Someone suggested that I give my lab vitamin supplements to curb his habit of eating feces. Does anyone know if this is a good or bad idea? Or if there are any products that I should stay away from?

Forget it, it won't work! It's an old wives tail :(

Regards, John

Really? I've heard such good things, especially about how it can lessen a dog's desire to "eat everything in sight" because they're getting nutrients that food doesn't offer.

John, do you know if pineapple works? I've heard this one a few times now, just wondered if it was a myth as well :)

I've heard that pineapple can work very well when the problem is a dog eating its own feces. Unfortunately, my dog only goes for other animals', so unless I can convince every owner everywhere to feed their dogs pineapple, I'm out of luck on that one!!!

:D How about dropping random pieces of pineapple around the neighbourhood? :D

Hi A/wolf, yes it does work, well it worked on my lot! Takes a while to kick in & it did stop them,also found pure p/juice did the same trick :) Down side tho, after a few mths it stopped working (but I`d stopped giving it every day), but by that time I had changed them to a rmb diet which stopped it completely. Interestingly, the past few wks I have been giving them cooked grains/pulses & they have started doing it again!!!
Christine, Spain.

Was this from eating other dogs or eating their own?

Hi C/dogs, I have nine & they were all eating each others & their own, whoever got to it first. Never any other dogs.
Christine, Spain.

Thing is, dogs eat because they like to eat and because what they like to eat tastes good (To them anyway!). They don't read diet sheets and they don’t know from taste what minerals or proteins are missing from their diet any more than we do when we eat our dinner. How could they? We are always putting the idea forward that somehow dogs know more about their dietary needs than we do ours but that is just not true!

Pineapple works by changing the taste into something they don’t like, simple as that.

I train, amongst other places, in a deer park and believe me, deer droppings are some of the loveliest tasting muck you could find, (Not that I've tried it you understand!!!) All puppies in my class will eat as much as they can eat! As a puppy, "The Flower" was as bad as any dog until one day she ate so much it made her sick! I'm glad to say she never fancied it after that!

Regards, John

I certainly don't think that dogs could sit a GCSE in diet, John ;):) but I do think their bodies can 'know' when something is lacking in their diet creating a craving to seek it elsewhere. Nellie my 13 yr old Dandie had recently started dabbling in the dispicable practice, I changed her from Beta Adult to Beta Senior which contains higher levels of vitamins (although my motive was in fact to reduce the amount of protein) I have not seen her show any interest in eating poos since.

Does your body know Isabel? Mine dosen't and I dont believe there is any strange power a dog has that we don't. A far more likely reason is that the beta is probably more completely processed by the body and so does not taste (or smell) so good. Or of course, It could be something in it which acts like pineapple and turns you dog off it.

Regards, John

No it wasn't hers she ate but my other dogs who is still on the Beta Adult as before. I bet you always eat a sensible diet John :) unfortunately I don't I often go through busy spells when I eat any old rubbish easily grabbed and then I certainly do get craving for more wholesome stuff like fruit and veg so I do think my body may know stuff my wee brain doesn't :D

I always eat a good balanced diet, Malt with everything ;) Dont think we are going to agree on this one Isabel! But I can live with that. All I will say is that I don'y think I have ever had a puppy who has not done it at some time or other whatever I've fed (And over the years i've changed foods quite a few times.)

Best wishes, John

Unfortunately, there have been several times where my dog has eaten enough feces to make himself throw up (what a wonderful mess that is, as if vomit wasn't gross enough). It doesn't seem to faze him, and he certainly hasn't made a connection between eating poop and getting sick.

I recently posted a thread about my pup eating cat poo!! :(
He pinches it from the litter tray - gross although he doesnt eat his own .
WHY do they do this ?
lel