Eating Own Poo :(

[Micky Moo]

Please,please help me. I know it is not an uncommon thing, but it is a disgusting habit and I am at my wit's end as to what to try next to try and stop her doing it.
I have a 7 month old Tibetan Spaniel who from being a puppy eats her own faeces. She does not eat all of it, or every time (she used to as a pup). I try to be outside with her when she does her business and say "No' in a firm voice, I have been told to put a few drops of pineapple juice in her food to make the faecal matter acidic and unpleasant, but that has not put her off at all.
On advice from the Vet, she said that sometimes they do it because they are not getting the vitamans and minerals she needs in her diet, but she said that she's already getting what she needs in her diet, so ruled that out as a cause. She just suggested trying to be there for as many evacuations and tell her "no". She has a doggy door so she can come and go as she pleases, fortunately she has never been one for Number 2's in the house and has always gone outside since being a pup. I am slightly disabled and find it hard to get outside as quick as she does, so sometimes the deed has been done before I get there.
Has anyone got any ideas????
Micky Moo

[Sarah]

When dogs eat their own poop, it's because they are lacking a mineral in their diet. I don't know what kind of dog food you are feeding, but that would be the first place I would start... Change her food to a high quality food. Acana is one , Blue Buffalo is another, orijen is yet another. You can also see if she would eat a banana, if she does eat a banana it could that her potassium level is low...

just my 6 cents

[Micky Moo]

Hi Sarah,
Thanks again for you advice. I feed my girl "Iams" for puppies, a dry biscuit. I place a few biscuits in a bowl, put a little warm water in, which makes a bit of a gravy and then top it up with a few more of the dry biscuits, this is what my vet suggested. She (my vet) says that this is a good quality dog food and has all the vitamins and minerals that she should require. But on saying that she (my pup) does like banana as well as a bit of raw carrot, peeled apple, even a bit of orange. (Don't get me wrong I don't keep shoving food into her all the time, she's a healthy weight for her age) She still get's 2 meals a day, (I like to give her a breakfast and night meal, even when she gets down to one meal a day, i shall halve it so she get's half in the morning and half at night), back on point; My vet says that this food has all the vitamins and minerals she should need. On saying that, I have looked into the foods you suggested and I can't seem to find where they are available in Perth, Western Australia. Do you know if there is a brand that is of a compatible brand to your suggestions, or where I could find out how to get hold of said brands?
Micky-Moo

[Sarah]

I will tell you something. I had a Rottweiler and I fed him "Iams" and he got cancer and I did blame Iams for it. Perhaps the Iams in Perth is different than the Iams in Canada, but I will tell you I don't trust it at all. I don't have a dog at the moment, but If I did I would feed the dog Acana or Orijen, There is Blue Buffalo high quality, in food. I do, however have 1 Cat and 1 Kitten, and both will eat Orijen as of next month. My kitten eats raw, actually he will eat anything, the older Cat is finicky and will only eat kibble and tuna. Their kibble is Holistic which is a better grade, but still not the best. I also give them nutritional yeast.

I know that Orijen is in Ozz but I'm not sure if the others are.

When you see her eating her poo, offer her a banana instead, then praise her for taking the banana. Do this all the time and she will want the banana instead...