Okay, I live in Arizona and it is monsoon season (lots of rain, humidity). Suffice it to say I wait 2 days to pick up my puppies "droppings" to give it time to dry out. He goes at least 3-4 times a day. He is eating 1/2 of it before I can get to it. Is this normal for a puppy? Will it make him sick? His stools look normal even after the "second coming". Thanks for your help.
Is my puppy doing something normal? (Graphic)
- Thread starter dhcsim
- Start date
andtckrtoo
Cathlete
It's not unheard of, but it's not normal. I would take your puppy to the vet to make sure that there are no chemical inbalances (which is one of the reasons puppies and dogs do this). Some dogs just eat their (and about everything else's) discards, but it's not good for them. I hate to say this, but you might want to accompany your pup on his daily constitionals and clean up after him right away. It may just be a phase he's going through.
Hey Heather...yeah it is a very common problem. I read that it could start as some kind of nutritional inbalance, then just turns into a bad habit. It is kinda nasty, but I do not think harmful. They do sell tablets or powders to make it less inviting(yuck). I am pretty sure they sell them at most pet stores, or we have bought lots of good stuff online from Drs. Foster and Smith. I have three labs and pick up after them every couple of days cause the Arizona sun does such a nice job of "drying"......I live in Chandler, by the way!! Love it here. Take care, Donna.
Timber99
Cathlete
It's very common...and very gross! My vet suggested meat tenderizer (the powder form) over my dog's dry food for a week. This was the less expensive way than the pills to make the waste tast awful to them (although we think it already should!). I actually never did it b/c I used my voice to stop him each time and that was successful. I gave him a big ol' "Nooooooo" and he stopped. Remember that even if you clean up just after he goes, it may not break the habit that one time that you don't!
Ask your vet for suggestions and decide what is best for your dog!
Good Luck
Christine
Ask your vet for suggestions and decide what is best for your dog!
Good Luck
Christine
I'm doing my round of "clean up" and I come to a pile that had these little white bugs the size of white rice in it. I freaked and called the vet. When I take him tomorrow they are going to do tests. I have noticed a lot more flies around since he has been pooping and they are also on his food. These are the big horse flies, not house flies. I was also told about the powder and will be buying it. His stools are getting looser also. I will post tomorrow on what they find.
dpiglet- I live in East Mesa . Signal Butte and Broadway.
I used to live in chandler. In Park Tower which is right behind the Home Depot/Safeway on the S/W corner of Chandler Blvd. and Alma School.
dpiglet- I live in East Mesa . Signal Butte and Broadway.
I used to live in chandler. In Park Tower which is right behind the Home Depot/Safeway on the S/W corner of Chandler Blvd. and Alma School.
singinggoddess
Cathlete
You think that is bad, my dog eats out of the litter box. I know that is totally disgusting. My vet says that it doesn't hurt them bit it is definitely gross. We are constantly changing it. Our dog has never eaten the poop outside...kind of strange.
Susan
Susan
Hi Heather, he may have worms, which again is very common for puppies. And when they eat their poop, the worm eggs just keep getting ingested.
NOT to worry though! The vet will reccommend a de-wormer, which in my experience puppies love to lick and don't even know its medicine.
Don't worry, he'll be fine. Let us know what happens!!! -Christina
NOT to worry though! The vet will reccommend a de-wormer, which in my experience puppies love to lick and don't even know its medicine.
Don't worry, he'll be fine. Let us know what happens!!! -Christina
milagrosepul
Cathlete
HI Heather, it is a very common thing with puppies. Especially when they are still learning.
It won't neccessarily cause him to get sick but I would try to stop him from doing it.
It won't neccessarily cause him to get sick but I would try to stop him from doing it.
Girl I have been fighting w/my pug over this for the last 4 years. No matter what I do--& believe me, I've tried everything, the pills, the meat tenderizer, you name it--I just can't stop him. He literally will stand behind my other dog, who's much bigger, just waiting for his hot, steaming dessert..........
My current vet says the only solution is to clean up immediately after they go. But hey, I'm busy & sometimes I just don't have the time to follow them around the backyard.
My only advice to you is don't let him lick your face until at least an hour after he's come back inside.
My current vet says the only solution is to clean up immediately after they go. But hey, I'm busy & sometimes I just don't have the time to follow them around the backyard.
My only advice to you is don't let him lick your face until at least an hour after he's come back inside.
>He literally will stand behind my other
>dog, who's much bigger, just waiting for his hot, steaming
>dessert..........
>My only advice to you is don't let him lick your face until at
>least an hour after he's come back inside.
Maximus-
That is nasty}( . If I can deal w/ changing a diaper and cleaning up puke, then the dog should not be a problem . I have to check his morning stool, give him a bath and then I am off.
>dog, who's much bigger, just waiting for his hot, steaming
>dessert..........
>My only advice to you is don't let him lick your face until at
>least an hour after he's come back inside.
Maximus-
That is nasty}( . If I can deal w/ changing a diaper and cleaning up puke, then the dog should not be a problem
. I have to check his morning stool, give him a bath and then I am off.I took Max in today to the vet. They gave him the fecal intestinal check. It came up negative. They gave me 2 pills to give him "just in case" there are tape worms. They said they wanted to treat him for that because of the way the worms looked. I have to take him back in 2 weeks to get him weighed, another fecal and 2 more pills. I let him stay in the house w/ me because of his "ordeal" today. They didn't charge me for the office vist and said the meds were paid for by the pet store we purchased him from in the mall. So my bill was only 23.50. I purchased a bunch of bait cans to hang in the areas of his food and bathroom sites. The flies are supposed to fly up in them and then die. }(
They didn't charge me for the office vist and said the meds were paid for by the pet store we purchased him from in the mall. So my bill was only 23.50. I purchased a bunch of bait cans to hang in the areas of his food and bathroom sites. The flies are supposed to fly up in them and then die. }(beachgerrrl
Cathlete
Stool eating (COPROPHAGIA) is not "normal" for dogs. Though I guess it could be a behavioral problem, I doubt it. Corophagia is usually indicative of either a medical or nutritional problem.
Nutrients are released into the stool, so when a dog eats his own poop, he usually either has a deficient diet (not getting enough nutrients out of his food), or has a medical problem which does not allow for him to fully metabolize his food (possible digestive enzyme deficiency, aka pancreas problems, etc), or possibly some other medical issue.
Most of the time, changing to a more nutritious food is enough to correct the problem. So, if you are feeding a commercial "pet food", I'd consider switching to a more "natural" type dog food (one without chemical preservatives, etc). Also, looking for dog kibbles that are "baked" as opposed to "extruded", also helps, as extruded dog food is made at extremely high temperatures (which destroys a lot of the nutrients). If you can, feeding a high premium "natural" dog food, and then supplementing about 25% of the total food with "fresh meat" (lightly cooked, if you are scared to feed RAW, or do not know about RAW feeding) would also help to ensure a higher nutrient load. Eaglepack and Solid Gold, are 2 dog kibbles which allow for the 25% more "fresh meat" addition, without disturbing any calcium/phosphorous balance to the diet. Call the manufacturers, to find out which lines in their brands, allow for the meat addition.
I'd also suggest you try adding a "digestive enzyme" to the dog's food. Digestive enzymes will help the dog metabolize the food easier (helps him get more of the nutrients out of the processed dog food). There are animal based enzymes, and plant based ones. I prefer the animal based ones, as some plant based ones contain ingredients which can cause "fermentation", and that can lead to other problems. You can find Digestive Enzymes at Whole Foods, as well as online (check for Azmira Digestive Enzymes at azmira.com, or find the Bertes Zyme from the b-naturals.com site).
And adding a "probiotic" product also helps the immune system over all. I'd look to a human grade probiotic, which you can find at health food stores. NOW brand has a relatively inexpensive one, and I am sure there are others. Look for ones without "FOS", or any other types of sugars.
I think that by making those 3 changes (new food -- with or without adding in a bit of fresh cooked meat; adding a digestive enzyme; and adding a probiotic), you should begin to see a quick end to your dog's stool eating problems. I would keep a close eye on your dog when he goes out to poop. Pick the stool up immediately after he goes, so that he can not get to it. Depending on how long this behavior has gone on, there is a chance that he has now just become accustomed to eating it. You want to make sure that you not only treat the internal issue, but you also need to correct the behavioral problem at the same time.
Here's a good article to read, which comments on "dog food" and why there are so many incidences of digestive issues, and what can be done to help your dog digest his food more efficiently:
http://b-naturals.com/Spr1999.php A lot of the article deals with how "dog foods" are just too grain heavy (a point I completely agree with). If you want to remain feeding processed dog foods, do read the labels closely. Make sure that the first 3 ingredients in the food are high quality meat proteins. If the first 3 ingredients contain grains or "by products", I'd opt not to use that food. Canned foods are also easier for the dog to digest, than kibbles. But regardless of which you use, just make sure you read the ingredient label closely. The digestive enzymes will definitely help the dog digest the grains, as well as other ingredients in the dog food, more efficiently.
Good luck! My mom was very active in Rescue, and we had many dogs that had this type problem in the past, and the above methods worked like a charm. I also had one of my own dogs to have this issue. It too, cleared up with these changes. I have been fresh cooking for my dogs now for over 8 years, and have not ever run across this problem again (but going 100% fresh cooking takes a lot of study, so please do lots of research before attempting that, as you can create a lot of health issues if you do it improperly --ie, calcium/phosphorous imbalance, electrolyte imbalance, etc).
Nutrients are released into the stool, so when a dog eats his own poop, he usually either has a deficient diet (not getting enough nutrients out of his food), or has a medical problem which does not allow for him to fully metabolize his food (possible digestive enzyme deficiency, aka pancreas problems, etc), or possibly some other medical issue.
Most of the time, changing to a more nutritious food is enough to correct the problem. So, if you are feeding a commercial "pet food", I'd consider switching to a more "natural" type dog food (one without chemical preservatives, etc). Also, looking for dog kibbles that are "baked" as opposed to "extruded", also helps, as extruded dog food is made at extremely high temperatures (which destroys a lot of the nutrients). If you can, feeding a high premium "natural" dog food, and then supplementing about 25% of the total food with "fresh meat" (lightly cooked, if you are scared to feed RAW, or do not know about RAW feeding) would also help to ensure a higher nutrient load. Eaglepack and Solid Gold, are 2 dog kibbles which allow for the 25% more "fresh meat" addition, without disturbing any calcium/phosphorous balance to the diet. Call the manufacturers, to find out which lines in their brands, allow for the meat addition.
I'd also suggest you try adding a "digestive enzyme" to the dog's food. Digestive enzymes will help the dog metabolize the food easier (helps him get more of the nutrients out of the processed dog food). There are animal based enzymes, and plant based ones. I prefer the animal based ones, as some plant based ones contain ingredients which can cause "fermentation", and that can lead to other problems. You can find Digestive Enzymes at Whole Foods, as well as online (check for Azmira Digestive Enzymes at azmira.com, or find the Bertes Zyme from the b-naturals.com site).
And adding a "probiotic" product also helps the immune system over all. I'd look to a human grade probiotic, which you can find at health food stores. NOW brand has a relatively inexpensive one, and I am sure there are others. Look for ones without "FOS", or any other types of sugars.
I think that by making those 3 changes (new food -- with or without adding in a bit of fresh cooked meat; adding a digestive enzyme; and adding a probiotic), you should begin to see a quick end to your dog's stool eating problems. I would keep a close eye on your dog when he goes out to poop. Pick the stool up immediately after he goes, so that he can not get to it. Depending on how long this behavior has gone on, there is a chance that he has now just become accustomed to eating it. You want to make sure that you not only treat the internal issue, but you also need to correct the behavioral problem at the same time.
Here's a good article to read, which comments on "dog food" and why there are so many incidences of digestive issues, and what can be done to help your dog digest his food more efficiently:
http://b-naturals.com/Spr1999.php A lot of the article deals with how "dog foods" are just too grain heavy (a point I completely agree with). If you want to remain feeding processed dog foods, do read the labels closely. Make sure that the first 3 ingredients in the food are high quality meat proteins. If the first 3 ingredients contain grains or "by products", I'd opt not to use that food. Canned foods are also easier for the dog to digest, than kibbles. But regardless of which you use, just make sure you read the ingredient label closely. The digestive enzymes will definitely help the dog digest the grains, as well as other ingredients in the dog food, more efficiently.
Good luck!
My mom was very active in Rescue, and we had many dogs that had this type problem in the past, and the above methods worked like a charm. I also had one of my own dogs to have this issue. It too, cleared up with these changes. I have been fresh cooking for my dogs now for over 8 years, and have not ever run across this problem again (but going 100% fresh cooking takes a lot of study, so please do lots of research before attempting that, as you can create a lot of health issues if you do it improperly --ie, calcium/phosphorous imbalance, electrolyte imbalance, etc).