My dog eats his own waste.?

Question

How common is it for a dog to eat his own faeces? Will it do any harm. It is always dryish. Is this something I should be concerned about?

Answer 1

This is from the website below, which also contains advice on how to prevent it, the dangers, etc., 'Dogs who eat their faeces usually do not have a dietary deficiency. Some medical problems, however, can contribute to coprophagy including severe disorders of the pancreas (pancreatic insufficiency) or intestine, severe malnutrition from massive parasitic infestations, or starvation. These cases are rare. Some dogs, especially those in kennel situations, may eat faeces because they are anxious or stressed. One researcher suggests that dogs who have been punished by their owners for defecating inappropriately start to think any defecation is wrong, so they try to eliminate the evidence. Another theory is that coprophagy is a trait passed down through the ages. Dog’s cousins, the wolves and coyotes, may often eat faeces if food is in short supply. Faeces from herbivores (animals that eat plants for food) contain many of the B vitamins. Some researchers suggest that wolves (and some dogs) may eat faeces to replenish their vitamin supply. In some instances coprophagy may be a behavior learned from watching other animals. It may also become a habit in the course of play and puppies having to try out the taste of everything. There is a stage of life in which coprophagy is common and expected. Bitches and queens normally eat the faeces of their offspring. This is presumed to occur in an attempt to hide the presence of the litter from predators. Finally, some dogs may eat faeces just because it tastes good (to them). .....We are not sure why dogs eat their own faeces or the faeces of other animals. We do know that if a dog starts this behavior, the sooner we implement prevention measures, the better the chance of success.' Just to say that my husband once had an excellent gun dog who was known to eat dried-up cow pats!! Guess he liked variety!

Answer 2

They do this because they like to clean up after themselves and to get more nutrients the second time around. Garlic or fresh pineapple in his food may work, but not all the time. This is normal but that does not make it a good thing for them to do. Try putting something really hot on the faeces so they will be discouraged next time they go to the bathroom.

Answer 3

It happens. It doesn't pose any real threat to your dog, but it's a dirty habit you don't want to help cultivate by doing nothing. There are products you can buy from pet stores, but if you want a cheaper option try putting meat tenderizer on your dog's food when you feed him.

This was advice given to me by a vet - when the meat tenderizer goes through the dog's digestive system it supposedly has an effect which makes the dog's faeces bitter and unpleasant to taste when it comes out. Hope this helps.

Answer 4

A lot of dogs do this and its probably something lacking in the diet. My shepherd does it occasionally and we put a couple of spoons of crushed pineapple in his food. You can also put tabasco sauce on the feaces in the garden. Don't clean it up straight away or the dog will see it as a competition to see who can get at the poo first, that will make him do it even more. Experiment a little with different types of food, try feeding little and often. There are lots of sites on the Internet which will give you all the details about dogs eating poo. Hope this helps....Allan

Answer 5

I know exactly what to do Here is the answer Your dog is a huingry one and he beleives his poo tastes good and to get all the nutrition he can he tries to eat his poo.... He most liekly eating his food very fast and so not digesting it properly leaving it with a good taste Give him his same amount of food spread out and portioned at different times throughout the day and keep him on a schedule to prevent this Also you can feed him pineapple chunks to make his poo taste awful Whether he eats it inside or outside you need to do a full house/yard cleanup to prevent this nasty habit. start by cleaning up immediately and 100% disinfecting wherever it messes inside, then clean up all messes immediately, get all poo out of the yard, and clean anything your dog touches after it ahs eaten it's own poo This is just a start If have any questions or comments or concerns just contact me and I can also give you more help... hope this helped!

Answer 6

I heard that they eat their own faeces because when they are puppies, they watch their mothers eat their faeces to clean it up, my puppy was the same it didn't harm him. I asked the vet what to do and they said to put pineapple chunks in with their food and the problem will disappear!

Thanks ;-)

Answer 7

I am a vet and people come to me with this problem all the time. Dogs tend to do this because they feel they don't get the right nutrients and vitamins 1st time round, so the digest it again. There is no concern, but the habbit should be stoped. It is bad for their teeth and gums because of the acid. You should use garlic in the food or buy a powder from your local vet.

Answer 8

One of our dogs does the same thing except she doesn't eat her own (we've got 5) - and she seems to prefer it "fresh" rather than "jerky". We've tried "Deter" and I'll give the pineapple suggestion a shot - I guess I'll have to dose them all, but aside from the Yuck factor, it hasn't seemed to cause any harm.

Answer 9

I heard that this could happen if the dog isn't gettting enough nutrition. Maybe you should try a different kind of dog food. I would recommend trying to get him to stop. You wouldn't want him to lick you with that on him!

Answer 10

It's to be discouraged, but it's not unnatural. There is a product named "Deter" that you can buy from places such as Pets at Home. You dose according to the weight of the dog.