Poop eater

[silviam]

How can I stop my dogs from eating poop? I have been told to use meat tenderizer or season all on their food. I've also heard that pineapple in their food works too. How long should I put stuff in their food? What else can I use? I am having a hard time detering my yellow lab (who eats everything) from eating his poop. I do not want to try pills because they require large doses for large dogs.

[ktreva52]

An age-old question this one. I have some questions: Do your dogs "bolt" their food? How much are you feeding and what? What's the possibility of you "walking" the dogs and cleaning up their poop immediately?

The reason I asked these questions, I have been taking an informal survey and while not all respondents give me the same answer, the majority say that their dogs DO "bolt" their food (eat too fast) and that seems to be something that might be associated with eating poop. You might consider putting a fair-sized rock in their bowls when you feed them and they will have to eat more slowly.

Are you feeding a quality premium food? Perhaps they are not digesting all of the food they're eating. How much are you feeding? This also ties in to the amount being digested -- if they're getting too much of a food, there is only so much of the nutrition they can actually utilize, so they may be leaving a lot more than it seems.

I have also heard that a bit of apple cidar vinegar will change the acidity of the intestional tract and, thereby, the poop but the amount to use will vary by size of dog and you also have to keep an eye out for digestive upsets, so whatever you decide on, start slowly with. Consult with your vet about the situation and if he/she is adamant about the "pills", find another vet. There were remedies for this type of thing a long time ago that are still functional today and they didn't cost much. Good luck/

[RachelJ]

It just dawned on me, this is one problem my "Hannah of Many Challenges" did not have. And although it was never a serious problem with one of my previous dogs, on occasion it did happen and my remedy was to watch her like a hawk and chastise the behavior. She was such a sensitive soul, that was all it took. I think this is one of those situations that takes a mulitfacited approach. So in addition to the nutritional factors Ktreva addressed, I too would say keep the poop picked and make a concerted effort to catch your dog in the act to make the verbal correction.

[lhg0962]

One thing my girls don't eat, and probably the only thing, is poop! Thank goodness! But I have read recently all kinds of suggestions about stopping that problem. One lady said she sprinkles powdered Alum, which tastes horrible on it and they they lose their desire to eat it. There is also some sort of medication. I'll see if I can find the information and post it later this evening. Good luck. In cold areas, they call them poopcicles. YUCK!!

[karen israel]

This problem was raised in my favorite magazine, Dog Fancy, and the reply was to instantly pick it up and don't give a chance to even go near it! I don't even give Cody a chance to sniff at it..it's down, up and away!

[petspoil]

One of my schnauzers has this problem. The thing is she will eat poop when we not at home. She will not do so if we are in the house.

[buckwi1d]

Originally posted by silviam:
How can I stop my dogs from eating poop?

Check out this website: http://www.peteducation.com/behavior/coprophagy.htm

[aprilfools]

Check out www.uwsp.edu/psych/dog/lib and look for coprophagia (stool eating). I have found this to be a very helpful website.

[jackiesdaisy1935]

I agree with Karen Israel. At one time we had a Rottweiler who did that and our Vet said the best solution was to immediately when you can, pick it up.

[blueruby]

my dog has the same problem. my friends told me to get some kind of powder from pet cetera and sprinkle it on their food. after they poop, the poop will have this stinky smell for the dogs and they wouldn't go near it. I haven't tried this yet but I am going to try it soon. I hope it works because its really unpleasent having poop all dragged around in your house!

[blueruby]

I've went to Pet Cetera yesterday and I've found the stuff that stops your dog eating poop.
It's called "Deter 8 in 1" I figured out its not powder, it's tablets that you put in your dog's food each meal. I've just been giving it to my dog yesterday so I dunno if its working or not. It says to give it to your dog for 2 weeks and observe. If it doesn't work, then you give the dog 2 tablets...and so on.