can my dog get sick when eating her feces?

Question

my dog just had liver shunt surgery 7 weeks ago and is recovering very well, however she is now eating her feces(poo)...how does this can affect her recovery??can she get sicker from this?I have to keep a wee wee pad for her when I go out, because she is still taking lactulose(slowly getting out of it).she is also on potassium bromide, because she developed seizures before ths surgery and after the surgery, she looks very hungry all the time, she is on a low protein diet...prescrp.k/d,,, Any advice or suggestions???

Answer 1

Wow, my sister and I were just talking about this last night. My sister is a vet and we were discussing dogs eating feces. It happens a lot, and your dog will not get sick.

Mostly it is female dogs that do this because they have a maternal instinct to eat the feces of their young. In the wild, pups stay in their dens for up to twelve weeks, so the only way to keep them from lying in their own filth is for mom to eat it.

Edit: On thinking through this further, it's possible that she is craving protein and is trying to recycle food (lots of animals do this in the wild). You might want to call the vet and explain the situation to see if the diet needs to be altered a little bit.

Answer 2

It's normal for a dog to eat it's poo, it will not hurt it. My dog did the same thing when it was younger. I hope your dog feels better after its surgery!!!