Dog Community

Gross poop eating - possible digestion problem?

Posted : 1/21/2007 7:17:12 PM

I know this is a common question/complaint on the board, but this was really gross.

Fed them dinner last night - they feed separately - then we went out for potty. 98% of the time, Winnie poops right after she eats, Petey's more like 70% of the time - sometimes it takes a couple of hours before he needs to go. They go back inside in their x-pen, Will and I sit down for dinner.

We go into the kitchen abotu 40 minutes later to discover Petey on the potty pad pooping and Winnie eating it as it came right out of his butt. Gross!!! Of course, we corrected her - not terribly calmly, I'm afraid.

Now, because she hasn't outgrown the poop-eating, we did have the vet do a check on her digestive health, and the vet said everything was normal. Our vet told us it's really common, particularly if we're feeding high quality food. Is that really the case? Or, could there have been something the vet missed or didn't check for because we didn't know to ask about it?

Chuffy

Posted : 1/21/2007 7:37:12 PM

Most commercial foods are very grain based which the dog's stomach has not evolved to cope with and does not digest well. Because some of the food passes out undigested, its viable for recycling. Switching foods may help, the more natural alternative the better.

There is stuff you can add to the food to make it unpalatable - pineapple is one you can try but I don't know how well it works. There are also products you can buy to add to the food.

If you give them milk or give lots of dairy products this will also mean less food is digested properly before passing out of their system.

lisa baker

Posted : 1/22/2007 12:38:31 AM

ORIGINAL: a_ryan
the vet said everything was normal. Our vet told us it's really common, particularly if we're feeding high quality food.

I've always be told the opposite. May I ask what you are feeding now? Have you thought about a second opinion from a separate vet?

gayle

Posted : 1/22/2007 1:18:27 AM

dogs just like to eat poop. i doubt there is any real reason other than they simply like the taste. my dogs personal favorite is turkey poo.

a_ryan

Posted : 1/22/2007 9:34:52 AM

May I ask what you are feeding now?

Innova adult kibble with a little EVO mixed in. They love it, and my vet said they can still smell it coming out the other end, and apparently it smells pretty much like it just came out of the can.

Have you thought about a second opinion from a separate vet?

I probably will do that if I can find someone else that I like - vet service tends to be a bit spotty in this area. It took me a while to find this woman, and I really like her, I just have read so much conflicting info about poop eating that I'm concerned.

DE Lee

Posted : 1/22/2007 10:39:22 AM

Do they do it outside or just in the crate?
It is possible that, if it is just in the crate, that you have a "clean crate" dog. Like a momma dog will clean up after her puppies. Could be your little girl just did not want the poop in the crate...
outside of that...
better food...
vitamin supplements like vita tab...
and a product called "Stop Eating Poop" ( or similar) available at most "boutiques" will likely stop the behavior.
we have also been told by our vet that meat tenderizer on the non offending dogs poop will deter the eating as well. An adoptive family says it works but we have never tried it personally.

Margaret Tyler

Posted : 1/22/2007 7:17:25 PM

I would get Solid Gold SEP (Stop Eating Poop) and give it to the dog whose poop is getting eaten, not the dog who eats it. It makes the poop taste bad comming out the other end.