# Eating poo



## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

I tried to find a history on this discussion, but couldn't find a thread. SURELY Moxie is not the only one...??? I need advice, he sneaks this evil snack as if to clean up the evidence when he has an accident or goes outside in the fenced in area without me or a leash....:Cry::Cry::Cry:


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## MyFreddie (Oct 25, 2009)

My Freddie does the same thing. He is still being house trained and he tries to eat the evidence. :tea:


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Debra, How old is Moxie? the cleaning up the evidence is usually a puppy thing. Cash used to be an avid poop eater...he very obviously did it out of hunger. My DH once witnessed him twisting like a pretzel to get it on the way out!!! that was when we consulted a nutritionist. We switched to raw, no grain or starch carbs, added some supplements and now he does not even look back (we also did some "leave it" training with tobasco, and bitter able all those years he was doing it, so he knew it was not desired behaviour) 

Dogs do this for a variety of reasons...but I know for us it was nutritional. Cash was always starving on any kibble even grain free (but it had potato) he was always scrounging for food, so it was easy for us to tell his was out of hunger or a deficiency. Would changing foods be worth a try with Moxie?


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

You can buy stuff to stop them from doing it, called SEP. It worked on Scooter.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Just goes to show you that dogs will eat anything. The very reason that I don't get Rosie a kitten as a playmate--think litter box. Last weekend, she went into the horse ccorral and immediately began to taste every horse dropping she could find, ran circles around me and the horse and got completly covered in horse *** and was so proud of herself. And Rabbit droppings are fair game and oh yes, the yard dogs poo...thank God, she hasn't noticed her own. 

All kidding aside, I agree that it is probably a puppy thing and Moxie will probably grow out of doing it--now my Demon Child--I don't know.


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## SMARTY (Apr 19, 2007)

You are not alone. There should be lots of threads on this subject. I know many of us have discussed it. Pineapples or the juice should stop it. Sometimes it is out of boredom, sometimes it is a food thing. Smarty did it for a short while then just stopped. It is disgusting.

There is alot of help on line for this very thing.

http://www.dogtrainingbasics.com/Poop Eaters Anonymous.htm


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Deb, at 2 yrs. old, Tori has _finally_ given up that nasty habit. I don't know if she's just grown out of it or if it's because her diet mainly consists of raw now (she's has kibble available but, doesn't eat it much) When she was at her worst, what seemed to help the most was giving her a bit of pineapple in her food, using the "leave it!" command, and just plain watching her and picking it up asap.


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## Kathie (Jul 31, 2008)

Abby, at two, has finally given it up, too! It has been several months, though, and was so gradual that all of I sudden I realized she hadn't done it in a long time. Our breeder (?) recommended Science Diet which was not good on so many levels and once we had her on nothing but Blue Buffalo chicken & brown rice it seemed to dwindle off and now it seems to have stopped completely. I don't know what did it for sure - just glad she stopped.......lol


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Since a couple of you had luck with them stopping at 2 years, there's still hope! I've tried Forbid and Pineapple juice, tabasco and the leave it command. The thing that workd the best is to keep ALL poop picked up all the time and even then Marley can find it some days! He just likes poop! :doh:


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## ls-indy (Apr 10, 2008)

I wonder if cold weather has something to do with it (seach poop-sicles) Daisy did this last winter but stopped when it warmed up. I am watching to see if it start back up this winter....


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## kauai mommy (Jul 22, 2009)

Yuk! I didn't realize this problem is so common. Thank god my little one never had this problem... I make out with her every night when I get home. She kisses any guests right smack on their lips. 

Good luck with Moxie!


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## Evye's Mom (Dec 16, 2008)

Still a poo eater in this household. I am still waiting for the "miracle." It hasn't happened yet. I have never seen such a clever pooper. She turns in circles in the act so she gets it before I do.


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## j.j.'s mom (Aug 16, 2009)

moxie is not alone...
deer poop is a major yummmm!


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

Well, it is reassuring to know that Moxie is not the only Hav with this dirty little secret! Thank you all for your generous advice.
Moxie has been on raw food since the beginning and he turns 2 on Sunday. I just don't see him outgrowing it, I will have to try the pineapple. Is is canned? I will add that Moxie will eat anything from spinach and kale to any stray kibble that he can get his paws on when my kids are visiting with their dogs. His weight is just right, but he seems hungry ALL the time.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*change the diet...*

does Moxie eat raw food? sometimes havs eat poo as there is undigested food in there...so we have raw and it comes out like hard ash.

Also Riki learned "leave it" after pooping, and then I gave him a real food treat.

They can get very sick from eating poop...

What does Janet suggest? I bet she has some good ideas.


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*oops*

Wow if he is eating raw, I don't understand it. I'd ask Janet!


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## Redorr (Feb 2, 2008)

Lola has finally stopped this at 2 1/2. None of the food additives worked. It is more behavioral effort. She no longer eats it when she goes in the house either. (+/- on that.) Lola has been on raw for well over a year, but I had been adding yogurt, which I stopped. Lola will eat anything as well. If Moxie doesn't grow out of it soon, you might try the nutritionist that Missy had success with.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

moxie said:


> Well, it is reassuring to know that Moxie is not the only Hav with this dirty little secret! Thank you all for your generous advice.
> Moxie has been on raw food since the beginning and he turns 2 on Sunday. I just don't see him outgrowing it, I will have to try the pineapple. Is is canned? I will add that Moxie will eat anything from spinach and kale to any stray kibble that he can get his paws on when my kids are visiting with their dogs. His weight is just right, but he seems hungry ALL the time.


Debra, it is possible that Moxie is the opposite and could use some grains or is just missing a key nutrient. The pineapple is canned, crushed no sugar added. but it is high in natural sugars so if he is used to raw this could make him even hungrier (carbs and all) . It did not work for us. but the boys loved it. are you using a commercial raw or are you prepping it your self. One of the things the nutritionist I worked with mentioned was that she felt commercial raws were too high in calcium and she suggested I could add 25% plain ground turkey to their meals. the good thing about that with Cash is that turkey has less calories than a NV medallion so he gets to get almost what appears like a whole extra medallion of turkey. Also if Moxie is at a good weight and energy maybe just try giving him an extra medallion.... he may really just be hungry. The other thing is I add cooked greenbeans to their meals to fill them up with few calories...cooking is the key dogs can't digest most veggies unless they have been pre digested.

I thought I would have to live with a poop eater all my life too. But there is hope. Sabine, didn't promise anything on that end...but I just knew if I could conquer Cash's hunger we would be half way there. If you are interested in consulting her write her at [email protected]

It is the best $44 dollars I DIDN'T waste on my boys. (and we all know how much we do waste on them...as evidence by my closet full of pet shampoos)

good luck.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

Evye's Mom said:


> Still a poo eater in this household. I am still waiting for the "miracle." It hasn't happened yet. I have never seen such a clever pooper. She turns in circles in the act so she gets it before I do.


I can just picture the little actress!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Luciledodd said:


> Last weekend, she went into the horse ccorral and immediately began to taste every horse dropping she could find, ran circles around me and the horse and got completly covered in horse *** and was so proud of herself.


Well, horse manure is a completely different thing than carnivore poop. (or even rabbit pellets) Horses are extremely inefficient in terms of digestion, so a good portion of what they eat comes out just as it went in. Add to that, the fact that many commercial horse foods contain molasses, and you can see why it is highly palatable to many species.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

j.j.'s mom said:


> moxie is not alone...
> deer poop is a major yummmm!


Kodi loves to roll in deer, chicken or turkey poo (we have all three on our property regularly) but I've never seen him try to eat any. I'm not sure a white dog rolling in poo is much better, though... :Cry:


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

krandall said:


> Kodi loves to roll in deer, chicken or turkey poo (we have all three on our property regularly) but I've never seen him try to eat any. I'm not sure a white dog rolling in poo is much better, though... :Cry:


actually Karen. a white dog is much better than a dark dog! at least you see it before they then roll on your rug!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

Rabbit poo is dessert! I can't stop that....I haven't had any other problems, if I did ...I would be picking the poo up and giving tidbits of pineapple once in awhile.


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

No Moxie kisses.... ewwww! I have never had a poo eater thank goodness. And I really thought raw fed dogs didn't eat theirs.... Moxie teaches me something new!

Hope you get it under control. In the meantime, I can take pictures of stuff Belle rolls in  Dead decomposed frog stuck on her was probably the glossiest thing ever- I seriously should have just put a free sign on her and put her in the front yard!


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## heatherkurt (Sep 1, 2009)

Cosmo will sometimes eat Hudson's poo, and has also been known to pull a few treats out of the cat box. I've been working hard to teach him "leave it", and also bought some SEP (Stop Eating Poop) at the pet store.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Missy said:


> actually Karen. a white dog is much better than a dark dog! at least you see it before they then roll on your rug!


Oh, good to know. I guess the true answer is there is NO good color for rolling in poo!<g>


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## Brady's Grandmom (Nov 11, 2008)

I don't have the dog poo issue but I do have the cat poo issue. Bacca thinks cat poo is the best thing in the world. The only way I have solved this problem is by putting a low gate in the doorway of the room where the litter box is. The cats can jump the gate with no problem. What makes Bacca think this tastes really good I'll never undrstand.


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## Renee (Mar 27, 2008)

We had Miley on Iams when we brought her home. She, too, would eat her poo. After doing research, I figured out that wasn't a very good dog food. Switched her to Blue Buffalo, and never had a problem after we switched her. She is now on Solid Gold, and still not problems.


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## descha (Jul 3, 2009)

Help! My Havanese both eat poo! Can someone tell what SEP is? I tried the hot sauce and that worked for a while but now it's winter and I can't trail the back yard with them! I looked it up on the internet with no luck. My pups are 9 and 7 months old. One just found a piece he had hidden in the house...now makes me wonder if they are pooing away while I am working and eating the evidence - a DISGUSTING thought! But they are so darnh cute :doh:


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*switch to raw*

Many times dogs don't digest all of the kibble. If they eat a raw diet, it comes out like hard ash...and everything is digested as it would be in nature. I guarantee they won't eat that!

Nature's Variety is a brand that many of us use. They gobble it up fast and then they don't ever have dingle dangle poops. No more cleaning butts either.


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## descha (Jul 3, 2009)

I've got them both on Wellness all natural dog food with sweet potatoes, blue berries, etc. Can you describe what you feed your pups? I'm not at all sure about a raw diet. I've had shelties for years and only one of them had this issue. It's hard to watch such a little cutie pie dive into poop for a treat! 

Could you give me an example of a raw diet?


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*take a look at this:*

http://www.naturesvariety.com/

Riki did eat his poop when he was a puppy. I watched him like a hawk and gave him that growly sound my trainer told me to use when he did bad things. They can get really sick from eating poo. Havanese are weird.

Our foster dog is not havanese, and she eats normal.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

SEP is a product I bought at a pet supply store, it stands for Stop Eating Poo. I think it's just the enzymes from pineapple though. You can mix a little pineapple juice into their food and see if that helps.


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

Thanks for the commiseration and advice. It is still a race with Moxie to get it first! Will take a look at SEP. Ann, is it working?


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## RikiDaisyDixie (Apr 15, 2008)

*Debra, we missed you at Eukanuba*

Are you coming to the holiday party next Saturday?


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## moxie (Feb 6, 2008)

Hi Linda,
No, I will have family in town that weekend. I am missing so much, but the timing hasn't been right yet. Next time! Thanks for asking. I've been keeping up with your lastest "blessing" with Lily!!


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I tried the SEP again with Dugan a few weeks ago. He was doing much better until he just got sick with Diarrhea a few days ago. I guess that is really tastyuke: He is on meds right now for his nasty upset tummy (let's just say my carpets may never recover). I will be trying it again once he is all better. 

I couldn't believe it, but I actually caught Brady eating poop the other day. He is my good one who never does that!!! I was shocked by him.


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## Scooter's Family (May 23, 2008)

The SEP worked fine for their poo. The rabbit poo, not so much.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Scooter's Family said:


> The SEP worked fine for their poo. The rabbit poo, not so much.


Maybe you'd better start feeding it to the rabbits!:bolt:


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## waybrook (Sep 13, 2009)

I am so glad to see others are having this problem. Panda will sniff and nose at the poo from my retreivers. She ate her own once, but then I put tobasco on it the next time and she left it alone. I still watch her like a hawk, but with 2 big dogs we are dilligent with "poo patrol" and try to police the yard twice a day.... It seems like the best way to control the problem is to remove the temptation....


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## TheVintageVamp (Oct 14, 2009)

No problems with their own poo, but Chica is an avid kitty cookie eater and no litter box or yard droppings are safe from her nosing them out & gobbling down. 
It is the primary reason she cannot be left to her own devices in the house. She will eat from the litter box until she uke:

Murray isn't so bad, but I have caught him occasionally dipping into the treat box, aka litter box.


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## descha (Jul 3, 2009)

I am so glad to see we are not the only ones with a poo problem too! For Christmas I asked for an automatic pooper scooper! I am now trying mixing a little garlic granules into a little canned puppy food (Wellnes) to see if that helps with their own poo. A breeder I know calls them poopsicles! Funny but disgusting. I actually watched on of mine run for the poo of our 16 year old blind, deaf poodle that had pooped on the training pads overnight! He just woofed it down and I was abhorred! Several people told us to try garlic so I'll let you know how it works. I've heard there are pills called "Potty Mouth" which would work better than sprinkling stuff on food. What if they didn't eat all the food? I took mine off canned food 3 weeks ago and now I am back buying it against my better judgment. What do you all think?


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

descha said:


> I took mine off canned food 3 weeks ago and now I am back buying it against my better judgment. What do you all think?


I'm a dyed in the wool kibble person. I've always fed kibble here. Canned just seems like a treat food to me? I would be more concerned about the garlic sprinkles. I don't knwo how much is bad, but I've seen some sites that claim garlic is bad for dogs. (bad meaning toxic) Then again some dog foods or treats have garlic flavoring in them. If treats have garlic and they are supposed to be yummy, why would it make dogs not eat poo? I've never heard of using it before.


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## Missy (Nov 6, 2006)

uggggg! Cash had a relapse! first time in almost a year....could it be frozen snow covered tootsie rolls are more delectable?


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## murphymoesmamma (Apr 1, 2009)

Our back yard is a veritable buffet table of pooh, wild turkey, squirrel, deer, fox, cat, and who knows what else. I am so glad that Murphy is now litter trained. When he was a puppy and I was training him to potty outside he was always way more interested in the buffet than doing his own business He doesn't eat his own pooh thankfully.


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

Missy said:


> uggggg! Cash had a relapse! first time in almost a year....could it be frozen snow covered tootsie rolls are more delectable?


yummy! uke: Ok here's a thought. Maybe in the Winter he has a higher metabolism reved up to keep his body warm so now he is hungry again? Or maybe yeah, the poopscicles taste better!


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

Yuck! Roscoe eats his poo, too. We have been putting a splash of pineapple juice in his food because it is apparently supposed to make their poo smell bad...as if it doesn't smell bad enough. Anyway, seems to be working so far. He hasn't tried to eat his poo in a couple of days.

I thought it was just a puppy thing but Maddie is 4.5 and still occasionally eats her poo. Although I think she mostly just plays with it, yuck!


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## Oaks_Mom (Jan 1, 2009)

Oakley ate her pooh for the first year we had her. So gross. We had to take her out back on a leash to do her business and then pick it up right away. I thought we were going to be stuck with this behaviour forever. We tried hot sauce, turned out she liked that. We tried "leave it", pineapple and something from the vet (can't remember the name) nothing worked. She finally outgrew it, or so I thought - she still likes to sneak in a frozen pooh treat every now and then.


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## descha (Jul 3, 2009)

*Update*

Back again! For Christimas I received a a fancy pooper scooper. Since that day, I have gotten up with the pups and been in our freezing cold, snowy back yard not only with them but with the 16 year old blind/deaf poodle. I've been giving the Havs pills for this problem but the poodle is impossible to give a pill to. SOOOOO, the Havs have apparently given up eating their poo but they will WAIT for the poodle and if I'm not there, you guessed it.

This morning I started giving the poodle canned pumpkin as I continuously read that that will also do the same thing as the pills. So, we shall see.

I guess the best thing to do is to immediately clean up as I have been trying to religiously do. But just in case, try the pumpkin and pills as a safeguard.

Wish me luck!


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## good buddy (Feb 20, 2007)

descha said:


> This morning I started giving the poodle canned pumpkin as I continuously read that that will also do the same thing as the pills. So, we shall see.
> 
> I guess the best thing to do is to immediately clean up as I have been trying to religiously do. But just in case, try the pumpkin and pills as a safeguard.
> 
> Wish me luck!


I do wish you luck, but I've heard canned pineapple will deter them, but canned pumpkin is used to regulate the stools and add bulk. I haven't ever heard of it deterring anyone. Still..good luck! I have a poo eater so I know what you go through. Rufus won't even poop until Marley is escorted inside because he doesn't like Marley sneaking up behind him!


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## galaxie (Dec 1, 2009)

So we tried the Forbid powder with Roscoe - no luck! Apparently there is another powder thing you can put in their food, it's called Potty Mouth and it has cayenne pepper in it...so I guess we're going to try that next. I was also thinking that if we put some hot sauce on his poo after he goes and then leave it so he can try to eat it, but he's a pretty smart guy and I think he would know that it was us putting the hot sauce on his poo and so when we're not home he would just eat away. UGH!


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## DaisyMazy (Dec 18, 2009)

Daisy did the same thing. It is one of those things that you see and you think to yourself she really didn't do that did she. I did call the vet and they suggested going to the grocery store and buying ADOLFS MEAT TENDERIZER. Believe it or not it stopped almost immediately. I guess the smell of the poo changes and they find it disgusting.


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## Luciledodd (Sep 5, 2009)

Caesar Milan did a show on this subject. I didn't pay a lot of attention; but I believe he used bananas. He put the dog with the poo in sight and gave him a banana instead. You can probably find the segment by going to his website. I think the banana thing was that the dog needed potassium. Personally I think it is just a dog thing.


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