Bit icky...sorry!

Semele

Is there any obvious reason for a dog to eat its own poo??? Our dog has been spotted doing this a few times now, although it all seems to have started in the past week. Obviously will be bringing him to the vet if it continues but just wondering if anyone has any ideas first. He seems entirely healthy otherwise and has had no dietary changes.

Kenno90

yes , i think you should bring him to the vet , thats not normal behaviour

Beth

His poop can smell like his food - some are not very digestible so if you feed a high quality food, all that should be there really is waste matter, not undigested food.

Some dogs eat their poop because they're lacking in certain nutrients.

You can add a bit of pineapple juice or a small bit of pineapple to his food to see if it makes any difference. While most like it with their dinner, they dont like the taste of the poop when the pineapple bits are digested as it changes taste.

You can also add some pumpkin to his food (tinned pumpkin) - this will do the same thing if the pineapple doesnt work.

Best thing is to teach him "leave it", and to clean up when he has just gone. You can use the "leave it" if you catch him trying to eat poop that hasnt been cleaned up.

When cleaning up, don't make a grab for it as soon as he goes Remove him from the area, and then clean up without him seeing you. If he sees that you want it, he can associate value with it, so may try to eat it before you get to pick it up. Be consitent with what you do, as it will break the habit if he's only doing it out of habit.

If none of them work, then yes, a trip to the vet to see if there is anything he can give you to stop the dog dining twice, or to see if the dog really is lacking in something.

Good luck

Lauragoesmad

Dogs eating another dogs poo or a cats poo can be rare but not that alarming. A dog eating its own poo is very worrying. Watch your dog very closely. I don't want to scare you but some dogs do this if they have been brain damaged. I have seen a dog with swelling of the brain do it.
Bring him to the vets.

Semele

Thanks guys! Will try the pineapple etc for a day or two and then go to the vet if it continues. The only cases I was previously aware of of dogs doing this involved rescue animals that had been severely traumatised..really not the case here!

It's true that his food tends to not be particularly digested so I'm hoping that it's just a new habit he's picked up. His toilet training in general has not been a roaring success (he's 5months old) despite us doing everything by the book. He tends to go during the night, pretty much wherever he wants, which obviously makes it difficult to encourage him to use the training pad!

During the day (with No 1's!) he's great and get's made a fuss of every time he goes in the right place...to the extent that he makes a big show of scratching round while watching us first to make sure someone is looking at him and has the doggy treats at hand! He just never seemed to generalise this to cover No 2's!

If anyone has any advice on the toilet training either then that would be much appreciated, and thanks again to those who already replied.

Lauragoesmad

You're going to have to stay in the garden with him for an hour or two until he poos. When he does, give him as much praise as you can. Then he will realise he has to go outside.

me_right_one

Dogs do that all the time. Absolutely normal

Lauragoesmad

me_right_one wrote: »

Dogs do that all the time. Absolutely normal

Eating their own is NOT normal. Ask any vet.

me_right_one

Yes it is. They eat other dead animals, cows afterbirths, human poo etc. They just eat anything with protien

Lauragoesmad

I'm not going to sit here all day in a "no its not, yes it is" game.

I am going to believe my vet who has over 20 years experience working with dogs.

cowzerp

Although its weird it can be nothing!

i've seen lots of healthy dogs eat poo, he is probably greedy or even lacking in some nutrients, make sure its a complete food your feeding him and if it is maybe add some different things to his diet and see how it goes..

leadinglady

'..the most common eating problem is Coprophagia which is the eating of the dogs own or others' faeces. Although it is behaviour that owners tend to find repulsive, it is natural behaviour for dogs...'

Nursing bitches instincitively eat their puppies poos for the first while after birth to eliminate any trace/scent of their offspring, in case of predators. This can become a learned thing then for the pups from their mam doing it. It shouldnt really follow through to adulthood but sometimes does. Some dogs do it out of boredom/lack of toys and others out of hunger, others just like the taste!!

Adding fibre to the diet can make the dog feel fuller and might help - cabbage, carrots wheat bran. Increasing frequency of meals also helps.
Adding protein an iron supplement or vegetable oil makes the poo taste bad to them as well.

If you react by being horrified and scream and shout (which is what any normal person would do!) the dog can see this as encouragement, or he may see it as a game if you run after him at the same time. So try instead to distract him with a toy or game straight away after defecation. This, over time, should will help to break the habit.

Hope this helps.:)

Wilde_37

Lauragoesmad wrote: »

I'm not going to sit here all day in a "no its not, yes it is" game.

I am going to believe my vet who has over 20 years experience working with dogs.

I work in a veterinary - eating poo is very normal - especially for pups. This is how the mother keeps the area clean in the kennels. Pups can mimic that behaviour. However this can also be an indication that the dog is either hungry or is not getting all the nutrients they need.

The problem is not that the dog eats poo - it's that it offends our sensibilities! Try the Pineapple in the food - that works. Another tip is to sprinkle curry powder on the poo - that will discourage him from going back to it.