Go Back   Pet forum for dogs cats and humans - Pets.ca > Discussion Groups - mainly cats and dogs > Dog training - dog behavior

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old April 7th, 2008, 10:31 AM
bluesunshine bluesunshine is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: toronto, canada
Posts: 56
How do you prevent dog from eating their poo????

My 7-month-old golden retriever Niuniu had a habit of eating her poo when she was younger. She didn't eat it right after she pooed, she would find those that I forgot to pick up or covered by snow, dig them out, play them, mouth them.....After visiting th vet, the vet told us to stay on top of it, clean the poo every time she poos.....We tried that, with the snow it is easy to spot the poo in the back yard.....Looks like she almost grow out of this disgusting habit....Now I have a new problem: the snow melted....it's hard for me to spot her poo on the grass, especially at night and early in the morning. The thing is, I let her out in the backyard to pee and poo herself, I don't follow her 'cuz she will play in the backyard for a while then do her business, I just don't have time standing in the backyard waiting for her to poo, espeically in the morning.....I am worried she'll go back to her habit....

Sorry, I am kinda babbling,,,,it's hard to explaining the situation without babbling.....

Any suggestion?
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old April 7th, 2008, 02:11 PM
JanM's Avatar
JanM JanM is offline
Young at Heart
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: Mid Vancouver Island
Posts: 1,847
I don't have any suggestions because my 2.5 yr old Golden does the same thing! I, too, thought she had stopped but - nope - she still does it. I have tried all manner of things with her and nothing has worked.

So, if there are any suggestions that I haven't tried, I'll be watching this thread too!
__________________
Bobby - June 15/04 - Aug 30/11
Amber 6.5 yr Golden girl
Shadow 9 yr rumpy black ManxX boy
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old April 7th, 2008, 02:16 PM
jealma's Avatar
jealma jealma is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ontario
Posts: 375
I am not sure, but I think so breeds are more prone to this habit than others, and I think I read somewhere that there is something in the poo that could be missing in their diets. Other than picking up I can't say that I"ve ever heard of anything else that works to curb this. Good luck with it.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old April 7th, 2008, 02:29 PM
Elizabeth Ann's Avatar
Elizabeth Ann Elizabeth Ann is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Ontario
Posts: 217
My three year old shih tzu has this same problem (and my best friend with a S/T also has this problem).

I too heard that it's something to do with thier diets, but since I switch to raw it's still happening.

We walk our dogs (we don't have a back yard). We always pick up our own poop so when he does find some out there a stranger's dogs. That really scares me. I try my hardest to keep my eye out when I am walking them, but when you have three on one (three dogs one person) it's hard to always keep track of what Gizmo is doing. He always seems to go for it when ever I have to bend down to pick up our own poop, next thing I know he has some in his mouth (ehhh gross).
__________________
************************************************************************************
There is no psychiatrist in the world like a puppy licking your face. ~Ben Williams

The great pleasure of a dog is that you may make a fool of yourself with him and not only will he not scold you, but he will make a fool of himself too. ~Samuel Butler, Notebooks, 1912
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old April 7th, 2008, 06:09 PM
doggie's Avatar
doggie doggie is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: San Diego, California, USA
Posts: 7
The dogs that eats it is not the problem

Hi! To be certain I am not a vet; however, this problem is a head-scratcher for most vets. I know they suggest your never letting the dog out of your sight, but how convenient is that? I am never as concerned with the animal that eats poop, as I am with the animal that pooped it. Dogs don't eat poop. They eat food. If stool still has food value, and has not been properly digested, it will still smell like food (it is documented that dogs have at least a thousand times more acute sense of smell than humans). So any dog would eat "food."

I know your dog(s) are eating their own stools so what can you do? There are two very important factors in digestion: (1) enzymes and (2) probiotics. If your dog does not have enough enzymes or friendly intestinal bacteria, she cannot fully digest her food. A dog can be on a really expensive food and still be starving if she doesn't have what it takes to get the value from the food. I've seen numerous behavior problems disappear when my clients provide these additions to the diet. Jumping on counters, crankiness, hyperness and corprophagy (eating stool) can all be from this basic cause.

For enzymes you can give raw carrot or apple slices for treats. Of course, you can buy digestive enzyme supplements too. Solid Gold makes D-Zyme. It's good but pricey.

For friendly bacteria get some 4 or 5 species bacteria (acidophilus) from the health food store. I prefer powdered, in capsules, freeze-dried and keep it in your freezer. Since the friendly bacteria are killed by stomach acid, do not give acidophilus at a time when the dog is expecting food. Otherwise, all the little friendly bugs don't make it to the bowels where absorption of nutrients takes place.

Open a capsule in your palm and push your palm onto your dog's wet nose. she will lick it off. Once she tastes it she will like it. I live in Mexico 3 days a week and my dogs run into the ocean. I shutter to think about the awful things in Tijuana ocean water. After the beach, all the dogs line up at the fridge for a capsule of acidophilus. They have yet to get sick after 10 years of going in that water.

And for those who think yogurt is the answer: Yogurt is with food so the bacteria never survives the stomach. Additionally, bulgaricus is not the bacteria you need for the bowels anyway. Get the acidophilus at a health food store. I use Jarrodophilus + Fos but it is pricey. Just try to find something similar.

And one last reminder: If your dog has ever been on antibiotics for anything, you must restore the friendly bacteria. This applies to all dogs; not just the ones who eat their own feces.

Shannon Schaefer
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old April 9th, 2008, 07:41 AM
jessi76's Avatar
jessi76 jessi76 is offline
Senior Contributor
 
Join Date: May 2005
Location: U.S.
Posts: 2,510
S.E.P. (stop eating poop)

a daily supplement by Solid Gold, that is added to the dog's food. My mom uses this product for her dog - works GREAT. available at most pet supply stores that sell the Solid Gold brand of food & supplements.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old April 9th, 2008, 09:50 AM
bluesunshine bluesunshine is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: toronto, canada
Posts: 56
Quote:
Originally Posted by JanM View Post
I don't have any suggestions because my 2.5 yr old Golden does the same thing! I, too, thought she had stopped but - nope - she still does it. I have tried all manner of things with her and nothing has worked.

So, if there are any suggestions that I haven't tried, I'll be watching this thread too!
Now this is a bit discouraging....The vet told me, also I read it on the book, that the puppy will grow out of this ugly habit!

Now mine doesn't go for it everytime she is out but that;s because I tried my best to clean it up everytime, but there are times when there is her poo on the grass she would try to sneak up and have a smell, and I gave her a very mean "NO", but God knows what will happen when I am not around her....That's what bothers me the most....

Now I don't know if I should have hope that she will grow out of it since your 2.5 yr old still does it.....
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old April 11th, 2008, 07:51 PM
Bobsuruncle's Avatar
Bobsuruncle Bobsuruncle is offline
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Mississauga
Posts: 27
Poo Eaters!

I had a similiar problem with my American Staff (male) who did this constantly. According to my vet if your dog does this as a male they are cleaning up their territory. It's very common for females to do this as it's a maternal habit. Knowing this, I thought he had an answer for us. The vet suggested chile pepper! LOL Yep, you can buy it at the vets and you sprinkle it on their poo. It worked!!! Our pooper eater had a bad taste after about 4 attempts.

Bobsuruncle
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old April 11th, 2008, 08:05 PM
jealma's Avatar
jealma jealma is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: ontario
Posts: 375
You have scared me. Abby is now 4 months and todate has not eatten poo, but than at 4 months she's never had much of a chance since I am with her everytime she goes and the weather hasn't had us in parks and stuff.
Now we are leaving for a 5 day visit in Alberta. I have made arrangements to have abby stay with a breeder of toy poodles. It will be great for Abby because she will get a lot of socializing in and they are well prepared for small breed dogs. They have a large,, I mean large fenced in yard, they don't keep the dogs in a kennel they are family pets and they all get loven, they have a doggie door so abby can go in and out at will and they even have paper set up for the one pup they have left.. ( Abby is still using paper when she isn't taken out,, she's not barking to get out yet) BUTTTTTT she will be around poo,, is she going to start eatting it even though she hasn't to this point???
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old April 11th, 2008, 09:19 PM
shane 123 shane 123 is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: down south
Posts: 58
Mostly a habit the get into I think. Sometimes they copy from watching another dog. Didn't know about the Chili powder, good to know if ever I run into that problem.
Reply With Quote
  #11  
Old April 11th, 2008, 09:25 PM
Frenchy's Avatar
Frenchy Frenchy is offline
-
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Quebec
Posts: 30,227
Something else you might want to look for ...

I have 3 dogs , and sometimes a foster. That makes a lot of poop ! My Bailey do sometimes eat poopsicles , usually it will be Sam's poop. Sam eats very fast , so some kibble would be intact in his poop. I put a large Kong in Sam's bowl so he eats slower , no more intact kibble in his poop and now Bailey eats less poop

So maybe your dog eats too fast ?
Reply With Quote
  #12  
Old April 11th, 2008, 10:20 PM
luckypenny's Avatar
luckypenny luckypenny is offline
Doggie Wench
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: St. Philippe-de-Laprairie, Qc
Posts: 11,812
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bobsuruncle View Post
I had a similiar problem with my American Staff (male) who did this constantly. According to my vet if your dog does this as a male they are cleaning up their territory. It's very common for females to do this as it's a maternal habit.
That's pretty much what I've concluded with our Lab. She's 1 1/2 and only attempts to eat her own, or our other 2 dogs' poop . And she didn't start to eat their's until a little while after they became part of a pack.

I consistently pick up after all of them, and if I'm about to catch her in the act, a firm, deep "Uh uh" will stop her. When I'm not outdoors with them, she always checks the windows first to see if I'm watching and just waddles away when she sees me .
__________________
"Education is a progressive discovery of our own ignorance." -Will Durant
Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Forum Terms of Use

  • All Bulletin Board Posts are for personal/non-commercial use only.
  • Self-promotion and/or promotion in general is prohibited.
  • Debate is healthy but profane and deliberately rude posts will be deleted.
  • Posters not following the rules will be banned at the Admins' discretion.
  • Read the Full Forum Rules

Forum Details

  • Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.8
    Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
    vBulletin Optimisation by vB Optimise (Reduced on this page: MySQL 0%).
  • All times are GMT -5. The time now is 04:44 AM.