Puppy eating own waste

deannaboe · 02-18-2007, 11:18 AM

Twice I have caught my 22 week old German Shepherd attempting to eat his own waste - what is up with that and how do I change this behavior. Do I have to monitor every outside trip he makes? Clean up immediately after each BM?

flirtatioustara · 02-18-2007, 11:55 AM

ive seen Charlie do the same...well he doesnt eat it, just sniffs at it for a good while and then runs off....although when we took him out the back i noticed he tried to eat poo...think it was cat poo too...eww!

Hope someone can help with your questions soon!

MagicToller · 02-18-2007, 12:32 PM

Unfortunately, dogs think it's a wonderfully delightful snack - my pup used to do the same. Cleaning up right after him would be the best preventative to save you the headache.. and stomachache. Use an interruption sound like "AH!" or "SCCHHT" if you catch him, and when you've got his attention, lead him to something else like a toy or a chew and then praise him.

Like I said though, prevention is the best medicine, so make sure there are no droppings around that he can get to.

lovemygreys · 02-18-2007, 12:59 PM

What MagicToller said <<nodding>>

deannaboe · 02-18-2007, 01:53 PM

Thanks you guys!

Benni · 02-18-2007, 02:11 PM

I am having the same issue with my puppy. It started about 2 weeks ago.
I called our Vet. and and she sold me Anticoprophagic Condiment . The Vet also said that if this does not work to buy Adolf meat tenderizer (and it must be Adolf) So I am hoping at least one will work!

cjac&mac · 02-18-2007, 02:40 PM

Some dogs will eat their own feces and other animals if they are missing something in their diet. Make sure you are feeding a high quality dog food that fits your dogs needs.
A good product on the market, which doesn't have high vet costs is "DETER" made by 8'n'1. It is a pill you give your dog, and it makes your dogs stool taste horrible (well more horrible then poop already is....lol).

Cheetah · 02-18-2007, 10:07 PM

My corgi Shippo came to me eating his own poop... Basically, the first month I had him, I had to leash him in the back yard and tug him away from the poop before he had a chance to eat it lmao... After about a month, he lost interest... out of sight, out of mind I guess!

briteday · 02-23-2007, 12:49 PM

You have to be careful with food choices for a GSD because of growth issues, but I would surely be concerned about the dog being on a high quality food. If your vet has only a suggestion of Science Diet or Eukanuba (they get free samples and sales pitches from the manufacturer's reps) then stop by a local independent pet store. Some are very knowledgeable about various breeds and their needs. If you don't get answers there or don't have access to premium pet stores, then call the breeder and ask what they are feeding. Unfortunately, my breeder was feeding something sub-standard. We kept the dog on it for a year until the vet pointed out that the dog had allergies, poor skin and coat, and lacked sparkle. We changed her diet and she is a much happier dog.
Our current puppy in the household was eating feces when we acquired her 6 months ago. I talked to the vet about this and once again it boiled down to diet. He said that sometimes, SOMETIMES, they eat feces because they lack enough protein in the diet. Since they excrete what they can't immediately metabolize (and will often seek out cat feces because cat food has a higher protein content, thus more protein excreted) they try to re-process the food.
However with a GSD pup you don't want to overdo the protein thing during growth. So please speak with your vet, breeder or some person who knows about GSD's.
If in fact, the feces eating is a leearned behavior, I have seen all kinds of food additives in every pet store and catalog for dogs. I tend to give my dogs as few additives as possible so I would opt for picking up right behind the dog instead.

cockapoolvr · 02-23-2007, 01:14 PM

My puppy does the same thing - UGH !!!

netsirk · 03-08-2007, 12:56 PM

Coprophagia, or stool eating, can be caused by several different conditions. Vitamin and dietary deficiencies occur in a small percentage of dogs, and in some cases, vitamin supplements will alleviate this problem. Some veterinarians believe that dogs consume their stools in the early stages of anemia. If your dog is older, this should be something to have your veterinarian test for. Also, hookworms can cause stool eating so that possibility should be checked into. Some medications may cause a dog to participate in Coprophagia as well. Inflammatory Bowel Disease, pancreatic problems, and various other medical abnormalities can all be the cause for stool eating. Therefore, it is best to have your pet thoroughly examined by your veterinarian to rule out any illnesses. Additionally, some dogs eat their stools due to a behavior problem; they are trying to hide their scent. If your dog is otherwise healthy, then one solution to stopping thisbehavior is to add a supplement to the dog's food which will make the stools taste bad to him, while providing a nutritional supplement. Forbid is one of many products that effectively breaks the stool-eating cycle.
I got this information from www.lambriarvetsupply.com -- their vet seems to really know his stuff and from personal experience, STOP! is a great meal additive to help break this cycle!