How to stop my dog from eating his poop and help him gain weight?

Hi, thanks for using Petcoach. Unfortunately eating stool is a behavior problem without a simple answer. Cleaning up immediately after the dogs defecate and/or leash walking Dove may be the only viable way to prevent this. In some cases training along with deterrents such as Forbid may help, but preventing access to stool is the true solution. This article has a bit more information. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/dog-behavior-problems-coprophagia

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.

This isn’t considered a normal activity, but it is commonly seen. It does not affect your pets overall health; although some pets will get an upset stomach from it. I would recommend adding in 1-2 tsp of meat tenderizer or a pet product called Forbid which will help make the poop taste bad and help stop this unwanted behavior. I am sorry your question was not answered fully the last time and I hope this answer was helpful. Best wishes and take care.

This is such a common question for a gross, but unfortunately common, issue. Unfortunately, there isn't a great way to get them to stop. Adding excessive MSG (food seasoning) can make some dogs stop because their stool no longer tastes good (such as "For-Bid"). However, we don't know if there are negative effects for our dogs eating a lot of MSG. Trying to walk him for his bowl movement so you can pick up the stool right away is another way to manage it - you may need to have a treat ready to give him right away after he defects so that you have a moment to get to the stool. Good luck and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! As you pointed out, they may be eating poop due to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals. Please remember that sometimes this is behavioral in nature. You can consider adding a multi-vitamin to their daily regimen. You may find these online or at your local pet store. If adding this, you would not have the need to feed them more which would likely result in weight gain. Good luck!

It may be related to her food. I would recommend a good quality puppy food until Bella is one year old. I have fed my 13 year old Cocker Spaniel Purina ProPlan for her entire life (puppy, adult, and now senior formulation). You may also discuss checking for intestinal parasites that can prevent weight gain or other nutritional supplements with your vet. Here is an article you may find helpful: https://www.petcoach.co/article/stool-eating-coprophagy/

There are 2 ways to try tackling a coprophagia habit. 1 is to get him on a medication called Forbid. The other is to try adding 1-2 tsp of meat tenderizer in his food daily. The idea for both is to try to get his poop to taste bad so that he won't want to continue eating it, since it seems some dogs just really like the taste. I would do either option for at least 14 consecutive days. I hope that this helps you curb Rocky's habit of poop eating. Best wishes and take care.