Why do dogs eat poop?

james'mommy

<font color=green>I've always been a green stripe
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Sep 25, 2005
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I know it's disgusting but I'm at my wit's end. Both my dogs have been eating poop lately. I noticed that it started to happen around the time I switched their food a few months ago. They had never done it prior to the switch. I'm afraid they are going to get sick from it. I'm also sick of them trying to give me poop breath kisses.
 
It can be a nutritional thing. You may want to try switching foods to see if that helps.
 
I don't know why, but it's not that uncommon. Your vet can sell you a powder that you sprinkle on their food to make their poop unappetizing to them.:laughing:
 
Because they can. I've never had a dog that didn't eat it. I tried all the different products that are supposed to make it taste bad. They didn't work. After awhile, I just gave up. I asked the vet if it would hurt them. He told me it wouldn't. Dogs can eat just about anything. My dogs like to snack from the cat box as well. That really irritates me, but it has been very hard stopping them.

OP, there are so many things in life to stress about. This shouldn't be one of them. Let it go and let nature takes it's course.
 

I have one dog that does it. The other dog isn't usually the smarter of the two, but in this case... :teacher:

My vet says it's just one of those things - doesn't necessarily have to be about nutrition. My dog ONLY wants to do it in the winter. She loves her poopsicles. :rotfl: The vet says it's quite common for dogs to eat poop in the winter and not do it in the summer.

A couple things you can try is adding a tablespoon of either canned pumpkin or pineapple to their food. It makes their poop taste bad somehow. The pineapple is the one that works best for us.

Nasty, nasty dogs. Nasty! :crazy2::crazy2::crazy2:
 
Because they can. I've never had a dog that didn't eat it. I tried all the different products that are supposed to make it taste bad. They didn't work. After awhile, I just gave up. I asked the vet if it would hurt them. He told me it wouldn't. Dogs can eat just about anything. My dogs like to snack from the cat box as well. That really irritates me, but it has been very hard stopping them.

OP, there are so many things in life to stress about. This shouldn't be one of them. Let it go and let nature takes it's course.

That's all fine and good, until your darling doggie pukes it up when they get back in the house! :headache:
 
My little darling started the poop snackin' thing and I bought the stuff that you sprinkle on food that somehow makes it less yummie:confused3

Anyhow, it worked for me and other than the very occasional raid on the kitty litter box :eek: she has been broken from eating poop snacks. I'm with the OP---this is such a disgusting habit:headache:
 
Thanks for the suggestions. I might try the pinapple or pumpkin. Although I can't imagine that poop itself doesn't already taste bad.
 
My girl seems to do it when she's put out on her lead, but not when we take her for a walk or take her out on her leash. I think she does it out of boredom. We tried the powder stuff, but it didn't phase her. The only thing that seems to work is that we have to be vigilant about cleaning the yard. If its not out there, she can't eat it.

It's frustrating, I know.
 
My girl seems to do it when she's put out on her lead, but not when we take her for a walk or take her out on her leash. I think she does it out of boredom. We tried the powder stuff, but it didn't phase her. The only thing that seems to work is that we have to be vigilant about cleaning the yard. If its not out there, she can't eat it.

It's frustrating, I know.

My vet told me they do it to clean their "space". If they feel it's dirty, they'll eat the poop to clean it up.

Whether that is accurate or not, I don't know. :confused3
 
Mine does too, usually just in winter (I also call them poop-sicles! :) ) but sometimes in warmer months too. I just watch her through the window and pound on the window frame when she gets too interested in a pile. She knows she's not supposed and when she hears me pounding, just jumps away from it like she's guilty of something. Kind of funny, really!
 
I don't know why, but it's not that uncommon. Your vet can sell you a powder that you sprinkle on their food to make their poop unappetizing to them.:laughing:

We've heard of sprinkling meat tenderizer on the food to help with that too. :thumbsup2

That's all fine and good, until your darling doggie pukes it up when they get back in the house! :headache:

Ugh, our dog did that yesterday morning. :sick: Her favorite is kitty poo. Yuck!!
 
My vet told me they do it to clean their "space". If they feel it's dirty, they'll eat the poop to clean it up.

Whether that is accurate or not, I don't know. :confused3
Well if that is the case, my dogs must be neuro-atypical! lol! :rotfl:

We live next to horses, and they LOVE to stick their legs under the fence to reach the poop!! :confused3 So they essentially drag it into our yard and then do the unthinkable...EATING IT! :rolleyes1:rolleyes:

Nasty nasty nasty....if it helps at all, they are labrador retrievers.
 
I know it's disgusting but I'm at my wit's end. Both my dogs have been eating poop lately. I noticed that it started to happen around the time I switched their food a few months ago. They had never done it prior to the switch. I'm afraid they are going to get sick from it. I'm also sick of them trying to give me poop breath kisses.


I totally understand what you're going thru!! My dog does the same thing and I was told it was his food so I switched him to IAMS which is one of the best brands out there and nothing... needless to say we tried a few more and still nothing. I've been told thats its behavioral but I have to say I dont think so. The powder thing is, in my opinion a waste of money for us as it didnt deter Frankie at all. The only solution we've come up with is clean it up as much as possible after every yes every time we know he's doing a number two and if I look in our yard and see him going for it I run out of the house slippers and all and squirt him with a water bottle and tell him no, he's FINALLY starting to get it. Hope this helps!!!! Good luck.:eek:
 
I know it's disgusting but I'm at my wit's end. Both my dogs have been eating poop lately. I noticed that it started to happen around the time I switched their food a few months ago. They had never done it prior to the switch. I'm afraid they are going to get sick from it. I'm also sick of them trying to give me poop breath kisses.
Your dogs started eating their poop around the time that you switched their food. Methinks that it might be useful to switch it back.
 
Dogs are creatures of instinct.

In the winter food sources for many animals are scarce. When dogs were 'wild' they sometimes couldn't find a food source regularly so they would eat their own waste to provide some feeling of 'fullness'. This instinct (much like a hunting instinct) is extremely difficult to train out of a dog. And most only do it in the winter to subsidize their food (or recycle it :rotfl:).

The powders/drops/pills, etc. never worked for us. The only thing that is tried and true is to clean it up as soon as they leave a pile.

This behavior does not harm the dog at all unless they happen to eat the poo of an animal that is sick.

Does your dog free feed or do you feed him only once a day? You might try feeding him smaller portions more often during the day to help him feel full. It might help stop the poo-eating behavior.
 
Also wanted to add that a higher quality food usually helps to reduce the need for other nutrients (and the amount of poop)

Here's a guide to use to help decide on a food for your dog...

Of course, the higher the quality the more expensive the food. Choose the best that you can for your situation!

DOG FOOD GRADES

Dog Food scores:

Alpo Prime Cuts - Score 81 C
Artemis Large/Medium Breed Puppy - Score 114 A+
Authority Harvest Baked - Score 116 A+
Authority Harvest Baked Less Active - Score 93 B
Beowulf Back to Basics - Score 101 A+
Bil-Jac Select - Score 68 F
Blackwood 3000 Lamb and Rice - Score 83 C
Blue Buffalo Chicken and Rice - Score 106 A+
Burns Chicken and Brown Rice - Score 107 A+
Canidae - Score 112A+
Chicken Soup Senior - Score 115 A+
Diamond Maintenance - Score 64 F
Diamond Lamb Meal & Rice - Score 92 B
Diamond Large Breed 60+ Formula - Score 99 A
Diamond Performance - Score 85 C
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Ultra Premium - Score 122 A+
Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance Venison & Brown Rice - Score 106 A+
Dick Van Patten's Duck and Potato - Score 106 A+
EaglePack Holistic - Score 102 A+
Eukanuba Adult - Score 81 C
Eukanuba Puppy - Score 79 C
Flint River Senior - Score 101 A+
Foundations - Score 106 A+
Hund-n-Flocken Adult Dog (lamb) by Solid Gold - Score 93 B
Iams Lamb Meal & Rice Formula Premium - Score 73 D
Innova Dog - Score 114 A+
Innova Evo - Score 114 A+
Innova Large Breed Puppy - Score 122 A+
Kirkland Signature Chicken, Rice, & Vegetables - Score 110 A+
Member's Mark Chicken and Rice - Score 84 C
Merrick Wilderness Blend - Score 127 A+
Nature's Recipe - Score 100 A
Nature's Recipe Healthy Skin Venison & Rice - Score 116 A+
Nature's Variety Raw Instinct - Score 122 A+
Nutra Nuggets Super Premium Lamb Meal and Rice - Score 81C
Nutrience Junior Medium Breed Puppy - Score 101 A+
Nutrisource Lamb and Rice - Score 87 B
Nutro Max Adult - Score 93 B
Nutro Natural Choice Lamb and Rice - Score 98 A
Nutro Natural Choice Large Breed Puppy - Score 87B
Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Wheat Free - Score 86 B
Nutro Natural Choice Senior - Score 95 A
Nutro Ultra Adult - Score 104 A+
Pet Gold Adult with Lamb & Rice - Score 23 F
Premium Edge Chicken, Rice & Vegetables Adult dry - Score 109 A+
Pro Nature Puppy - Score 80 C
Pro Plan Sensitive Stomach - Score 94 A
Purina Beniful - Score 17 F
Purina Dog - Score 62 F
Purina Come-n-Get It - Score 16 F
Purina One Large Breed Puppy - Score 62 F
Royal Canin Boxer - Score 103 A+
Royal Canin Bulldog - Score 100 A+
Royal Canin Natural Blend Adult - Score 106 A+
Science Diet Advanced Protein Senior 7+ - Score 63 F
Science Diet for Large Breed Puppies - Score 69 F
Sensible Choice Chicken and Rice - Score 97 A
Solid Gold - Score 99 A
Summit - Score 99 A
Timberwolf Organics Wild & Natural Dry - Score 120 A+
Wellness Super5 Mix Chicken - Score 110 A+
Wolfking Adult Dog (bison) by Solid Gold - Score 97 A

This is how the grades were determined:

Start with a grade of 100

1) For every listing of "by-product", subtract 10 points

2) For every non-specific animal source ("meat" or poultry", meat,
meal or fat) reference, subtract 10 points

3) If the food contains BHA, BHT, or ethoxyquin, subtract 10 points

4) For every grain "mill run" or non-specific rain source, subtract 5 points

5) If the same grain ingredient is used 2 or more times in the first five
ingredients (i.e. "ground brown rice", brewer's rice", "rice flour" are all
the
same grain), subtract 5 points

6) If the protein sources are not meat meal and there are less than 2
meats in the top 3 ingredients, subtract 3 points

7) If it contains any artificial colorants, subtract 3 points

8 ) If it contains ground corn or whole grain corn, subtract 3 points

9) If corn is listed in the top 5 ingredients, subtract 2 more points

10) If the food contains any animal fat other than fish oil, subtract
2 points

11) If lamb is the only animal protein source unless your dog is allergic to
other protein sources), subtract 2 points

12) If it contains soy or soybeans, subtract 2 points

13) If it contains wheat (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
wheat), subtract 2 points

14) If it contains beef (unless you know that your dog isn't allergic to
beef), subtract 1 point

15) If it contains salt, subtract 1 point

Extra Credit:

1) If any of the meat sources are organic, add 5 points

2) If the food is endorsed by any major breed goup or nutritionist, add 5
points

3) If the food is baked not extruded, add 5 points

4) If the food contains probiotics, add 3 points

5) If the food contains fruit, add 3 points

6) If the food contains vegetables (NOT corn or other grains) add
3 points

7) If the animal sources are hormone-free and antibiotic-free add
2 points

8 ) If the food contains barley, add 2 points

9) If the food contains flax seed oil (not just the seeds) add 2 points

10) If the food contains oats or oatmeal, add 1 point

11) If the food contains sunflower oil, add 1 point

12) For every different specific animal protein source (other than the first
one; count "chicken" and "chicken meal" as only one protein source, but
"chicken" and "" as 2 different sources) add 1 point

13) If it contains glucosamine and chondroitin, add 1 point

14) If the vegetables have been tested for pesticides and are pesticide
free, add 1 point
 
Our 2 goldens do this also. I don't like it but it drives my DH crazy.

OP, there are so many things in life to stress about. This shouldn't be one of them. Let it go and let nature takes it's course.
That's the way I feel.

She loves her poopsicles. :rotfl:
We called them that also.

We tried the powder stuff, but it didn't phase her.
We tried that with our previous dogs but it gets really expensive with 2 dogs and didn't work that well.

Pick up the poop right after they go.
Our dogs will poop then turn around and snack. I can't follow them around the backyard every minute they are out. We scoop daily.

I have seen that grading for dog food before. The rescue where we got the goldens wanted us to follow it. We actually feed Premium Edge which scores A+ and is not that expensive. Obviously does not help the problem.
 












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