She's a Shih Tzu thats 13 weeks old and I sometimes catch her eating/chewing on it. I'm not sure if it's because she is bored or if it's her food not giving her enough nutrients. I bought a brand for small dog puppies so I don't think it's that.
I don't think she does it all the time because I see poop laying around and her not around it, but I'm not around her everywhere she is so maybe she does eat it and I don't know. Please help!
2006-09-17 14:08:40 · 10 answers · asked by Gurl00943 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
What you all may think, I don't let her run around for hours at a time. I'm sorry if what I said mislead you all. If she goes to eat or drink, I let her do that by herself. She's only out of my sight for maybe 10 minutes give or take, or if she's sleeping, I let her be wherever she sleeps.
2006-09-17 15:48:09 · update #1
There's a product called "Deter" that makes (go figure this) eating feces undesirable.
The condition is called coprophagia. yuk.
2006-09-17 14:11:26 · answer #1 · answered by TiM 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to my vet, some dogs do and some don't. It's not because of a lack of any specific nutrient contrary to what some people may try to tell you. Go to a Petco or other animal store and ask a salesclerk there about what you can give your pup. They do make pills they can take which makes their poop (supposedly) taste awful to them. It's not harmful to the animal. Good luck!
2006-09-17 14:15:11 · answer #2 · answered by Ziva 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First of all clean up the poop! If there is no poop around, she won't eat it. One of my puppies use to eat her poop the odd time. It's gross but it sure saves on the kibbles. LOL If it is really a problem you can give them a pill which makes it taste bad and they won't eat it. But I think your best bet and the cheapest would be just to clean up after her so she doesn't get the opportunity. She'll eventually grow out of it. Good Luck!
2006-09-17 14:13:04 · answer #3 · answered by slickshiftin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When the pup starts to eat/chew the poo you need to correct her right away and get her attention to something else. If left alone she could be doing it b/c she's bored. Most possibly it's because the food you're feeding her isn't as good as you think. If it has corns of any type, they pass through without being digested at all, the poo will smell strongly of corn/her food and she thinks it's food to eat.
If that doesn't work, then you should try something like de-ter (at petsmart) or distaste (drsfostersmith.com)
Good luck.
2006-09-18 04:26:14 · answer #4 · answered by niubutterfly 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If you've already talked to your vet or animal provider, try switching to a dog food with more nutrients. Often our animal babies will eat their waste products in search of nutrients. It's a fairly common occurence and can be easily solved by switching to a more nutrient-dense pet food.
Years ago, I started feeding our cat children IAMS indoor hairball control. This is when they stopped eating things they weren't supposed to. I asked my vet when we brought our newest baby in for her checkup and he agreed that the IAMS contained the nutrients they were searching for when they were eating things they shouldn't have been.
This all pertains to doggie babies, too. My mother would give our dog children only the best food. They lived healthy, LONG lives and they NEVER ate their own blankety-blank.
When your little one eats the IAMS, reward her with a treat like a fun new toy that you play with her with. Dogs and kitties love time with their human mom or dad...in time with the better nutrition and the love you give your baby...she never will eat you know what again! Good luck!
2006-09-17 14:16:30 · answer #5 · answered by bjorktwin 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It might be part of a survival instinct. In the wild, canine mothers eat their pups' faeces to keep predators from detecting the pups. Possibly pups do this for the same reason. But here is a solution: there are products designed to make the stools taste horrible to the dogs. See this example: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=583&Ntt=eating%20feces&Ntk=All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1
2006-09-17 14:12:57 · answer #6 · answered by MJQ 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
All puppies go through this stage but sometimes it is because her food is lacking in certain vitamins. At drfosters.com there are some natural remedies that you can buy to put on her food to make the feces unappetizing to her.
2006-09-17 14:12:16 · answer #7 · answered by abwinters1 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
first you need to keep a better eye on the pup , second you will need to clean up the poop , let the pup go potty then clean the poop , dogs are goofy that way they eat vomit and poop sometimes ........it is rather nasty ............good luck
2006-09-17 14:19:46 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
clean her poop up right after she makes it or tell her NO NO bad puppy if she does it
2006-09-17 14:11:41 · answer #9 · answered by foolio 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you need to take charge of the puppy, sweetie, and watch it more carefully or get rid of it.
2006-09-17 14:10:58 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋