cat poo

[mell]

hi, i've got a 9 month old yorkie crossed with a chihuahua, he's absolutly gorgeous and has a really lovely temprement but he keeps eating my cats poo he actually follows the cat round smelling his bottom, much to the cats annoyance! could any one tell me if this is normal and why hes doing it. he also will not eat anydog food or biscuits he'll only eat what were having.
thanks mell

 

[silvermist]

Hi and welcome to Chazhound!

Was your yorkie a resuce dog or did he come from a breeder?

Your little yorkie eating your cats feces doesn't sound good lol This is known as Coprophagia and is defined as the consumption of faeces by an animal and is a common complaint of owners to their vets.

I'd really advise contacting your vet about this issue, keeping an eye on the dog whilst the cat is around also. Check this link out on information regarding Coprophagia: http://www.takingthelead.co.uk/3/BehAdv/coprophagia.htm

Just something for you to have a read through but still adivsable to seek veterinary advise.

 

[mell]

hi thanks for the reply. Louie was from a breeder. i've just looked at the site you recommended it was very interesting. Louie is definently the submissive one with the cat, fidget is 15 and does not like the dog so louie often gets hissed at. he hasn,t got a upset tummy and he doesn,t try eating poo when he goes for a walk it,s only the cats he,ll eat. i,ll contact the vet asap, they weren,t very happy last time because louie doesn,t eat dog food, my mum had a yorkie and it was the same it never ailed and lived till it was 15 so i try not to worry too much!
mell

 

[navywife060901]

Hello & Welcome. I think the reason your pup will only eat your food is because you are giving it to him, so of course he would not want to eat his food. I personally don't think it is so healthy for dogs to eat human food. Some dogs are finiky eaters. You should put his food out and if he does not eat it with in 30 minutes, put it away till the next feeding. A dog will not starve itself. But I would suggest stop feeding him your food, as he will always prefer yours over his. And I would also suggest getting to a vet just to have him checked and rule out any other reasons as to why he might not be eating. But seeing as you say he eats your food, I think he is just used to it now & you should stop it soon and get him back on his own food. You need to take charge and be the leader of the pup & what you give him goes. He will come around and start eating his own dog food. Good Luck

 

[silvermist]

I wouldn't really be that happy if my dog wasnt eating proper food as well as a little concerned and is good that you came and asked for help.

Im curious to know what does he currently eat if he doesn't eat regular dog food? What food have you already tried with him? did it work?

 

[mell]

hi, when we first brought louie home the breeder gave us a sheet with what to feed breakfast was scrambled egg, then fresh chicken with rice and weetabix for supper, she reccomended ukanuba puppy food which we bought and he just would sniff and walk away since then we have bought every known dog food their is, the only one he actually would eat was tesco finest chicken and bacon but that only lasted a few days he soon got bored
at the moment he will eat very little one day and alot the next, breakfast is egg with alittle toast lunch may be a bit of sandwhich and tea is fresh meat with veg and potatoes or rice he loves new potatoes i try to give him cheese for calcium but no milk. he loves liver, lamb, chicken but not boiled! he,s worse than the kids. he,s a very sturdy little dog and has plenty of energy with an adorable nature.
mell

 

[mell]

dried dog food is always available for him, sometimes he,ll have some but he picks certain shapes and colours from the bakers mix and pedigree puppy!

 

[silvermist]

Which of the dried food does he prefer?

Maybe mix some with food that you have been giving him and for about a week and see how things go and just generally reduce the human food to some now and then so he still gets it until he has like 1 bowl with a mix of human food per week.

Just a method to get him to weaned off the human food most of the time and then onto his proper food. Dog food is specially made to provide them with everything they need to help them grow and maintain human food can cause some problems e.g. allergic reactions etc but every dog is different.

Just something too try unless you have already

 

[mell]

thanks i,ll try that, we will be camping when the warmer weather comes and my husbands concerned that his eating habits will cause problems. how often do you think you should feed a dog, i have had people tell me once a day is fine but i would feel uncomfortable doing this, others say because he,s a small breed little and often.

 

[silvermist]

I currently don't own any at the moment but at home my parents dog eats 2 meals a day one in the morning and one in the evening and this is usually sufficient for any dog

 

[Zoom]

Cat feces are extremly high in protein and are irresistable to most dogs. It's like a special treat for them. It's gross though, and if your Yorkie isn't careful, he's going to get a very sharp lesson in how to leave the cat alone. You may need to invest in a baby gate to keep dog and litter box seperate if it's not already in a spot with a door that can be closed.

Eukanuba is not a very good food. This could be the start of your problem.

Second off, as your dog is a very small puppy, he is at risk of hypoglycemia if he doesn't eat regularly. He may need to be eating three meals a day, not just one. You may also want to look into a Raw diet, which is fairly close to what you are already feeding him.

Lastly, look into our resident dog food expert's website: www.mordanna.com/dogfood Lots of good information for you there.

 

[Julie]

I also think Mordy would be able to give some foresight and solutions to your situation.

Either pm her or post this thread's link into the food nutrition section so she will be sure to see it.

This is the link to this thread....(just copy and paste into a pm or in the nutrition/food section and I am sure you will get alot more good advice)

http://www.chazhound.com/forums/showthread.php?t=21917

Best Wishes,
Julie.

 

[mell]

thanks for the replies will read links and hopefully have a solution soon. how do i put piccys in my replys? seem to be struggling would love you all to meet louie.