Muffin's new nasty behavior

[M&M's Mommy]

HEELPPPP!!!! I think Muffin has developed a new nasty behavior of eating her own poop!! :yikes:

Yesterday was the first time I saw her doing it. After going out to poop she just stood there for a while instead of comming in right away like she always did. I thought she was finding something interested on the ground like a bugs or something.. so I didn't think much of it. When she came in, she smelled horrible. At first I thought she may accidentally step on the poop, or it's stuck to her butt, but no... the smell came straight from her mouth!! :yikes::yikes:

Eww. Is there anything I should do to make 100% certain that it won't become a habit, and that she'll never ever do that again?

I'm also curious what prompted her to do that for the first time. Does anyone know?

 

[lizzybeth727]

A lot of the time dogs eat their own poop because they're eating a lower quality food. If it has a lot of corn or other grains that dogs can't digest, they often eat their poop.

If this is a young puppy, she could be eating her poop because she's learned that's what she needs to do to clean up after herself.... but if she's older and has never done this before, it's probably actually diet.

 

[girlbuffalo1]

well

I'm left to believe that some dogs just like to eat poop--Honey (who eats Eagle Pack Holistic Lamb and Rice) eats Wrigley's poop if we dont' watch it (he eats homemade raw)--we always joke that it's because Wrigley poops out better food than most dogs get.

In all seriousness though--we did try the powder you add to their food and that seemed to help a bunch. It makes the poop taste bad (you'd think it already would already wouldn't you!?!) and can help break the habit. Also you just need to be diligent and watch and correct--and keep the yard picked up.

 

[lizzybeth727]

^^^^lol

 

[Kmh1]

There are these tablets called "Potty Mouth" that worked really well when Zippy started this. Its about $7 for a month or so supply--you give them a tablet with each meal. It seems to be available at most pet supply places

 

[RedyreRottweilers]

Stool eating is a natural behavior for dogs, puppies in particular. Feces of other animals is a component of the diet of almost all wild canids.

The best way to prevent this is to go WITH the dog for elimination time, and pick up the waste and dispose of it where the dog cannot get it.

 

[M&M's Mommy]

Thanks for all the responses. We have a doggie door that allows the dogs to come in and out from the house to the backyard at will. I usually pick up their poops twice, one in the morning & one in the evening, every day.. so poops are not lying around for long.

Muffin has never done this before (I keep track of their poops as I think it's also a way to tell if there are something wrong with the dogs).. her diet did not change (I did switch them from Innova Evo to Canidae about 8 months ago), so I don't think that was it.

I watched her went last night & she didn't eat it. Her poop in the morning was untouched. So I hope that it was a one-time only deal.

 

[maple]

I've also heard that a little pineapple fed to them makes their poop taste bad.
Thankfully, I've never had a poop-eater though, but if I did, I would likely take them out to potty on a leash and pick up immediately, without giving them a chance to eat it before letting them off leash to play.

 

[Renee750il]

Here's a good article. It's a fairly common problem. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/stool_eating.htm

 

[M&M's Mommy]

Here's a good article. It's a fairly common problem. http://www.greatdanelady.com/articles/stool_eating.htm

Thanks Renee. While I understand that this is rather a common thing for dogs to do, I don't want my dogs to do it, specially at the cost of them kissing me & vise versa. My dogs are always very clean & well-groomed & I wanted to keep it that way

Muffin's face was so funny after she ate it, as if she knew she did something wrong. I am sure she knew she smelled funny. I grumbled at her, wiped her stinky mouth off & gave her some watermelon (we happened to have watermelon in the fridge), so that she can wash the smell down. Eww. Later on she tried to make peace with me by kissing my feet & hands but I was still grossed out by her behaviour earlier so I didn't let he.. Eww..

I don't want to restrict Muffin's freedom to roam the backyard, also don't want to "take her potty", as she always does it on her own - but I guess I may have to, at least for now until I can trust her not to feast on her own poops.