eat poop

Question
i have a husky 21 month old husky, and for some reason he eats his own poop, as well as my other dogs, when we take him out to potty he will pee and will try to eat his own poop. is this normal> i have even caught him doing it in his kennel, that we keep him in during the day while we are at work, please help don't know what to do, is this a normal trait?

Answer
Coprophagia (stool eating) can be a hard habit to break since it is self-reinforcing, but do not be discouraged. Please stick

to these tips, and follow them religously.
There is a few diffrent reasons.
#1 Food:
a) Your dog may be hungry and has no access to real food.

b) You may be feeding a food lacking in sufficient nutrients and/or not appropriate for your particular dog.
When a dog is fed low-quality and/or inappropriate dog food, he feels compelled to eat more of it in an attempt to satisfy

his body's craving for nutrients. As a result, the dog is ingesting excess food, and a large proportion of the food goes

through his digestive system undigested. The resulting stools smell and look fairly close to the food that the dog previously

consumed, so the dog tries to consume the 'food' again. This is not just a vulgar habit; it is a cry for health. The dog needs

a better diet that will enable him to absorb the nutrients his body needs.
When dogs consume feces from other animals, they may be seeking minerals lacking in their regular dog food.
Internal parasites may lead a dog to consume feces, because the parasites can leach nutrients from the host animal's system.

Thus, the dog will feel unusually hungry.

Solution for this:
Get a higher qualtity food (lower quality foods might be balanced nutritinaly, but do you know some of the ingredeants

cannot be digested or poorly digested by a dog so they don't get the same nutrition that is quoted on the outside of the bag!

these ingrediants include Corn, Wheat, Soy, beet pulp and other filler ingrediants), add vitamins to your dogs diet. Also add

yogurt, it aids in digestion. (If your dog is very gassy they need this.) Also deworm your dog regularly. They can pick

them up anywhere.

#2 The dog may be consuming feces out of boredom, loneliness, anxiety or stress. A dog who is confined to a kennel,

chained, or restricted to a small yard or other space may eat his feces to occupy himself or clean his personal space.A yard

or kennel where stools are allowed to pile up may prompt a dog to 'clean up' his stools. Be sure to clean the dog's area

every day, and preferably right after the dog eliminates. The emotional stress of being left alone or restricted to a small area

for long periods of time without the companionship of the caregiver can result, for some dogs, in the eating of his own

feces.

Solution:
This dog needs to be exercised and played with several times a day. Get interactive toys like a Kong or everlasting treat

ball. A buster cube or rawhides (made in the USA please! Made elsewhere they use low quality ingrediants that might not be

safe for a dog to consume)  

#3 Sometimes a mother dog will eat the feces of her pups out of a natural instinct to hide evidence of her offspring from

predators.  It is common for many puppies to taste and try to eat feces because of this. Some researchers even suggest that

some components of feces actually can stimulate the brain and immune function in young animals. However, that possible

benefit is far outweighed by the health risks of ingesting excrement. Just like with a junkie or an alcoholic, the poop-eating is

an addiction.

In saying this I would also like to point out:
If a dog is punished for defecating in the house, she may eat her feces in order to hide the evidence and avoid punishment.

Typically, when a dog defecates indoors, it is because she feels unable to hold it. It is a myth that dogs poop indoors for

spite; spite is a human, not a canine, emotion. More responsive management and training by the owner is the solution, not

punishment. Also realize that elimination in the house can be a sign of a health or medical problem, from parasites to a

serious condition.

Solution:
Use the mentods I already mentioned. To make the stool "taste bad" they sell pills in pet stores to make the poop

undesireable, but it isn't a cure all you have to use above methoids with this in order for it to work.
FORBID
http://www.lcsupply.com/store/catalog/forbid.htm
DIS-TASTE
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?CatalogCustomerNum=&%3Bam...

%3Bamp%3Bcatalognum=&pCatId=583&prodId=1284&catId=1068395&siteid=12
DETER
http://www.cjshopping-network.com/Pet-Medications/Deter-Dog-Corprohagia-Treatmen...



Some alternatives to drugs that work for some:
Add two to four tablespoons of canned pumpkin to the food bowl each day. Pumpkin apparently tastes good in food, but

repugnant when expelled in excrement. Add a spoon (teaspoon or tablespoon depending on the dog's size) of canned

pineapple, pineapple juice or spinach to the dog's food.

Hope this helps! If you want me to exsplain things further feel free to ask!
-Michelle B