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I have a shih zu that is eating her own defacation.
Sent to Pet Experts January 25 05:12 PM

I have a shih zu that is eating her own defacation. Why and what do I do to stop this action?

Optional Information:
Age: 3; Female; Breed: Shih zu

Already Tried:
I have tired to interrupt the behavoir using Forbid and also I have changed her diet to Science Diet Perscription c/d. Forbid worked as long as she was on it. However, this is an expensive solution on going.

Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Status:  Closed   Value: $15
Answer
January 25 5:14 PM (2 minutes and 11 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

Believe it or not, they eat poop because they think it tastes good. There is a lot of flavor and the smell of the food (especially if it is high quality) comes out in the poop.

You will need to retrain him to eliminate the behavior. You should start by picking up the waste WHEN HE LEAVES IT. Keep a pack of doggie waste bags with you and dispose of them appropriately. This will take away the temptation.

There is also a product that you can sprinkle over his food called FORBID that will make the poop taste terrible. You can get it at your vet. Adolf's meat tenderizer that you can get at your grocery store will do the same thing.

This is a nasty little habit and it will take some work to get rid of it.

Let me know if you have more questions.

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Tammy F. -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5067 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue
Reply
January 25 5:23 PM (8 minutes and 56 seconds later)
         
I appreciate the Adolf's meat tenderizer as an alternative to Foprbid. I'll do a price comparrison. You mentioned retraining....how do I train a her not to eat the poop. ?? I'll pick it up for the time being but there has to be something else to the trainging portion of your answer.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Reply
January 25 5:25 PM (1 minute and 56 seconds later)
         
Relist: I still need help.
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
January 25 5:38 PM (12 minutes and 51 seconds later)
         
REPLIEDCheck Mark

Retraining usually means picking it up (so that he has no access) and walking him on a leash until he loses interest in the poop.

Poop is not nasty to dogs like it is to us. They smell food (and the poop contains a lot of the same smells) and they want to eat it. They don't consider it to be a problem or disgusting.

Many dogs lose interest in this completely as they age while others need to be deterred for a lifetime.

Let me know if you still have specific questions.

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Tammy F. -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5067 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue
Reply
January 25 5:43 PM (4 minutes and 59 seconds later)
         
Reply to Tammy Falkner's Post: So is it unhealthy to use Forbid for a long period of time? I actually have 2 shih tzu's so it complicates things....they are litter mates, one has the issue the other doesn't but seems to like to eat dirt. They vomit due to their habits I think???? Do you have other thoughts knowing that information?
Customer (name blocked for privacy)
Answer
January 25 5:47 PM (3 minutes and 53 seconds later)
         
ACCEPTEDCheck Mark

No. It's not unhealthy and can be used every day if you need it. It just adds a sour or foul taste to the poop so that they won't like it any more.

It's not uncommon for the dogs to vomit after eating poop.

Eating dirt can be a sign of anemia so I would go ahead and see the vet with this one at least for some basic bloodwork.

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Tammy F. -- Pet Care Expert -- 99% Positive Feedback on 5067 Pet Accepts
15+ years-Pet care, Veterinary shelter medicine and infectious disease, Behavior training, Rescue
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