I'm used to poo eaters - Soli was one her whole life, Saffi does it a bit too.

Tia, though, is eating poo and soil every day and just now, even guarded the soil in my garden - which is full of the stuff! - when I tried to move her away from her hole.

So, I'm thinking about blood tests and will speak to the vet about her, but I would like to try and get an idea of why she might be doing it now.

She's 13 now and it's not something she used to do - I looked after her for a few years until my brother moved out, and she never once ate poo or soil, so it's recent. She was doing it when she moved in here so I'm guessing it's started not long before this time last year. So not a habit situation.

I assumed boredom to start with - I know she was getting F-all in the way of any attention or exercise before - but she's had plenty of both here and it hasn't stopped.

Food doesn't make any difference, I've also tried giving her a general vit/min supplement and she's still doing it.

Any ideas? I'm wondering if maybe it's just an age thing - poor digestion meaning some things aren't getting absorbed properly but what things?

Nikita,
Is it her own poo, other dog's poo, both or other animal's poo?

As I'm sure you know it can be an indicator of  medical conditions I think intestinal issues/pancreatic issues. So blood tests a good idea.

I've heard some suggest it is almost self-medicating in that it encourages growth of fauna/flora in intestine that dog might be missing (like us eating live yoghurt to aid digestion).

Did the increase in her getting attention/better lifestyle just happen to coincide with her trying out a poo- a bit far fetched and fanciful but just trying to cover all the bases.

It sounds like she started doing this just before she moved- anxiety related?

Perhaps trial and error learning - in her boredom she tried it one day and found she liked it? Needn't remind you of long history of dogs as poo eaters as a useful adjunct to latrines/lack of latrines.

Just a few suggestions anyhow, sorry not to be more useful.

Mostly it's my other dogs' poo.  I've not seen her eat her own - that's not conclusive though, I have a dog flap so she might have done.  But every time I've caught her it's been someone else's.  She doesn't eat other animals' poo or other dogs' poo out on walks (or any of my lots', but then out on walks she's giddy with distracting stuff lol).

Anxiety as a trigger is feasible - for 3/4 weeks before I collected her the house was hugely stressful after my brother walked out, not an amicable breakup at all and there were very upset kids involved too.  So there was them stressed, the ex stressed, and her beloved owner gone (homeless so he couldn't take her, best thing that ever happened to her).  And as I understand it the problems there had been going on for 6 or 7 months before that.  She's a sensitive, stress-prone dog at times so definitely a possibility.

I'll have to ask the ex if she remembers Tia doing it there - I might not talk to my brother any more but I do still talk to her lol!

Her age makes me think it is good to get the bloods out of the way and be sure not a pancreatic issue. Problem is pancreatic issues can go on for a while before detectable. I hope it is not his in her case.

The anxiety may have triggered the intial eating, you know, just some kind of oral gratification thing if nothing else was readily to hand- she found she liked it and has continued. Lots of dogs do get into coprophagia by just trying it once and then having found it rewarding try it some more. Ghastly I know but for dogs not so unusual.

Let us know what the vet says.