My dog eats his poo! HELP!
Dogs eating their own feces, or that of other animals, is pretty common. Eating stool could be a sign of boredom, intestinal parasites, or a need for more fiber in the diet to help your pet feel full longer. Dogs that eat stool are more prone to intestinal parasites. Make sure that your pet's stool sample is tested at the veterinarian every 3-6 months. In addition, giving your pet monthly heartworm/parasite prevention will deworm your pet from any parasites ingested in the previous 30 days. My clients have had limited success with food additives to prevent stool eating. Training your pet out of the behavior is the best and healthiest option.
If your puppy/dog eats their stool, the best policy is to remove, redirect, and refocus. It is imperative to start potty training as soon as you bring your puppy home. If you adopted a dog that has this issue, patience and training will benefit them. • Remove: Immediately pick up after your puppy or dog's bowel movement instead of leaving it for them to turn around, sniff and check it out. • Redirect: After your puppy/dog does their business, give them a treat to reward for doing it outside, clean it up, and then walk them over to another area of the yard for some playtime. • Refocus: Teach the "Watch Me" command. "Watch Me," is an effective command that teaches the puppy/dog to focus on us. This enables the pet-parent to offer a redirection onto something else. A natural treatment that gives the stool a terrible taste that deters them is pineapple. Try adding a little bit of pineapple with their food. Make sure to feed your puppy/dog a high quality grade food that is grain free. Puppies need to be fed 3 times a day until they are a year old. A puppy that feels hungry may be more inclined to eat their own stool. Dogs are very clean animals, and prefer their living space to be clean. Be patience when working with a dog that has been living in filthy conditions. They may have resorted to eating their own stool. A dog will need to feel secure in their new home, and training them to be confident may help with this.
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