Why do dogs eat poop?

[paintnolish]

Do they ea different food? When our younger one was a puppy, he was on a different food than the adult. He would eat the adult's poop! Yuck! The vet suggested switching them to the same food and this has stopped the problem. I hope you figure it out. It is so nasty!

 

[puffkin]

Ours does it too. It is so gross and embarassing, especially in front of the neighbors I try not to get too worked up about it because I know it is very common, but everyone acts like our dog is the only one

The pills/packets to put on the food didn't work for us. He only eats fresh, not old. We usually scoop right away, but he will literally turn and eat it as it is coming out. So gross. Many times I run out of the house in my PJ's to stop him....banging, yelling, etc doesn't stop him.

We have found that he will hold it when we are watching and try to go if we aren't. I also have caught him just going a little before I leave for work, then going in the house after I leave to do his business and snacking on it then.

It is absolutely vile and one of the many reasons why we will not get another dog again after this one.

 

[damo]

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.

Iams is definitely not one of the best dog foods out there. In fact it is one of the worst. You might want to check out the dog food analysis site to find that it is rated 1 out of 5 stars.

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_...rpage=12&sort=2&stype=&limit=&cat=all&ppuser=

I have never had a poop eating dog so I can't help but the cocker spaniel website that I frequent seems to find that poop eating is food related.

 

[puffkin]

Iams is definitely not one of the best dog foods out there. In fact it is one of the worst. You might want to check out the dog food analysis site to find that it is rated 1 out of 5 stars.

Yes, I was just going to post that. Makes me shudder when my MIL tells me how great it is and that I am wasting my money on the petstore brands

I read labels religiously and my animals eat very well!

 

[Lucky Bug]

I hate this habit. When we first moved into a new apartment years ago, our son got into the cat litter box. He barfed about an hour later and the stench was so foul, that we both threw up too. We did an emergency carpet cleaner rental that night and left the patio door open to air out the den. My stomach still churns just thinking about it.

The boy doesn't have access to kitty poo, but he tries to snag poo from one of our other dogs all of the time. We have 3 girls and 2 boys and it's just this one girl dog's poo that he tries to eat. They all eat the same food. It's the Taste of the Wild fish based kind. We have an allergic dog and this food works well for them all, but this habit.....YUCK!

 

[JerseyJanice]

At obedience class, the trainer told us dogs eat poop to get the undigested food that's in it.

I must say--Max does many things that make me crazy. He can be a very messy dog, but this is one thing that he doesn't do! Thank heaven!

 

[Jennasis]

I thought I'd read somewhere that it was a sign of some mineral deficiency.

 

[threecrazykids]

I don't know why, but I literally have tears running down my face (at WORK) reading this post. This is just cracking me up! I'm picturing people running out into their yards 1/2 dressed, clanging pans over their heads, screaming...scaring the bajezus out of their neighbors to try to stop their dogs from doing this.

My dog THANK GOD doesn't do this regularly...however he DID one time get into the neighbors cat litter in their garage (while my hubby was over talking to the neighbor guy) and came home that night and barfed it all over my hubby's pillow that was on the floor of our bedroom.

Talk about vile. I damn near DIED from the stench. Thankfully it was summer so we could open the windows. It was the most disgusting smell I've EVER smelled in my life.

 

[Aisling]

My dog only eats cat and goose poop! He won't even go near his own poop after he's done pooping. He'll walk two feet around it to come back into the house.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

Craving and eating non food items is known as Pica. It happens in humans, too.

Poop eating is known as Coprophagia. 20 Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop

I had a dog that liked Poopsicles too. (Only in winter, lol.)

 

[MizTink]

Because they can reach.

No wait.....that's that other dog question I'm thinking of.

i used to have a dog that INSISTED on ROLLING in other dog's poop every chance he got.....

 

[hiwaygal]

i used to have a dog that INSISTED on ROLLING in other dog's poop every chance he got.....

That can be a territorial type thing...or a "I'm putting on my camoflage" thing!

The other thing, especially for female dogs that do this, is an overdeveloped 'maternal' instinct. Mother dogs will eat the waste (both urine and feces) of their pups, it's part of how they stimulate them to make them go and keep them clean.

 

[Aisling]

This is my poop-eater. Since he sleeps with me, I have to brush his teeth every night before bedtime!

 

[daisax]

Seriusly... just pick it up. They only go 2-3 times a day, and most dogs are extremely regular as to when, so it won't be hard to figure it out and be there when it happens.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

We usually scoop right away, but he will literally turn and eat it as it is coming out. So gross. Many times I run out of the house in my PJ's to stop him....banging, yelling, etc doesn't stop him.

Sounds like our house.

 

[JerseyJanice]

O.K., Aisling--you need to post a warning before you put up a cute dog picture. I do NOT want to look at cute dog photos--especially puppy pictures.

No good can come out of seeing cute canines!

 

[hiwaygal]

O.K., Aisling--you need to post a warning before you put up a cute dog picture. I do NOT want to look at cute dog photos--especially puppy pictures.

No good can come out of seeing cute canines!

Now, you know that's like a dare, right???

(this isn't my dog...but I have one that looks just like this, or did when he was a pup)

 

[puffkin]

Seriusly... just pick it up. They only go 2-3 times a day, and most dogs are extremely regular as to when, so it won't be hard to figure it out and be there when it happens.

In theory you are correct, but old poop isn't a problem. He only likes it fresh We scoop as soon as he goes, but it is still a problem. He won't go when we are watching him so I will stand inside and watch from my window. When he thinks we aren't looking he will go and try to eat it right away....at that point I am flying out my front door to try and catch him before he does it. It is NOT an easy problem to fix. If we are outside with him he will just hold it until he gets inside and then do it when we aren't looking. It is so disgusting.

My vet doesn't think it is a diet/mineral thing. He is on very good food due to his allergies. My vet said it is just his instinct to do it. We try everything we can to minimize it, but he still gets some. Yuck!!!!

 

[MomofKatie]

OMG- dying about all the poop-eating pups out there!!

Makes my cats seem like immaculate, intelligent creatures, even with all their weird habits- at least nobody eats anything like poop!!

 

[hiwaygal]

OMG- dying about all the poop-eating pups out there!!

Makes my cats seem like immaculate, intelligent creatures, even with all their weird habits- at least nobody eats anything like poop!!

Dogs don't get hairballs!