Puppy eating his own poo.

[Huntley1]

We’ve got a 5 month old puppy, we’ve had him 2 weeks.
He eats his own poo, unless we get there quickly enough to pick it up.
He is fully wormed, and is raw fed a complete diet.
I wondered initially if it was a vitamin deficiency, but I thought the complete would help.

 

[stormox]

It's very common. Possibly he is getting slightly too much to eat and isn't digesting it all completely. It's nature's way of not wasting protein.

 

[CorvusCorax]

My very well fed, fit, four year old female will still try and eat her own poop. Not anyone else's, just her own, I lift it the minute it is down, she is never out unaccompanied, she will still remember/sniff out the morning spot later in the evening and come back and try to have another go. For your pup, it may be a deficiency issue, it may just be that he is a stinker and finds it delicious. My female's father is fastidious and skips over all poop as if it were a landmine. Not related to your issue, but it has been suggested that my female's issue is due to her hormones as it would not be unusual for a bitch with a litter to eat her own/her pup's poop.

 

[Jenko109]

Mine did it when young.

I expect he will grow out of it.

 

[Sandstone1]

Sadly, it is common. You can try pineapple or courgette in food or you can buy tablets like stool repel. Mostly doesnt work though! Best thing is pick up asap. Sometimes they grow out of it but often do not.

 

[Huntley1]

It’s so gross .
I don’t think he’s getting too much food. He’s quite ribby, and I’m giving him the recommended amount.
I really hope he grows out if it.
Thank you

 

[Clodagh]

It is an absolute line in the sand of disgustingness for me and I’ve always been appalled when people say their dogs do. Mine never have.
Then I got Red. She is far less obsessive about it than she used to be but it grosses me out enormously. Leave it is a good command to start teaching. When he’s old enough. I’d try the pineapple if I were you, Red only eats my other dogs, not her own.

 

[Huntley1]

Me too, it’s vile. I’m already teaching him leave it, but it’s just catching him, the weather is nice so the door is open into the garden, and I’ve missed it a couple of times

 

[skinnydipper]

It’s so gross .
I don’t think he’s getting too much food. He’s quite ribby, and I’m giving him the recommended amount.
I really hope he grows out if it.
Thank you

Could you try giving him a bit more than the recommended amount of food and see if that helps.

It could be habit carried over from his previous environment, if he has seen his mum cleaning up after her pups.

I did have one that had been in rescue kennels for her first year who came with that habit. I've always been on the ball picking up shit in the garden but I was like Linford Christie off the starting blocks until she grew out of it. I did try a food additive that was supposed to deter her from doing it, it was useless.

 

[Clodagh]

Linford Christie .
Actually fair point I hadn’t seen you were following guidelines for quantity. If he’s thin he needs more and maybe he’s hungry.

 

[Huntley1]

He does seem to be producing an inordinately large amount of shit though lol. I’ll increase it a bit and see if it helps
Thanks

 

[skinnydipper]

Linford Christie .

Am I behind the times?

 

[Clodagh]

Am I behind the times?

Well maybe but so am I. Just the thought of the poo race.

 

[blackcob]

I am reminded of the silliest childhood memory, staying with nan in the school holidays. We were invited to lunch by an old friend of hers, and I was to understand that this friend was vair well to do and to be on best behaviour. Friend turned out to have a lovely country home complete with ponies and dogs which was a huge thrill for the then London-flat-dwelling young me. Part way through lunch our host passed the kitchen window, let out an unholy bellow and went hurtling out into the garden. Standing to look out of the window at what on earth was going on, we were treated to the sight of one labrador squatting for a poo and a second poised at the rear, mouth agape, chobbling it down directly from source.

 

[Sandstone1]

I am reminded of the silliest childhood memory, staying with nan in the school holidays. We were invited to lunch by an old friend of hers, and I was to understand that this friend was vair well to do and to be on best behaviour. Friend turned out to have a lovely country home complete with ponies and dogs which was a huge thrill for the then London-flat-dwelling young me. Part way through lunch our host passed the kitchen window, let out an unholy bellow and went hurtling out into the garden. Standing to look out of the window at what on earth was going on, we were treated to the sight of one labrador squatting for a poo and a second poised at the rear, mouth agape, chobbling it down directly from source.

I have seen that sort of thing, also seen a dog mid poo whip round to eat first part of poo while still pooing. its not nice and can cause some nasty stomach upsets too. vomit of recycled poo is really nasty and they sometimes eat that too! A muzzle or being really quick picking up is possibly the only way.

 

[Fastasflames]

if he is on a complete raw diet he shouldn't be producing that much - id change whatever he is on.

It's very common unfortunately, especially in dogs who have be rehomed and have been subject to change

 

[Landcruiser]

Our 6 yr old JRT cross does it too, always has. She also was obsessed with the poo of our Lurcher (RIP) but has always ignored the poo of our poodle cross. Go figure. She'll "leave it" if you catch her, but unfortunately since the loss of our lurcher she has frequently pooed by the back door in the night and gobbled most of it up by morning. But rarely all of it....it's utterly vile.

 

[splashgirl45]

My very well fed, fit, four year old female will still try and eat her own poop. Not anyone else's, just her own, I lift it the minute it is down, she is never out unaccompanied, she will still remember/sniff out the morning spot later in the evening and come back and try to have another go. For your pup, it may be a deficiency issue, it may just be that he is a stinker and finds it delicious. My female's father is fastidious and skips over all poop as if it were a landmine. Not related to your issue, but it has been suggested that my female's issue is due to her hormones as it would not be unusual for a bitch with a litter to eat her own/her pup's poop.

I wonder if it’s a female thing, my 4 yr old terrier bitch does it if I’m not quick to pick it up. It’s gross!!!! The dog terrier doesn’t but the lurcher does copy her and would go for it if he got there before me… I go out in the garden with mine so poos aren’t left around for more than a minute

 

[Clodagh]

I wonder if it’s a female thing, my 4 yr old terrier bitch does it if I’m not quick to pick it up. It’s gross!!!! The dog terrier doesn’t but the lurcher does copy her and would go for it if he got there before me… I go out in the garden with mine so poos aren’t left around for more than a minute

I’m pretty sure Red does it after her puppy farm upbringing. When I got her, just after her 4th litter, the pups were 8 weeks and still on her.