Eating Poop

[Guest DMBFiredancer]

Seriously?

 

Is this the new "in" thing the kids like to do these days?

 

Should I be trying to stop this behavior?

 

I am scooping and hosing ASAP but I know there will come a day in the yard that I don't get there fast enough and she gobbles it all up!

 

(All I can think of is.....you're not going to kiss me with THAT mouth!)

[Batmom]

Can't stop it. Best pick up as it occurs. It's a dog thing.

[kolarik1]

Can't stop it. Best pick up as it occurs. It's a dog thing.

 

Yep...or put a stool cup on the muzzle

[macoduck]

You could try adding a bit of pineapple juice in with the kibble. That finally broke one of mine from poop eating.

[Guest DMBFiredancer]

You could try adding a bit of pineapple juice in with the kibble. That finally broke one of mine from poop eating.

Interesting...any idea why that would work?

[oldrunners]

All three of mine eat bunny poop, cat poop when available, and dear, sweet Penny will eat her own. We wear poop guards on our muzzles when we go out. We also don't "do" kisses in this house!

[greysmom]

It needs to be real pineapple juice from the fruit, not from canned. Something about the enzymes in the pineapple is supposed to make the poop unpalatable. I think.

 

There are also several commercial products to try, if you want. Best is just to pick up as soon as it hits the ground, if you can. You can order a stool guard for her kennel muzzle from the G.E.M. store.

 

I have one who is a member of this club. It's pretty gross.

[Guest Zizi]

My lab used to do this and my vet said give him canned pumpkin it taste good going in but awful coming out. I did this with him and it worked! Not sure if it will work with the greys. Jerzi has not attempted this yet!

[GreytNut]

I tried everything with Tiny to break him of this habit, from pineapple juice to green beans to meat tenderizer to For-Bid. Some of it worked for a little while but then he got used to it. The only thing that really worked was snatching up the poo as soon as possible and using a stool guard.

 

For a while Tiny would try to squish the poop through the stool guard to get at it (he was a real hardhead) and then he'd rub it off on me. Thank goodness he DID get over that... and thank goodness none of the others have been poop eaters.

[Guest RobinAZ]

I've got one that does this too. She won't eat her own but eats the other dogs. I pick up as fast as I can but with 4 dogs it's just not possible all the time. I figure dogs will be dogs....ewww.

[a_daerr]

Another vote for a stool guard on the muzzle. I got mine from the GEM Store for $6. They're also really nice to use if your dog ever gets a cut and you need them to stop licking at it. It's way more comfortable and efficient than an e-collar.

[Remolacha]

Oh, lucky you! I had a poop eater (only his own, luckily) None of the add-ins worked, although I got a laugh out of some of the testimonials. I mean, think about it, something to add to their food to make poop taste bad? Immediate pick up and/or stool guard are the only things that worked for me. After awhile, he seemed to lose interest and only snacked occasionally

[Guest houndgirl]

My lovely lady has a special ability for finding... ugh, people poop. I live in Budapest, while it isn't a huge city there is a high rate of homelessness. Around the bushes in the city parks, benches, even between cars parked on the street-- people sometimes... well... poop.

 

I have to be very alert on early morning walks, because my grey will act like she is sniffing for business when she's really looking for snacks. I have no idea what I can add to her diet to prevent her from doing it. The vet said she can smell the proteins in the human variety, making it more appealing. I wish there was something I could add to her diet to deter her from indulging!!

[XTRAWLD]

Yup - disgusting habit of Kasey. He especially enjoyed "poo pucks" - the frozen variety. And played with it too....UGH It was bad when we had a yard and didn't do regular pick ups. The vet gave us "Forbid" which when mixed with his food, produces an even worst smell/taste so that they would be less attracted to it - it's POO, why would we have to make it less attractive. Anyway, that really didn't work much either. Regular pick ups do.

 

We only walk them now and pick up as we go obviously, so he hasn't had a chance to do this in quite some time, but I doubt a break from it would stop him. Good luck!

[3greytjoys]

This fairly common behavior is called coprophagy. You're smart to remove stools immediately. Previous posters are right on point too: Prevent dog's access to stools. Avoid allowing dog any opportunity to eat stools (dog's own, cats, or other animals).

 

Here are a few more suggestions:

 

- Have vet run fecal test on your dog to ensure your dog is not fighting internal parasites, etc.

 

- Regulate feeding times to better predict regular poop times.

 

- Stay with the dog when outside for business breaks, even in your own yard. Scoop/bag/dispose of poop immediately.

 

- If needed, leash escort dog to keep dog's head above ground level in poop areas. Don't let dog sniff under community bushes that you can't see underneath. Hold leash shorter if needed.

 

- If night time, use small flashlight to clean up poop. If trouble seeing pile, bend down near ground level to shine flashlight sideways across ground area. It's often easier to see a raised mini-mountain pile from side view.

 

- Some people immediately douse poop with Bitter Yuck, but you still have to be present. (Prevention is preferred.)

 

- Ensure dog is getting enough nutrient healthy dog food, and is not actually hungry.

 

If not nutrient/food/hunger related, another theory is some dogs begin this behavior when their momma dog cleans up after her litter of pups in whelping boxes. Most dogs give up the behavior as they mature, some don't.

 

(Human follows our hound pack out for each business break. A few other benefits: Prevents hounds from stepping and tracking poop elsewhere; keeps flies away (nice if you have edible garden); good to watch hounds' eliminations to notice medical problems early; helps prevent inside accidents if unsupervised hound didn't finish doing all business outside.)

[TheFullHouse]

I tried every thing heard of these days to stop 3 of mine from eating poop and the only thing that worked was a muzzle with a stool guard. All my dogs were healthy, no issues what so ever, they just loved the taste of it I guess.

[Guest freightsmom]

All three of mine eat bunny poop, cat poop when available, and dear, sweet Penny will eat her own. We wear poop guards on our muzzles when we go out. We also don't "do" kisses in this house!

 

Same here...LOL My pack thinks cat and bunny poop is a delicacy. Kai is the "eat your own poop or anyone else's poop" eater around here. Muzzles with poop guards are required and I brush their teeth each night just in case they try to kiss me goodnight.

[Guest Rhea]

Female dogs are especially prone to this, since it's a behavior to disguise smell and protect their pups from predators.... whether they have babies or not! (Our lab mixes were all female, all neutered, all never gave birth, but they still did it occasionally. And our previous dog kept the litter box clean of poops.) I don't know if that makes you feel better, but that's usually the explanation I've seen given for lady dogs devouring their own poop. Many animals also consume the stools of other creatures, since they leave behind different nutrients and proteins, all nicely condensed in one package. (Ick XD)

[Guest DMBFiredancer]

Female dogs are especially prone to this, since it's a behavior to disguise smell and protect their pups from predators.... whether they have babies or not! (Our lab mixes were all female, all neutered, all never gave birth, but they still did it occasionally. And our previous dog kept the litter box clean of poops.) I don't know if that makes you feel better, but that's usually the explanation I've seen given for lady dogs devouring their own poop. Many animals also consume the stools of other creatures, since they leave behind different nutrients and proteins, all nicely condensed in one package. (Ick XD)

 

This is totally fascinating...thanks!