Why do dogs eat their crap???
My d@mn Lab "Remington" just started eating his own crap again. He hasn't done it since he was a little puppy!!! Why do they do this, is he not getting enough nutrients from his food? Does he just like the taste??? He's in very good shape, not fat, not skinny...he's 4.5 years old and about 100 lbs.
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quote:Originally posted by goldeneagle76
My d@mn Lab "Remington" just started eating his own crap again. He hasn't done it since he was a little puppy!!! Why do they do this, is he not getting enough nutrients from his food? Does he just like the taste??? He's in very good shape, not fat, not skinny...he's 4.5 years old and about 100 lbs.
Take a bite and see what you are missing.0 -
Dogs can't order takeout. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cubslovers
quote:Originally posted by goldeneagle76
My d@mn Lab "Remington" just started eating his own crap again. He hasn't done it since he was a little puppy!!! Why do they do this, is he not getting enough nutrients from his food? Does he just like the taste??? He's in very good shape, not fat, not skinny...he's 4.5 years old and about 100 lbs.
Take a bite and see what you are missing.
[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]0 -
Can't answer that. My dogs, including a 4-year-old Lab, don't have access to their poop. They go out, they poop, they come back inside. Maybe if they were out all the time, they would eat it.
We use a baby gate on the utility room to keep the dogs away from the cat litter box. Sam the Lab could get over it if he really wanted to, but he seems to respect any barrier and doesn't try to cross.0 -
quote:Originally posted by nunn
Can't answer that. My dogs, including a 4-year-old Lab, don't have access to their poop. They go out, they poop, they come back inside. Maybe if they were out all the time, they would eat it.
We use a baby gate on the utility room to keep the dogs away from the cat litter box. Sam the Lab could get over it if he really wanted to, but he seems to respect any barrier and not try to cross.
Mmmmm. Crunchy kitty cookies.0 -
Cause people don't & somebody needs to clean it up LOL 0 -
Same reason they lick themselves...... cuz they CAN! [}:)]
Allen0 -
The same reason liberals do. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by royc38
The same reason liberals do.
[:D]Now that is funny![:D]0 -
Common with guinea pigs as they receive a nutrient that is only released throught the digestive process.Maybe lacking some needed vitamins or something 0 -
The true answer is because dogs have better noses than digestive systems. Some dog foods are actually made to smell good to humans but are hard for a dogs system to break down the food the first time thru...leaving alot of "good smelling food" in the crap. They haven't been told that they shouldn't eat that so they eat what smells good. Also sudden changes in diets can cause this to happen. You need to find a good dog food that is easy on his system and digests completely. Also...NO human food. Slowly change his food over to the good stuff and once you have him on it leave him on it. He will stop eating his crap. 0 -
If I understand this correctly, T1jetmech has this mostly right.
My understanding goes like this: the dogs' digestive system doesn't process all of the nutrients the first time through (regardless of whether it's a wild diet of rabbits and whatnot or some commercial dog food), so they eat the poop to extract the leftovers.
So although it grosses us humans out, it's normal. It's not necessary for domesticated dogs (because we feed them well enough), but a dog in the feral state does well to eat the poo, because it's an easy meal.
That's what I've heard. If somebody knows differently I'd be interested to know.0 -
The disorder is called coprophagia. Usually is is picked up during the first three months of life by certain pups in the litter. The dog will, of course, never forget this as a source of protein. Most dogs do not practice this habit due to the development of an instinct that prevents it.
Once a dog gets into the habit of this, (usually because they are left in a pen or yard where the is inadequate food and plenty of feces) it is nearly impossible to break them of it. Adequate nutrition while at the same time keeping the piles cleaned up daily, and not allowing the dog to remain in the area where he defecates can control it and with time the dog will become less prone to this behavior. Many dog foods, especially the dry ones, simply do not have adequate digestable nutrition. Remember that dogs are carnivorous more than omnivorous and prefer fresh protein. Grain proteins and vegetative nutrients actually more resemble fresh protein after a trip through the digestive system. Buying only dry food which is economical, but low in digestability is the common contributor to this an many other physical maladies for canines. The owner goes to Walmart, gets a huge bag of Ole Roy, and throws what he thinks is plenty of food to his dogs every day, but it's not supplying the nutrition they need to maintain optimum health, and it's not at all apetizing after it has become stale. That's usually about 4 to 7 days after opening the bag, IF it has not already become stale long before its' purchase while still in the warehouse. So they have to eat bad tasting food for weeks because of the size of the bag. Any dog that has been coprophagic as a pup will revert to it under these conditions. Some have become so oriented in this behavior early in life, that they will always prefer it.
They sell pills that make the feces taste bad and this is marketed as a cure to the condition. You have to catch a pup early for this to work, though. The success rate is less than 10%.
So, it boils down to the owner or caretaker of the dog to keep them constantly separated from their feces, which is a job that calls for setting up regular feedings and activity periods so that the time of defecation can be predicted and the dog prevented on a daily basis from indulging in this disagreeable behavior.
It's a heart breaker when good owners who do provide adequate nutrition that is appealing to any sane dog are afflicted with this problem, which can happen also, due to the fact that the behavior can become ingrained before anyone notices it.
Maybe they have come up with something new in the last few years, since I have studied the problem because of a pup we got that was fully involved with this behavior when we got him. It's not common, though. I doubt it. Sorry to hear about your bad luck with this lab that you undoubtedly have taken a liking to.0 -
What really worries me is the owners of these dogs will let the dogs lick their faces after the dogs have a poop dinner and licked themselves clean between their back legs.
[xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(][xx(]0 -
goldeneagle76,
Here is a link to a study done on this subject that I believe is fairly recent. I have, this evening upon first writing my reply relaying the information that I compiled several years ago, done a search which revealed the same woeful ignorance and wrong answers among many in the veterinary world who just copy what they have read, but also, have found an article by a team of vets who are doing a clinical study on this subject for publication in journal.
http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html0 -
I guess the old saying "eat bababooey and die" doesn't work on canines[}:)][}:)][8D] 0 -
He does eat only dry food. It is one that I have stuck with after numerous foods from the time I got him at 8 weeks old. The one he is on does not dry out his skin and his poop is solid. Others were giving him dry skin and diarhea. The food has no wheat or corn in it (allergens). I'll have to look around to see if there is something I can add to the food to make it more nutritional. We have a fenced in yard with plenty of room, I don't get a chance to clean the yard more than once per week...guess I'll have to try. Still, I do not leave him out for very long periods of time. And no, he does not lick my face at all!!!! 0 -
T1jetmech and spurgemaster have it, I fear Frogbert is quoting junk science. Instincts are genetic, not developed and they are species specific. It is a normal behavior among wild canids, though usually not a constant behavior, usually in times of depauperate food resouces. 0 -
From a vet..
My dog eats poop! Why does she do this, and how can I get her to stop?
Dogs will commonly eat their own as well as other animals' feces. Puppies are known to eat their own excrement during paper training and housebreaking, and it is believed to be due to a combination of physiological and behavioral factors.
On the physiological side, since the digestion of food is not always complete, puppies still see nutrient value in their feces and view it as a snack. Often dogs are attracted to undigested rice, corn or peanuts in their stool if they happen to consume these foods. Maximizing digestion can help solve this problem. To do so, add enzyme supplements to their food, such as meat tenderizer (from the supermarket), papaya extract (a natural enzyme available at health food stores) or products from pet supply stores especially designed to help dogs digest. Mix the enzyme powder in each meal, and let it sit for 15 minutes prior to feeding it to your pet. This should eliminate the presence of anything they view as "good" in their stool. It will not help with the peanuts or corn, but these foods should not be fed to your pet in any event.
Another way to discourage coprophagy (the medical term for eating poop) is to coat the stools with hot sauce or vinegar, thereby making the experience of eating it unpleasant (as if it seemed great thus far!). Sometimes owners have to go to the extreme measure of injecting the stool with hot sauce so the pet gets the full extent of the bad flavor. Yet another method is through products which taste good when mixed in the pet's food and eaten, but turn bitter when excreted in the pet's feces (isn't science great?). Doing this or the hot sauce method for one to two weeks is usually enough to convince a dog that their food bowl is a safer spot for snacks.
On the behavioral side, many pets eat their stool during the training stages because they become confused about whether to go to the bathroom on or off the paper or outdoors. Just as potty training for kids is tough, telling a dog when and where to eliminate is emotionally stressful. They will feel bad about going in the wrong place and destroy the evidence by eating it. Owners often call me because they are concerned that their puppy has not had a bowel movement in a few days, but it usually turns out to be a case of recycling.
FYI
Ever wonder why children's sandboxes come with covers? If you have neighbors with outdoor cats, they may view your child's sandbox as a great big litter box, and unfortunately your young child may choose to ingest a deposited turd. This condition, called Pica, is common in toddlers and is best avoided by keeping your child's sandbox covered when not in use.
Dr. Peter Kross, DVM, has had his own veterinary practice, the Rivergate Veterinary Clinic in New York City, since 1989. He lives in Manhattan with his three white boxers, Buchanan, Wilhelmina and Laila.0 -
To make his breath smell good[:D] 0 -
quote:Originally posted by cubslover
quote:Originally posted by royc38
The same reason liberals do.
[:D]Now that is funny![:D]
[8D][:D] Very Funny [8D][:D]0 -
Sprinkle a little of this on their food .
That how I got my dog to stop!
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Your dog is a member of your family just like most pets. Why would you skimp on furnishing your pet the best nutrition available? Our vet told us----feed your Miniature Schnauzer--->Eukanuba. He swears there's no better dog food. You can't buy it at Walmart, either. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by He Dog
T1jetmech and spurgemaster have it, I fear Frogbert is quoting junk science. Instincts are genetic, not developed and they are species specific. It is a normal behavior among wild canids, though usually not a constant behavior, usually in times of depauperate food resouces.
I have personal experience. It is incredible of you to say this. Go to the link I provided and read for yourself, its acredited, and BlackRoses post quotes a lot of the article I refer to. I was technically in error to say that instincts are developed, but, my meaning is that the behavior developed so, due to an instinct being stronger in one pup than another. I've had a lot of dogs over my lifetime, and only one of them exhibited this behavior. He had the best of nutrition available, the same as all my other dogs, and he was the only one who was auto-coprophagic, and we tried the meat tenderizer and "Forbid" and nothing worked. He had to be watched like a hawk or he would do it every day until he got run over by a kid speeding in a jeep in the neighborhood when the dog pushed some pickets loose and chase a stray out into the street. All the rest of my dogs, mostly GSDs, made a wide berth around any droppings, especially when they were fresh, and showed no interest in them at all. I clean up after Tip every three or four days. It's usually in the same area, and always undesturbed. As a matter of fact, when I accidentally throw the ball close to that area, he stops short and gingerly steps around to get it, or stops altogether and gives me a look like I'm a dumb_ss![:D]0 -
I've also heard that the meat tenderizer trick works. I used to house-sit for a friend who had a german shepherd. I would go to his house while was on vacation (after I had been working a 24-hour shift) and would open the screen door and let the dog romp around in the back yard and come into the house as he pleased. Then he began to wake me up with crap-smelling licks to the face. That routine ended quickly. The dog had his own couch but wasn't allowed on the good couch. I'd let the dog out and make him come back inside. He'd finally settle down when I laid down on his couch and let him curl up at my feet. 0 -
Another example of an "instinctual" behavior being more well-developed in some dogs than others is snarling at and biting any other being that approaches the food dish. This instinctive behavior is common amoung all the ancestors of domesticated dogs, coming from the establishment of hierarchy in the pack (pecking order) and exhibited unerringly to this day as observed by scientists and photographers as the wolf pack feeds at a carcass. This behavior is tested for and if exhibited in a stray in the hands of animal control or the humane society, will deem the animal unfit for adoption and condemn it to death.
"I sure AIN'T eatin' any DOO-DOO, Dad!!"0 -
COPROPHAGIA, the ingestion of feces, is listed by the Merck Veterinary Manual and other authorities as a "behavioral disorder" in the canine species. The only exception being that done by the dam cleaning up after the puppies, as protection against detection by predators. 0 -
We'll soon all be eating crap once the key resources of this planet are depleted. 0 -
I think your dog is trying to tell you he is a democrat. [:D][:D] 0
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