my puppy goes in the cat litter box and eats cat poo? why?

Answer 1

My dog used to do that all the time! The reasons range from a vitamin deficiency to boredom or anxiety. Dogs will sometimes eat their own feces! I know a lot of dogs eat cat feces and it's because cat food, and therefore cat feces, is very rich. If you can, clean out the litter box right after your cat uses it. But if you can't watch over the litter box, make it inaccessible to your dog by applying a hooded litter cover, placing the box on an elevated surface, or placing the box in a room with a cat door or leaving the door open just enough to allow the cat to get in, but not the dog. You can also try putting a baby gate around the kitty litter box that has an opening big enough for your cat, but is too small for the dog. Many dogs learn NOT to show this behavior when their owners are present, but will wait until they are alone. But don't punish them AFTER the fact! Animals do not understand they are being punished for something they did hours ago! It doesn't resolve the problem and is likely to produce either fearful or aggressive responses from your dog. Others dogs are attracted to feces from other animals outside like other dogs, horses and deer. The scientific name for this behavior is coprophagy. If your dog eats feces outside, be sure to report this to your vet. Even though it's very common, it's one of the behaviors associated with rabies, and there are health risks for stool-eating dogs. They can infect themselves with parasites, such as giardia, Filaroides, or coccidian. If the feces are around for two to three weeks or more, roundworms and whipworms may be present. If the above does work, you can also try products like this called S.E.P.
http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/showproduct.php?id=44&code=670
The active ingredient in S.E.P. is Glutamic Acid. When Glutamic Acid is mixed with the stomach acids, the stool becomes bitter to the taste, which deters the dog from eating the stool. Good luck!

Answer 2

Puppies & Dogs do this..........
I'm not really sure why but they do.
Find a way to keep it away from your dog...maybe train the cats that their litter box is up high somewhere like a bookshelf or something(not the top shelf or anything) --just high enough that the dog can't get it

Answer 3

I believe it is because of a lack in their diet; my dog used to do it too. Try putting the litter box in and elevated area where the cat can jump up to it but the dog can't reach it.

Answer 4

I think more importantly, do you let your dog lick you face?, Just kidding. Yes dogs will eat poo because it is there. if you put the litter box in a place that they can't get to that would be the best solution.

Answer 5

It's very common for dogs to do this, but it should be discouraged (because it looks gross!).

Dogs eat cats' faeces because most cats have an inefficient metabolism, which results in many nutrients being lost in their faeces (which is why the dog likes it).

I don't know if this true, but a friend said to me that putting little pieces of pineapple in the cats' food will make their subsequent faeces unpallatable for the dog. I guess, it's worth a try?!

Answer 6

To dogs, this is just a doggie snow cap! It's like a treat to them, says our vet. We elevated the cat box to keep the dogs out. Works great.

Answer 7

Because it's available. If you'd keep up with scooping your cat's box, you wouldn't have that problem. I scoop my cat's box twice a day and keep a baby gate up so my dog can't get to it. It's disgusting to allow a box of **** to set around...

Answer 8

Possibly some vital mineral or vitamin is missing from its diet. Try to feed it a more natural diet consisting of fruits and vegetables and meat, rather than store bought, as you will have no end of problems from skin rashes, allergies to kidney and heart problems.

Answer 9

its due to a lack of things they need in thier diet you can buy forbid at a local pet store or at petsmart.com and sprinkle it on their food it makes the poo taste bad so they no longer want to eat it....

Answer 10

I asked my vet the same question because my dogs were doing the same he told me there are minerals in it. Which means they are missing something in there diets. The vet told me to change their food. I did and they stopped doing it.