Coprophagy (poop eating problems)

[jude09]

Thank you Sarah.

[Robin]

Dog who eat their or anyone elses poop, is in need of whatever mineral they are lacking and getting from the poop. Even their own. Some minerals do not get absorbed as easily as others, untill it has been through the body. This way it is broken down for the dog to be able to absorb the mineral that is lacking in their diet.

What this really says is the dogs are having problems with their digestive tract and it could be time to begin giving them some Organic flax seed oil in their food.

Our Sassy is a 15 wk old Yorkshire Terrier (due for her 3rd set of shots next week) she was a retirement gift for my mother from her co-workers and was 10 weeks old when she arrived. Sassy is still eating the first bag of kibble that came with her (Premium Edge Puppy Formula - Chicken, Rice & Vegetables) plus we are using Milk-Bone Original Treats for training and she gets some peanut butter or baby carrots for treats. She is not allowed to have our food for fear of bad habits around the table and obesity.

She doesn't eat her own poop (although she will eat her own vomit), but she is absolutely determined to eat any poop from other animals that she finds. We live out in the country on a busy highway so she has to be with one of us, preferably on a leash, when she is outside but she still manages to find any pile that might be out there and start to eat it before we realize what she has found. Since I can't put additives in the food of dogs I have never met, I am very interested in what might be missing from Sassy's diet to cause this behavior.

Over and above how disgusting it is to see I am very concerned that she might get very sick if she finds poop from a sick animal.

How much Organic Flax seed should be added to her diet and how often? Is this something I should get at a health food store or a pet supply store? Any other advice is also welcome!

[Sarah]

Your dog is young and does not need flax, but a dog over year old would. since your dog is small i would 1/4 tsp once or twice a week after a year. Flax not only keeps the intestinal tract in good working order, it also it also gives them the omega 3's and 6's they need, which keeps their skin and hair in good shape as well. I would suggest that you change her food to a higher quality food and see if the vomiting won't stop. Dogs can get iron, zinc potassium from either their own poop or from the poop of other animals which they may not be getting in their own food.

try giving your dog a banana, if she eats it, it could be potassium she is missing. Try an apple, or pear or grapes, melon or any other fruit that is permissible for your dog and if they eat it, the dog needs whatever nutrient that fruit provides. Minerals and vitamines are easier to absorb in fruit or liquid than it is in "kibble"

Hope this helps

[sleeves211]

I also have a little 4 month old yorkie that eats his own poop. I have to watch him like a hawk. Won't the ketchup make him sick? How much did you put in?

[sleeves211]

My dog eats fruit and vegetables along with his dry food. The breeder told not to give him grapes or raisins because they are harmful. I think I also read that somewhere.

[MaryAnn]

Remember folks....Grapes is on the list of foods not to feed your dog.

I suggest you click on that topic first before giving your pet anything, as well as check with your vet. What is good for one dog may not be good for another.

[Sharon1965]

Hi, my dog doesn't eat her own feces, but rolls in other dog feces. Don't allow her in field beside our house, until the geese leave (loves goose poop), that was easily fixed. When we take her to doggie park is were she finds feces that she rolls in, that has to stop and we don't know how to stop this. Sharon

[Cheysmom]

I have tried this (used it for about 3 weeks) and it didn't work for my GSD puppy. Any other suggestions???

[Lee at Delayre]

Poop eating sometimes can be nutrition (make sure he is on a top quality puppy food I use Eukanuba ) sometimes it is aggressive housebreaking and they want to hide it before they are scolded, but most of the time it just taste good. (Ugh ) Female dogs are more likely than males to eat poop The mother keeps the nest clean and females tend to have more of an urge to clean up the poop.

I find most of the time forbid will not work . I guess it dose not taste nasty enough. If you rule out poor nutrition or parisites which will cause malnutrition even with a good diet then what I have found works best is to sprinkle the hottest cayan pepper you can find on the stools and most dogs will stop eating it.

If your puppies stools are loose most of the time he needs a better diet and/or probably has parasites