My Boston eats her poo. It is really gross and we would love for her to stop. The vet has informed us that it is not harmful, just gross. We have tried pills from the pet store and they do not seem to be working. Help!
Hi Megan -
One of my dogs is a sneaky turd burglar and goes so far as to attempt to hide his poops for later snacking.
We tried supplements and changing diet to no avail.
Our dog will eat poop until he's got a good case of gastritis going so our only solution is constant vigilance!
It helps if you know when and how often your dog will do his bidness so you can avoid all temptation by immediately removing the offending/delicious deposit from the yard.
Good luck with your snacker!
Lol I like your comment I couldn't stop giggling lol Turd Burglar lol!
There are a number of supplements and taste detracting substances you can try; in my experience, these are marginally successful. The only trick I have used successfully is putting hot sauce on the things a dog is eating/chewing so that he learns that these items are unpleasant.
Check with your veterinarian first before trying hot sauce just to be sure there are no problems in your specific case.
INTRODUCE A NEGATIVE First, put some hot sauce on a rag or paper towel and let your dog sniff it. Allow him to lick it if he wants to (although many dogs won't try it, but back away). Reward him with praise for turning away without tasting. If he tastes it, he is likely to drool, shake his head, maybe paw at his face. Don't allow him any water for about 20 minutes, so he can't relieve the bad taste right away. Now he should associate the smell with something he doesn't like.
TEST ON THE ITEM YOU WANT HIM TO AVOID Next, put the hot sauce on whatever it is that you don't want the dog to eat, in your case, poop and introduce it to your dog. Let him sniff. If he turns/backs away or avoids it, reward him with praise. If he eats it, allow him to drool, etc, and don't give water for about 20 minutes.
PROOFING Later in the day or the next day, put the hot sauce on the material/poop and introduce it to your dog. At this point, he should turn away. Praise profusely!
Keep putting hot sauce on any poop in his area for about a week, until he gets the idea that if he eats poop, it might be pretty unpleasant. Once you see him turn away from poop even though you have not put any hot sauce on it, praise profusely!!! Offer your dog a treat or highly prized toy.
Occasionally go back to the above steps if you think your dog is regressing.
When I worked at a natural pet food/supply store, I found that adding vitamin supplements to your dogs food to make sure they are getting the proper nutrition will keep them from feeling the need to eat their poops.
I agree with the person who left the first answer in that you should ask your vet for some more helpful tips. The better the quality of food they eat, the less likely they will feel the need to eat poop.
Try putting a tablespoon of pineapple in the food. Apparently, pineapple tastes terrible WHEN eaten IN poop. Other people have used Pumpkin (this is good for the digestive system in small amounts each day), Spinach, Pickles or Garlic for the same purpose. Be consistent with whatever method you try.