[Gina_1978]

My yorkie pups are now 14 weeks old and we have had an issue since we have them..they both eat each others poop :doh:
We have the problem under control when we´re at home..infact,they dont even try to do it then,but when we´re out (which isnt often at all,I´m a housewofe so I´m home 90% of the day every day) they will eat and play with each others poop and it´s gross!

We mentioned this to our vet and she has simply told us to ignore it,that´ll it go away on it´s own and that acknowledging it will only cause them to do it even more to get attention..something I dont understand,because if it were for attention,they´d do it when we´re at home,not when we´re out,right?

I live in Mallorca (a tiny touristic island on the coast of Spain) and we cant get any products to put in their food to stop the habbit,so that´s off the table right away,so what else can I do??
It´s not only the poopy breath and poopy face we come home to that´s the problem,it´s the mess (poop all over the place,potty pads shredded) and of course the poopy smelling burps that they then have for hours after they have eaten it,and the fact that they love to give kisses

How on earth can I get them to stop if they only do it when we arent here???

 

[Bordermom]

One thing you can do is start crating them separately when you aren't home. That way they are not as likely to soil in their crate, and they can't get to the other pup's poop anyway. So that would be helpful. Also because they are littermates, it's important to treat them as separate dogs, do things one on one with them, not always together, so they learn to be individuals and not rely on each other 100% of the time. They will have to be separated when you get them spayed and neutered too of course, so it's best to start that now. At the same time take them outside to potty and pick up after them right away, so it's just not an option.

Can you get fresh pineapple, digestive enzymes or meat tenderizer (no salt)? Any of those would help with the poop eating by making the poop taste bad. Another thing to try is to start them on a raw diet, no grains and very little veggies/fruit. Raw fed dogs have hard, low odor poops because they digest every bit of it, so it's not as likely to be appealing to them then. Plus if they have some good bones to chew and play with, the poop isn't going to be as fun anyway.

If you must use an indoor bathroom, get a kid's wading pool or a large plastic pan and use wood shavings or something like that. There are also indoor potty systems. If nothing else get some wood and build a potty frame that you can place over the pee pads so they're not moveable. But really unless it's very very cold, there's no reason they can't go outside to potty from 8 weeks on.

 

[PackMomma]

One thing you can do is start crating them separately when you aren't home. That way they are not as likely to soil in their crate, and they can't get to the other pup's poop anyway. So that would be helpful. Also because they are littermates, it's important to treat them as separate dogs, do things one on one with them, not always together, so they learn to be individuals and not rely on each other 100% of the time. They will have to be separated when you get them spayed and neutered too of course, so it's best to start that now. At the same time take them outside to potty and pick up after them right away, so it's just not an option.

Can you get fresh pineapple, digestive enzymes or meat tenderizer (no salt)? Any of those would help with the poop eating by making the poop taste bad. Another thing to try is to start them on a raw diet, no grains and very little veggies/fruit. Raw fed dogs have hard, low odor poops because they digest every bit of it, so it's not as likely to be appealing to them then. Plus if they have some good bones to chew and play with, the poop isn't going to be as fun anyway.

If you must use an indoor bathroom, get a kid's wading pool or a large plastic pan and use wood shavings or something like that. There are also indoor potty systems. If nothing else get some wood and build a potty frame that you can place over the pee pads so they're not moveable. But really unless it's very very cold, there's no reason they can't go outside to potty from 8 weeks on.

x2 on this. And also to add to your thread about inquiring about home made food, if raw is not an option for you, I wouldn't hesitate on trying the Orijen or Acana if they are available to you, these are pretty high quality kibbles, but you may need to be feeding a lot less then what you were currently feeding on the Royal Canin - Acana & Orijen are very protein rich, your pups would need very little on a daily basis, and like kafkabettle mentioned in the other thread, overfeeding a rich food like Orijen could definitely cause mushy/smelly poops.

However, if you are able to, I also agree that going to a raw diet would be ideal - your pups being so small it would not be expensive at all, and they definitely wouldn't need much. Like Bordermom said, raw fed dogs produce much smaller, usually firm and less smelly poop, and also, I can tell you from first hand experience it helps with great skin and coat. Usually my dogs stools (who are 22lbs & 45 lbs) are very small, and in fact I've seen my Mom's very small Pomeranians who are on a lower quality kibble have larger, runnier poops than my two. Depending on how much bone is in their meal, usually their poops turn to dust within a day and helps as lawn fertilizer lol.

Good luck and i Hope you find the right solution to your cute little poop eating pups!

 

[InkedMarie]

Are potty pads necessary? Can't you walk them outside for pottying?

 

[Kayota]

Are potty pads necessary? Can't you walk them outside for pottying?

I wouldn't assume... I use potty pads at night and when I work because my dog doesn't reliably hold it for the 8+ hours those activities take, being such a small dog (11 lbs last weigh).