My Shih Tzu puppies eat each other's poop. How do I stop it?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Daisy. You have a couple of options to try to control this behavior in your puppies. Hopefully they will outgrow it, but not all will. You can try placing Forbid powder on both of their food. Another option is meat tenderizer on their food. Finally, scooping the poop in the yard as frequently as possible to try to limit their access to it. I hope this information helps!

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 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

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is actually not that uncommon. It is unclear why it happens. However, it usually does not need any type of therapy or change of routine. I would recommend you discourage this behavior as much as possible. This will eventually most likely stop. Good luck!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Charlie Boy. This is a common habit in puppies. Many dogs will outgrow the behavior as they age. In the meantime, scoop the yard as frequently as possible. You can also try applying Forbid powder to his food. This can help to break the habit. Eating his feces can place him at a higher risk for reinfection himself with parasites. I hope this information helps!

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.

There are certainly a large number of reasons that a dog will eat their own stool. I am attaching a handout below that discusses these reasons in detail. https://veterinarypartner.vin.com/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=8587687 Since Chev is still a puppy, I would start with having your veterinarian examine a stool sample to make sure there aren't any intestinal parasites that are playing a role. You can then discuss trying the food additive deterrents that can be very helpful in stopping this behavior. And as you mentioned, this behavior could certainly be out of boredom, so I would recommend working on additional training to keep Chev busy and tired. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas to get this taken care of. Thanks for using PetCoach.