Why is my dog eating poop from her training pad? How to stop it?

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center! Stool eating, also known as coprophagy, is actually quite common in puppies and in many adult dogs too. In fact, if not addressed in a timely manner, there's a risk that this unwanted behavior may end up becoming a recurring habit. There are many theories and potential reasons why dogs decide to eat their feces. These include poor digestion, boredom, stress, attention seeking, and a lack of vitamins/minerals in the diet. The latter is highly unlikely if you're feeding your dog a high quality commercial food, since these generally provide all the nutrients your dog needs. The effective way to deal with this behavior depends on the exact cause. So, it's always recommended to consult with your veterinarian.

Some dogs will eat anything. I've even seen dogs eat glass. Unfortunately you can't train a dog out of this but you can protect them. Keep the house picked up and things kept out of Toy's reach. Kennel toy or keep him in a small room that is 'Toy-proofed" so he can't get into anything. Never leave Toy unattended as he could end up with an intestinal blockage that requires a surgical repair. lastly, one would think feces tasted bad enough BUT there is a supplement called Forbid that can make them taste worse. You feed it to the dog and then when he eats the feces he dislikes it. Some dogs don't respond to this. The other tough thing is most dogs will eventually taste the stool again and may resume the habit again. Forbid is not meant to be given a prolonged amount of time. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

She may be eating it out of boredom, in an attempt to correct a nutritional deficiency or due to cognitive dysfunction (senility/dementia). Have Lexieann examined by your veterinarian. Review her diet with your vet. Provide toys and tasks to keep her engaged and busy. Pick up stool right away and restrict access to areas where there is stool. A diagnosis of cognitive dysfunction may require comprehensive diagnostics and a consult with a veterinary behaviorist.

There is nothing "wrong" with Maria's dining habits--we humans find it gross, but dogs look upon their piles as gourmet meals! Maria is far from alone in this behavior. The best way to stop the habit is to clean up after her immediately, every time she goes. You can also try sprinkling nasty-tasting stuff on it, like hot sauce, vinegar, or pepper. There is a product called Forbid (ask your vet for it), which you add to her food to make the delicacy less appealing. But chances are that as soon as you stop the poop-altering or the Forbid, she'll go right back to her "treats."

This is a common problem in dogs, and it is gross but not abnormal. There are a few things you can do to stop this behavior, like feeding a supplement that sometimes makes the stool taste bitter (see a link below). The best prevention would be to keep the feces picked up so that Kala doesn't get the opportunity to eat them. https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/naturvet-coprophagia-stool-eating-deterrent-dog-chews Here is some more information on coprophagia: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=1613

For helping to eliminate purely behavioral causes of coprophagy, a three step method can be used: 1. Decreaseattractivequalityoffeces • Change in diet can oftentimes be beneficial, switching to a brand with a lower protein content to lower the amount of protein excreted into the feces (which the dog finds palatable). • Commercially available products added to food can decrease the palatability of the feces. Examples include: For-bid®; Deter®; and meat tenderizers. Consult with your veterinarian as to the proper dose to use. 2. Preventexpressionofbehavior • Being present and scooping up the feces immediately is a good way to prevent this behavior. • Keeping the dog on leash when taking him/her out to eliminate can help the owner physically prevent the dog from engaging in coprophagy. • Controlled feeding time allows the owner to predict time of defecation and be more vigilant when watching the dog. • Preventing access to other pet’s litterboxes or cleaning them frequently. • Spray collars, such as citronella can be used to deter the dog as well. • “Booby-trapping” feces, by adding hot sauce or “bitter apple” flavor INTO the feces, so the dog associates bad tastes with its feces. • Not rewarding the behavior by ignoring the dog when it consumes its feces, despite how difficult it may be for the owner. 3. Rewardpost-eliminationbehavior • Positive reinforcement immediately after good behavior (so owner must be present). Keep the dog on leash, and if the dog does not go for its feces, reward it with food and praise. Also, if the dog does try to reach for its feces, divert its attention to another simple task (such as asking to “sit” or “shake paw”) and reward it for performing the task. Health Concerns: As with all pets, regardless of whether or not the dog is coprophagic, owners should be careful about washing their hands at appropriate times, such as before eating, after handling feces, etc. Cleanliness is the first line of defense against potential disease transmission, which can include intestinal parasites. Coprophagy can be very distasteful to owners and can be a public health concern. If this occurs, consider seeing your local veterinarian to rule out any possible diseases as the cause and to develop a plan to help eliminate the behavior.

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Delilah is adorable! Unfortunately most of the time when a dog is eating it's own feces, it's just because they've developed the habit and decide that they like it. Obviously it's a pretty gross thing to do and can lead to reinfection with GI parasites so it's a behavior we want to try to stop. First you should do regular and immediate removal of feces in the yard so Delilah has less of a chance to get to the poop. You can also try feeding something like Forbid (a product you can purchase) or a small amount of pineapple juice mixed in with her food. This will sometimes stop a dog from eating their own feces. Very rarely this behavior can be a sign of a nutritional deficiency so if it continues have Delilah evaluated by your veterinarian. And bring a stool sample for evaluation as well to ensure she has not picked up a GI parasite. Hope this helps!