and at night for now until it stops.
the only other thing that i did was switch from garbage eukanuba to Canidae ALS for all of them and i think they get more nutrients, etc. from that food, which is good for the poo-eating. if they are eating poo, it is either out of sheer boredom or out of them needing more of some nutrient they are getting enough of the first time.

[chicatropical]

This is a "normal" (eww) behavior especially in young dogs, cause they seem to lack proteins or some kind of vitamin when they grow up and thats why they eat feces (not only their own, but other dogs feces too). Both my dogs did that when they were puppies and stopped doing that when they grew up and I also changed their food (vet recommended that). Its disgusting...

[Luvtails]

If your dog is already on a good food and is still eating her poo then you can try adding in fresh pineapple. they usually will eat it and it has been know to cause their poos to taste bad. also, like you are already doing, clean up the poos as often as possible. I too have a poo eater! my 7yo has been doing it since she was a pup. can't break her of it other than to clean it up. I just can't bring myself to give her kisses knowing what she does!

[brunie's mom]

What is your dog eating? A change to a better diet often get's them to stop this...especially if they are eating their own poop. If the diet change does not help then you can try the meat tenderizer or pineapple. Also adding digestive enzymes to the food. Do a search on 'poop eating", I know I've written out the different steps to follow to stop this behavior.

I also think it may be a learned behavior, because I've seen dogs from the same household eating poop. Once it's become a habit, it takes awhile to change.

Gina

[Leige]

Well my Zeke used to have this same problem licking his stool and n the winter time when it was frozen he would chew on it and toss it up in the air. From a recommendation from a friend he said try For-Bid well that was back in December I purchased it and within 3 days it did indeed curb his habit and its been 4 months now and he still has not played with or licked his stool.He takes a #2 turns around and gives it a quick smell then runs away from it. Give it a try. Out of a 12 pack I still have 6 packs left that I will use if he ever decides to start licking his poo again...

EntirelyPets Discount Pet meds Pet Supplies & Flea Medicine



FOR-BID stops coprophagy (pets eating stool). Vegetable protein and sodium
glutamate work in the digestive system to give stools a bad taste.

Directions: Simply sprinkle FOR-BID on dog food and after the food is consumed, this will impart a forbidden and unpalatable taste to the feces. FOR-BID is not an enzyme mixture which alters the normal endogenous digestive process. FOR-BID has been used by thousands of veterinarians in both cats and dogs without adverse reactions and with excellent efficacy.

Recommended Administration


Large dogs, the size of German shepherds, sprinkle the contents of 1/2 package on the dog food two times a day for 5 to 6 days (morning and night). This will usually curb coprophagy for months, often permanently. In small dogs or puppies, you may give one-quarter of a pack two times a day for four days (morning and night).
Cats 1/4 packet of FOR-BID per day, for 4-5 days.
Horses, we have reports that 1 1/2 packs of FOR-BID, morning noon and night for 2-3 days appears to curb this habit.


If Coprophagy starts again after initial dosage of FOR-BID, give 1 gram per day (from the 8 gram package) for 2-3 weeks or as necessary.

12 packets per FOR-BID container.