Poop eating Puppy

[Shelly]

My 4.5 month old Shih Tzu eats his poop. How can I get him to stop? He is never unsupervised outside, but if you don't get his attention quick enough after he has pooped he tries to eat it. Having a treat ready seems to be helping in this area. Now in the house is another matter. If he should happen to have an accident in the house he has eaten before we even noticed that he has pooped. The only tell tale sign is the smell, so we go off in search of it and usually only find a few poop smears on the floor. The rest is gone. YUCK So any suggestions an how to get him to stop eating his poop would be greatly appreciated.

[Dukieboy]

my co-worker has this to offer: she was told by her vet that the reason they are eating it is because they haven't digested it properly it still smell like food and you should change what they are eating? ask your vet if this is true cuz I really don't know.

[Writing4Fun]

There are products you can buy to help stop this habit. I'm not sure what they're called, but I'm pretty sure my sister got hers from her vet. (the name "Forbid" comes to mind??) Good luck!

[schape]

When my dog was a puppy she did same thing, ate her own poop. I got an advice form a friend who has 20+ years of experience with dogs and puppies (she's a breeder). She told me to give my dog 1 tablespoon of canned pineapple with every meal. I did that for couple of weeks and it helped, my dog stopped eating her poop. I guess pineapple makes the poop taste bad or something.

[Schwinn]

You know, there's another thread about the same thing, and I'll say it again...

The worst thing anyone ever eats makes people say, "AUGH! That tastes like..." you know the rest. So how can they make it taste worse??

That being said, I also heard about possibly putting tobasco sauce or cayanne pepper on the droppings. It sounds like the problem you're having, though, is finding the droppings before they become puppy buffet. Are you using training pads (if you don't know, they're for house breaking pets, and for some reason, the dog will always go there to do thier business. We've used them with three dogs, and it works every time!) Maybe try that, and when she goes, then put the pepper on. The tough part? You'll have to actually let her eat it, so you might not want to watch!

[schape]

Originally Posted by Schwinn

It sounds like the problem you're having, though, is finding the droppings before they become puppy buffet.

I agree with this one. You have to go and pick up the poop as soon as it lands on your lawn before your puppy decides to make it a culinary experience.

[Shelly]

Thanks for the replies, I will definitely look into all of your suggestions.He very rarely ever gets the chance to eat his business when outside. I'm always right there watching him, but if I wasn't there he would eat "It". It's in the house that's the problem. He is about 80% house trained, so he does still have accidents in the house on and off. He can hold it all night long.The problem is, that he sneaks off to have this poops in the house so we do not know he is doing it. (this doesn't happen everyday) When we realize he is no longer under foot we either find him eating the poop or it is already gone. I was just hoping that someone out there had a solution to get him to stop eating "It".

[heidiho]

Yes there is it is called Forbid and your vet should have it,your sprinkle it in there food it has no taste,but when it come out the other end it makes there crap taste bad,it stopped my dog..

[Schwinn]

Originally Posted by heidiho

Yes there is it is called Forbid and your vet should have it,your sprinkle it in there food it has no taste,but when it come out the other end it makes there crap taste bad,it stopped my dog..

Is it safe for cats? Daisy won't eat her own, but she does eat the cats'.

She say she doesn't, but I don't believe her (they say you can't trust pitbulls )

[Shelly]

Thanks heidiho and Writing4fun. I will definitely be checking out the Forbid. Does anyone know if you can buy it in the pet store? Our Vet won't be back here until Tuesday.

[Shelly]

I just did a search on the Internet and Yes it can be used on cats.

[Cinnabear]

Only in at the vets, but if you go to a pet store they may sell something similar. I'm trying out things myself. It's been a week, knock on wood.

[tenderfoot]

I think it would be best to teach her not to eat the poop (i.e. use the command "leave it") rather than to have to beat her to it. And the food additives are good for those times when you just aren't fast enough.
-This is a re-print of a post on another thread.-
Sprinkle MSG on the food and it changes the taste of the poops and the dog stops enjoying the activity so much. However, MSG isn't good for anyone - so only do this for the time it takes to get the puppy to stop the behavior.
It is a natural behavior for a puppy to eat mom's poops - they get necessary bacteria+ from mom's "leftovers" - but this behavior should also stop at an early age. Possibly your puppy is missing some important nutrients in her food. I would put a tablespoon of plain (or vanilla) yogurt in her food everyday to add healthy flora to her system.
I would also get some natural beef bones (like soup bones) and start her on them. But first you must acclimate her system to the rich marrow. Take a defrosted bone and scrape most of the marrow out and set it aside in the fridge. Let her have the bone for 5-10 minutes - then take it away and put it in the fridge. She can have it for longer times each day as she shows you that it is not giving her the runs (bone marrow is rich). Take a small amount of the marrow and put it in her food everyday until it's gone. Only enough to get her used to it but not so much that she gets diarrhea. She can get a fresh bone every week.
This keeps her system running with great nutrition, micro-nutrients, great source of calcium, active tooth cleaning, active gum massaging and mental stimulation. The used bones can be kept because they are always fun for her. However, if you notice one starting to splinter - toss it out ASAP! Some never seem to splinter while others might.
If she does get the runs - solid pack pumpkin works wonders for loose stools or constipation. It is pure fiber and fixes things quickly. Just give her a couple of spoonfuls - do not feed it exclusively as there isn't much nutrition there.

[Shelly]

Thanks for the info tenderfoot.