[EdinburghLab]

Hello,

I re-homed a wonderful 5 and a half year old black Labrador 3 months ago and I am fairly horrified to find that she likes to eat her own poo on walks. Sometimes she tries to eat it straight after doing it which is disgusting. It is something I'd really like to stop and would love some advice on. She is fed harringtons dried food and gets fed the upper limit of the recommended portion for a dog of her weight and so I really don't believe she is hungry. She was previously fed the same food so it is not that her diet has been changed, although her previous owner did warn me about this. She is altogether a very happy dog and is not stressed. She does get an upset stomach fairly easily and suffers from loose/mushy stools if I don't give her probiotics - these seem to make a huge difference.

Any ideas how I can stop this behaviour?

Thanks in anticipation,

Gordon

 

[Tarimoor]

Google canine coprophragia, it will give you lots of ideas. Unfortunately, although it can be something initially triggered by a deficiency in their diet, it can develop into a habit which is difficult to break. My girls are raw fed, and the only one who does sometimes eat poop is my rescue foxhound, who was straying for some time on her own before she was caught and went into rescue. I think she must have just been eating anything she found that was edible to her. Don't forget, although they have a better sense of smell than us, their sense of taste is not as good.

 

[EdinburghLab]

Thanks Tarrimor.

I have googled the issue but couldn't find anything very helpful apart from diet. I do always pick up after her and I am not willing to keep her on the lead or muzzle her as some of the tips read!

I was wondering if she had some sort of intolerance and perhaps isnt absorbing the nutrients from her food which meant that her stools were still tasty.

Thanks

 

[Tarimoor]

Thanks Tarrimor.

I have googled the issue but couldn't find anything very helpful apart from diet. I do always pick up after her and I am not willing to keep her on the lead or muzzle her as some of the tips read!

I was wondering if she had some sort of intolerance and perhaps isnt absorbing the nutrients from her food which meant that her stools were still tasty.

Thanks

It could be that she started off that way, ie that she can smell something still undigested, and is trying to get the nutrients out, but as I said above, it can also be a habit they get into, and it's not easy to stop them. I raw feed my dogs, and my rescue foxhound will still have a nibble every now and then, only generally from the rest of my dogs, but sometimes other dog poop that obviously smells nutritious somehow. Some people suggest putting pineapple in their food, or giving it as a treat (mine love fresh pineapple). It might be worth a try to see if that puts her off xx

 

[JohnW]

Apart from diet, the most usual reason is that it's learned in the nest. Bitches often clean the nest by poo eating. The reason in the wild was to get rid of any smell which was likely to draw in predators. Although they are no longer in the wild many bitches still clear up after their pups, and the pups, seeing their mum doing it start doing it themselves. I've had two who do this, and the bad news is that I've never found an answer. Sorry.

 

[orangeversion]

Hello,

I re-homed a wonderful 5 and a half year old black Labrador 3 months ago and I am fairly horrified to find that she likes to eat her own poo on walks. Sometimes she tries to eat it straight after doing it which is disgusting. It is something I'd really like to stop and would love some advice on. She is fed harringtons dried food and gets fed the upper limit of the recommended portion for a dog of her weight and so I really don't believe she is hungry. She was previously fed the same food so it is not that her diet has been changed, although her previous owner did warn me about this. She is altogether a very happy dog and is not stressed. She does get an upset stomach fairly easily and suffers from loose/mushy stools if I don't give her probiotics - these seem to make a huge difference.

Any ideas how I can stop this behaviour?

Thanks in anticipation,

Gordon

This problem is called coprophagia. When labs get bored, he tries to eat his own poop. Maybe the same thing is going with your lab. She is bored and wants some attention from you. To stop this behavior you can add meat tenderizer to your dog's food. Try to clean your dog's waste as soon as possible. You can also add some canned pumpkin into your dog's food. These will work like wonder.

 

[JohnW]

When labs get bored, he tries to eat his own poop. Maybe the same thing is going with your lab. She is bored and wants some attention from you.

Sorry but that is simply not true. It is not the owner's fault, which is what this intimates. As to tinned Pumpkin, or tinned Pineapple as often recommended, in my experience it does no good whatsoever.

I must say, I have had more problems since complete foods arrived on the scene, than ever I did in the old days before dried complete foods arrived. Is there a link?? My guess is that more undigested food is passing through the dog than was the case in days of old.

Yes, as I said it can be a learned procedure, learned from it's dam who cleaned up the nest. So yes, there can be more than one reason.

 

[orangeversion]

Sorry but that is simply not true. It is not the owner's fault, which is what this intimates. As to tinned Pumpkin, or tinned Pineapple as often recommended, in my experience it does no good whatsoever.

I must say, I have had more problems since complete foods arrived on the scene, than ever I did in the old days before dried complete foods arrived. Is there a link?? My guess is that more undigested food is passing through the dog than was the case in days of old.

Yes, as I said it can be a learned procedure, learned from it's dam who cleaned up the nest. So yes, there can be more than one reason.

Thanks for your information. Learned something from you guys today.

 

[Maddie]

My youngest eats my old dogs pooh (given half a chance), then my second youngest started to do the same thing (obviously copying) but isn’t as keen. The oldie has different food to the others. I just make sure any oldie pooh is collected ASAP and the others daily as usual.

 

[jemjabella]

Hope you don't mind me reviving this thread as Sherbet started eating his poo a month or so ago. He will generally leave poo alone if out and I tell him to 'leave it' but is obsessed with eating his own poo in the garden. Since I started running at him to try and get to it before he does, he's started treating it like a game, which only makes it more frustrating!

Anyway, I guess my main question is - is he likely to come to any harm from this? It doesn't seem to particularly upset his tummy or anything, and he has been recently wormed. And while I'd prefer he didn't do it as I find the whole thing (obviously) pretty gross, it does have the added advantage of not having to bag it up in plastic (boo) and put it in the bin. Am I doing more harm than good if I ignore it?

 

[Deboragh]

Hope you don't mind me reviving this thread as Sherbet started eating his poo a month or so ago. He will generally leave poo alone if out and I tell him to 'leave it' but is obsessed with eating his own poo in the garden. Since I started running at him to try and get to it before he does, he's started treating it like a game, which only makes it more frustrating!

Anyway, I guess my main question is - is he likely to come to any harm from this? It doesn't seem to particularly upset his tummy or anything, and he has been recently wormed. And while I'd prefer he didn't do it as I find the whole thing (obviously) pretty gross, it does have the added advantage of not having to bag it up in plastic (boo) and put it in the bin. Am I doing more harm than good if I ignore it?

It's gross but as far as I know harmless 😁

 

[Maddie]

No, I have one who does it but she’s fussy whose pooh she scoffs. Vet said not to worry.

 

[Deboragh]

No, I have one who does it but she’s fussy who’s pooh she scoffs. Vet said not to worry.

Good to know. I've never heard of anyone whose dog has been sick after eating poop, as distasteful as we humans find it 😂

 

[jemjabella]

Thanks both - will not stress and race round the garden fishing poo out of his mouth then