My puppy has recently started eating her own poop.  I've never dealt with this and I do know about the products you can add to their food so it makes their poop less desirable to eat.  My neighbor has tried a product from Drs Foster & Smith, but said both his dogs still ate poop.  Of course when she is outside I do not let her eat it, but it seems like she recently started to save it for her crate as a snack.  She did it again last night sometime while I was sleeping.  Any tips would be appreciated from people who've dealt with and conquered this.

My 6 year old DD would live on goose and horse poop if I let him when he runs over at the Fairgrounds every night.  My Vet said to try and limit it, but it's almost impossible.  He doesn't eat his own though.  It was funny when I was out in Wyoming with him last September and I was telling my buddy in Gillette and his Dad how smart Herc was.  They started laughing and I asked why and they pointed.  I turned around and there was Herc drooling while he was eating the biggest, juiciest, piece of fresh cow poop on the ranch, LOL!  So much for smarts in some respects   Anyway, he's as healthy as can be and the Vet said it won't hurt him.

 

NAHC LM (1991), NWTF, NRA, SPC 5 Army Vet Corp 68-71

  I gaurantee you its gonna bother you more than it bothers that pup.    Although I did just throw up in my mouth a little bit. 

I think you're right 2links!  I picked her up on Jan 30th and soon after I got the stomach flu which is weird because I haven't been sick since I was a kid.  Anyway, my stomach was off for about two weeks and that was the first time she decided to eat her poop.  I was literally in my back yard with her gagging.  I almost lost it when I saw her do that. 

Its called Copraphagy and it is very common in dogs. While it may seem disgusting to you it will not harm the dog. But if they are eating feces of other dogs/animals you should deworm them on a regular schedule every three months. It has nothing to do with the dogs nutritional needs if you're feeding a good dog food.

 

Then there is Pica. This is when animals eat non food items dirt, rocks,sticks, and etc. This is usually harmless to the animal unless they try and swallow to big an object and choke. Or eat so much it causes a bowel obstruction.

 

There is literature in medical journals about humans usually children doing both.

 

Bottom line it may make you want to barf but is in general harmless to the animal.

 

 

gutpile Kishels Scents and Lures www.kishelscents.com Finest scents and lures for Hunters and Trappers and now Fishermen. "I got mine with Kishels!!" Liberals Negate Darwinian Theory

I am aware this will not kill her, but I want to nip this thing! I just had her dewormed last month and on Monday I am bringing her in for her 3rd distemper which I will be bringing in a stool sample for them to check. I feed her Wellness Super5 Mix for puppy health which is a premium food and she should be getting enough nutrients from that. She was good last night now and didn't save any midnight snacks...she left them in the yard. I guess I'll have to see how this plays out.

gutpile---Good tip on the worming!  I check my dog's stools closely all the time and he had one worm in a stool a couple years ago.  The Vet took care of that with one treatment and I haven't noticed any since.  I have no idea if eating poop was the cause or not, but I think it was probably from messing with furred animals that he will catch now and then.  Last week he had his annual visit for his 5 way shot, a complete checkup, heartworm test, etc. and came through great.  I have tried shocking him a few times when he gets into piles of poop, but it doesn't correct the problem and he goes right on to the next pile.  I decided I didn't want to keep shocking him if it wasn't correcting the problem, so I just give a verbal command and he will stop, but then he starts looking for the next goodie down the way, LOL!

 

NAHC LM (1991), NWTF, NRA, SPC 5 Army Vet Corp 68-71

I'd be willing to bet it will pass after a year or so hauts.  My lab is 6 and every  now and then I'll catch her playing with one of her frozen turds out in the yard, throwing it up in the air and chasing it around.   I just tell her NO! and then "calmly explain to her that would be perfectly acceptable in a 3rd world country but we are civilized here. "

I'll bet she knows exactly what you're telling her too, LOL!  I'll be talking to mine like that and my wife will kid me that I'm not talking to a human.  I just laugh and tell her he's a lot easier to deal with than some on this BB and one heck of a lot smarter, LOL!!!

 

NAHC LM (1991), NWTF, NRA, SPC 5 Army Vet Corp 68-71

My reccomendation to all you who own dogs esp hunting dogs deworm every three months. You don't need to have regular fecals done. The best dewormer on the market is a Bayer product called Drontal Plus. It kills all worms including tapeworms. Just call your Vet tell him/her the dogs weight and go get it. Any decent vet will sell it to you without a visit. Use a good flea and tick product monthly. for those that use flea baths make sure you cover the area under the legs( armpits if you will). I've seen many dogs a day after flea baths scratching like crazy because these areas were missed. Have your dog checked for heartworm and keep them on the medication year round. Hauts along with the distemper are you vaccinating (3) for parvo virus? That's a real puppy killer.

 

Regular cleaning of hard surface areas(kennel runs/cages etc) with a 5% bleach solution will kill just about anything. Soft bedding and rugs can be treated with a good insecticide before washing.

 

ALL PUPPIES HAVE WORMS!!!!! They get them from their mothers milk. Even though the bitch may have a clear fecal worm larvae encapsulate in the bitches tissue and become active during pregnancy and are passed to her pups in the milk.

 

Giving pills to a dog can be a pain but here's a tip. Open the dogs mouth and throw the pill to the back of its mouth as far as you can. Now hold his mouth closed and blow on his nose when he licks he's swallowed the pill. Works on cats too.

gutpile Kishels Scents and Lures www.kishelscents.com Finest scents and lures for Hunters and Trappers and now Fishermen. "I got mine with Kishels!!" Liberals Negate Darwinian Theory

The Sentinel product I use takes care of most worms and I usually start my DD on it the first of April (after his blood test) through October up here in Michigan.  This year I started him last week because he's going with me down to Texas tomorrow.  In the warmer climates you definitely need to do heartworm prevention year around, but my Vet said she doesn't think it's necessary if the dog is up here for the 4 or 5 real cold months we have.  She has the DVM behind her name, so I've gone with her recommendations.

 

 

NAHC LM (1991), NWTF, NRA, SPC 5 Army Vet Corp 68-71

Try putting a bunch of really HOT sauce on the poop that she eats. It may make her want to quit after burning her mouth. I know someone who's dog does the same thing. It didn't work, but that is just one dog. It may work on yours.

gutpile, I'm not getting her vaccinated for the parvo virus.  I'll be getting her bordatella, lymes, distemper, and rabies.  I'll also be putting both my dogs on heartworm pills starting in April.  I will have them on it from April - November.

 

And 2links, that's a funny story.  Reminds me of my 6 year old lab.  She's never eaten her poop, but one time she ate a whole bottle of Planter's peanuts.  Soon after when I was letting her out she wasn't coming back to the door like she always does.  Finally I investigated what she was doing out there instead of just her "business"...she was eating the peanuts out of her frozen crap!  That's the only time she's ever had an interest with her poop.

Priceless.....

 

Why wouldn't you get vaccinated for parvo?   Some risk involved that your worried about?    

Topgun 30-06 your DVM is smart like a fox. Every spring you take your dog in for a visit have a blood draw to check for microfillaria (heartworm larvae) and then buy heartworm medicine. Now if you keep your dog on heartworm medicine year round you pass a vet visit and blood draw DVM doesn't collect $35-$50. And what's the cost to keep her on it through the winter $15? Now ask yourself this if there's no need to keep the dog on heartworm meds in winter because there aren't any mosquitos to transmit the disease why is the vet doing heartworm test? If the heartworm test shows microfilaria in the blood the dog has reproducing adult worms in its heart already. There are two tests for heartworm a stained bloodsmear on a slide viewed under a microscope. Done by a technician under a microscpoe to look for microfilaria. And theres an ELISA test which is an antigen test that turns color in the presence of heartworm antigens. If either is positive then more tests($$$$) are needed to evaluate the extent of infestation. You can't just kill off the worms as once dead they go into the bloodstream and can act just like a bloodclot that's broken loose. Lodge in the pulmonary artery DEAD DOG. Lodge in a vessel of the brain DEAD DOG.

 

A clinic I did an internship at one spring was doing on average 100 heartworm tests a day. At $40 a visit. Now why would a DVM tell clients they don't need heartworm meds in the winter? I wonder??

 

My wife has cats. INDOOR CATS!!! They NEVER go outside. But once a year we get a notice on each of the cats to come in for a visit and fecal. Why? DVM gets $35 per visit times 3 cats. There are no fleas, ticks, or skeeters in the house so there is no vector to transfer worms etc to cats. If one of the cats has a problem I'll know it then we go see the vet. My function in life is not to line the pockets of a veterinarian for unneeded tests.

gutpile Kishels Scents and Lures www.kishelscents.com Finest scents and lures for Hunters and Trappers and now Fishermen. "I got mine with Kishels!!" Liberals Negate Darwinian Theory

2links, she had her parvo at 8 weeks along with one or two others.  I have read though that too many vaccines is not good either.  I will just be getting her the vaccines for things that are a threat in my area. 

 

And gutpile, I only get seasonal heartworm for my 6 year old lab and she's only had one blood test...that was initially to determine if she had heartworm or not.  She hasn't had one since so I guess it depends on the vet. 

Probably wise,    I was talking to my vet, with our 7 month old retriever it seems like the vaccinations were constant for a while.   He told us he was going to keep them spread out.   He said to much to fast could basically cause autism for lack of a better word.  To much shock on the immune system all at once.    He's the vet I'll take his word for it.   

1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn't have access to food, he might eat poop.

2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he's chained up or otherwise restricted. He's taking care of his space.

3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

7. Your dog might eat poop because he's anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry.

9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they'll eat poop as an experiment. They don't know better.

11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag.

12. Your dog might see others dogs eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn't make sense to dog owners but that's irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that's that. It's warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.

14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get "food" with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop.

15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog's diet is high in fat.

17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn't explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently.

20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.

Posted By on 12 Mar 2010 09:42 AM
I'd be willing to bet it will pass after a year or so hauts.  My lab is 6 and every  now and then I'll catch her playing with one of her frozen turds out in the yard, throwing it up in the air and chasing it around.   I just tell her NO! and then "calmly explain to her that would be perfectly acceptable in a 3rd world country but we are civilized here. "

OMG that is so frickn funny! you realy talk to your dog like that? I can picture a dude doing that too!
I know I talk to MY dog like a human. It's quite humorous. I'll tell him it's time 4 bed and he go's right into my room and lays on his blanket. I'll also tell him to mind his own business when were walking and he's interested in something else like a dog or a person. I also ask him where some of MY things are like he's going to look up at me and tell me where they are. I'll ask him what he wants when hes looking at me or rubbing on me. I also ask him what he wants for dinner, or if he wants to take a bath or go outside or for a walk. my mom laughs at me and tells me im crazy.

gutpile---I had a couple years of Pre-Vet Medicine so I know a little bit about heartworms.  My Vet gives my dog his multi-shot in the Spring (rabies every 3) and checks him over, as well as giving him a heartworm test, all for less than $50.  My monthly Sentinel pills go for about $16.50 a pop, so I actually save about $65 for the cold months when I don't give him the heartworm meds.  He probably doesn't need the blood test every Spring, but my Vet has to stay in business.  I think it's worth it if I have an emergency and need her because she knows I'm following her advice in maintaining my dog and not trying to scimp on things.  If I was hurting for money or had a number of dogs, I would probably med him myself with liquid Ivermectin, but I just choose to go with my Vet.