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Dog eating his own poop.

Species: Dog
Breed: Rottweiler
Age: 6-12 months
My dog is eating his poo. He eats his poop whenever he gets the chance! Is there something he is lacking in his diet? Are there nutrients that I can give him to make him stop doing this because this is really really gross!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Anne, and thanks for your question.

This is certainly a very frustrating problem! The good news is that your dog is not doing this because of a dietary deficiency or anything like that - it is just a bad habit.

I have had good success using a product called "Forbid". It is not very expensive and you can buy it from your vet or from many pet stores. You sprinkle the powder on your dog's food and it tastes very good. However, when it goes through the digestive tract it makes the stool taste absolutely horrible. The package tells you to feed it for 3-5 days and it often will cure the problem. The problem with this though is that you need to let him taste the stool during this period.

Another thing that often works is to set up some booby traps by spiking some stool in the yard with either tabasco sauce or a spray of a product called "bitter apple".

Most dogs do grow out of this behavior, but usually if we use one of the above methods we can fix this quickly.

Dr. Marie.


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Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

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Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.