Poor diet?

Question
Hi Dr. Jennifer!  I have a 7 yr old sheltie who has always been in good health.  I switch his food on occasion due to working at Petsmart and seeing new, interesting stuff.  I always keep him on premieum food.  I notice lately that he is eating his own poop.  He has never done this before and I always hear people say its because he's missing something from his diet?  Is this true?  Is one brand of dog food better than another?  Is it better for them to eat all natural foods like Innova?  Thank you!  

Answer
Yes all-natural foods are better.  The best food has meat as first ingredient and is free of by-products, dyes and preservatives.  Try also to avoid corn and soy which are big allergy triggers.

Eating his stool can be due to an underlying medical problem or purely behavioral.   Target the diet first as recommended above, and if he still continues to do it, I would recommend have some blood testing done and a fecal sample to rule out any other potential problems.   You should also deny him access to the stools (clean up right away) and reprimand him with a firm NO when he goes to sniff the stool.

You can try adding meat tenderizer or digestive enzymes to his food to help him process his food better.