Eating feces

[bearkat]

I have 3 Rotts, and the oldest one is a girl who has had at least 4 litters of puppies, and she is 8 1/2 years old. She grosses me out about once a week by eating feces in the "back 40". We live on 2 acres, and the dogs have the run of it. She is pretty sneaky about this, looking around to see if anyone is watching, then down the hatch.
Why is she doing this, and does it have anything to do with being a mother??

[frontierrots]

most of my dogs do it (gag) and I've discussed it with many "experts" by and large all the advocates of natural diets (including a well known vet) claim it is natural and normal as they obtain needed enzymes and B vitamins that way
I say yuck and look the other way. I scoop 3 times a day and that is the best I can do. Just don't let them kiss you after http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/frown.gif

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Diane
Frontier Rottweilers & Shiba Inu
www.w3-sales.com/frontierrots/main.htm

[Lady B]

Diane: Is this why my two Rotties go after "kitty roca" as much as they can? YUK!! It's the grossest thing I've seen them do. I can understand why they would want to roll in another animal's but eating it?!?!?!? Again, YUK!!

[Killfactor]

Hmm, must be a Rottie thing, mine goes through at least one pile a week. And of course wants kisses after.

[Liz]

In general, dogs eat feces because they are lacking in digestive enzymes, something which feces are chock full of.

Digestive enzymes can be added to the dogs food - one of the more popular brands is Prozyme, available from Drs. Foster & Smith (http://www.drsfostersmith.com item #8Q-2656). Papaien is another good digestive enzyme, you can find that at a local health food store, or you can simply add a tablespoon of chopped pineapple to the dogs food. Lew Olsen carries a good digestive enzyme on her pages at http://www.b-naturals.com as well.

Liz

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http://www.inxpress.net/~harkon/

[Lady B]

While we're on the subject of the oral preferences of Rotties I heard a cute joke at the dump. I was so busy flinging trash from the truck into this smelly, maggot ridden hole that it took me a bit to get it! I really wanted to get away from that smell!

What has four legs and one arm?


A Rottie!

Anything my two can get in their mouths they will. Baron is great about giving up, even food!! Lady, on the other hand, well I got her at 8 months and she was huge then with "an attitude". Maybe I will and maybe I won't!! Ultimately I win out. It's a matter of who is the more stubborn/determined. She has always been a "test of the wills" for us. She'll do it, IF there is something she will gain by it. And we've had to get inventive with distractions. That is her only down-side.

This illustrates what happens when no early training is done. Boundarys were never
defined for her so we had a real "wild child" on our hands. At one point I almost gave up on her. Now, three years later, I am glad I didn't. She's not perfect, but she is OUR PERFECT PUPPY.

[Nancy Estes]

Bassets and Beagles are great at this too, by the way. I've had Beagles that would reach under their run into the neighboring run to *scoop poop* into their run to eat. I've also had one that would carry it into her doghouse; I guess to save for later! I had a Basset bitch that taught a male to eat feces, which he'd never done. The bitch also taught her puppies (by example) to do the same. I've not had as much problem with the Rottweilers with this yukky habit, thankfully. However, I agree, it's easier to just give up and look the other way!

[German Vanegas]

There is a lot of speculation about why some dogs eat feces, none really proven though, as well as lots of "recipes" to prevent such disgussting behavior.

I agree with Liz, for the most part I beleive is a nutritional deficiency (quality of the food), lack of vitamins and minerals (in food content), and lack of digestive enzymes (that's why the dog eats "pre-digested" food).

Premium dog food with Prozyme should help a lot, and also when you see your dog eating feces scream out loud: "PHUE!!" or "NO!!". It works well.

[Killfactor]

Jade has stopped eating her pooh, the breeder told me she thought it was stress from shipping that could cause it and she would stop when she was adjusted to her new home. It was either that, or the fact she is getting older, as I have heard puppies do this due to lack of vitamins, she has always been on nutro's so it makes it hard to say if it was nutrition for sure, the stress thing is what I believe. It just seemed to fit.

[Nancy Estes]

Just wanted to explain my observation on Hounds & their eating habits (as opposed to Rotts) - I think Hounds are true scavengers & survivors. They will eat anything & can find something to eat just about anywhere. It doesn't seem to matter what they are fed or not fed; they just seem to have the instinct to regard practically everything as edible. I had two bitches that ate a plastic wading pool - with no ill effects. Have also had them eat tumbleweeds (green and dead) and bull nettle. Anyway, this has been my experience with Bassets and Beagles; I've heard from Dachshund people that they are the same. The observations on nutrition, etc. are probably more true for Rotts than for Hounds.


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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo@hotbot.com



[This message has been edited by Nancy Estes (edited December 29, 1998).]

[Angela]

Yuk!!
My Rotti eats everything, literally!!
To name a few, paper, plastic, wire, wood, all vegetation, bugs, nails, string, pens, pencils, & yes feces though I think her favorite thing is rocks.
She is 5, spayed & weighs 134lbs, the vet says she should lose 10 to 20 of them. (I'm working on that!)
I can't leave her alone in the house without making sure there is nothing within reach that she might eat, IOW, I don't leave her alone in the house.
On top of all of this, related or not, this dog has gas. I'm talking to the point that I walk around with a can of airfreshener!
She doesn't chew things up, I could handle that, she literally consumes it. My daily walk with my shovel is like a menu of her days consumption!
Anybody got any ideas?

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Angela Miles~Syme
Rott-n-roll@goplay.com
ICQ # 23943239
http://mypage.goplay.com/Rott-n-roll/

[Nancy Estes]

Angela - It sounds like your Rottie grew up with Scent Hounds!! I wish I had some suggestions! I gave up with the Hounds and just let them go ahead and eat everything/anything. I've had Rotties be very destructive and eat bits of things like their toys, etc., but never like yours. I'll watch with interest to see, hopefully, some suggestions for your problem.

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo@hotbot.com

[Angela]

Hi Nancy,
I just remembered something that I did not mention in my earlier post.
She has eaten $75.00, or maybe more, in the last 3 or so years.
Needless to say I am alot more careful of late.
I hope that you do find some sort of explanation.
Its kind of hard for me as no one I know has rottis so I've been depending on the internet, my vet & misc...books.
Thanks, I appreciate the response,

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Angela Miles~Syme
Rott-n-roll@goplay.com
ICQ # 23943239
www.mypage.goplay.com/Rott-n-roll/

[Nancy Estes]

Have you tried a boomer ball for outside (high-impact plastic ball) or even leg bones, etc. from a butcher or packing plant? Indoors you might try giving raw carrots as treats (they're not TOO messy; and rotating chew toys (*indestructible* types like Nylabones)instead of having all the toys out at once every day. Obviously, some of these *toys* are hard on the teeth and will wear them down but it's usually gradual and doesn't cause any pain to the dog. There must be some other ideas out there???

Nancy

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von Dorow Rottweilers
doggo@hotbot.com

[Angela]

Here I am again!
Boomer Ball? Never heard of it but I will check it out.
For the most part, she buries her toys &/or old bones etc...in the back 'forty' http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif with the exception of her 40lb. tire. Yes, I am serious. http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/biggrin.gif She chews on it when no one is around (we play tug a war with the tire...she always wins!!) http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/biggrin.gif or she puts it over her head & runs around the yard entertaining the people driving by. LOL!!
She always has large bones on the go but the ones that I have gotten at the butchers over the last few years she somehow manages to cut herself. (mouth) Not so with the ones from the pet store but I couldn't tell you why!
Pryor to discovering that raw hide is bad for dogs, & after pulling hunks out of her throat 3 or 4 times, I bought the giant ones all the time. No more though.
Nylabones are NOT indestructable. I even took one back to my pet store & showed the manager. He figured that it was somehow faulty & replaced it. One week later he refunded me my money shaking his head as he did.
Her teeth are fine, shes very strong & healthy, she eats well & has a wonderful personality.
Shes kind of a klutz but she gets that from me, LOL!
She doesn't really destroy property, not anymore anyhow! We call her 'Hoover' because she walks around nose to the ground eating everything she can!
Its only been the last 8 or so months that I have felt comfortable leaving her alone (with our other dog, a chihauhau....) in the house. But I still worry!
My main concern is she will eat something that is poison &/or will get stuck in her throat or stomach.........
A lady I met at the pet store told me that a few years ago, her dog (black lab)got into the garbage & ate the strings from a roast. The string somehow got tangle up inside & the dog died!!
What we go through for our dogs!!
I love my dog, shes my 'body guard'.
My husbands out of town for sometimes a month or more at a time http://www.rottweiler.net/rottie/smile.gif so for the most part its just me, my daughter & the dogs.
I'm one of these people who are naturally paranoid (theres a reason for it) I feel very safe with her on the job!
I will never stop trying to figure this out! Thanks for all of the suggestions if I get any imfo or a miraculous 'cure' I will let you know!!!
Kindest regards,


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Angela Miles~Syme
Rott-n-roll@goplay.com
ICQ # 23943239
www.mypage.goplay.com/Rott-n-roll/