PLease please, can anyone offer any advice? My male GR is 3.5 years old and recently he's started eating his own p**, and then throwing up on my carpet. He used to do as a baby but he grew out of it. Since he's started doing it again, my husband or i go out in the garden with him to make sure he doesnt do it, but on occaisons when we cant/dont go out with him he's does it again, i know this because we can smell it on his breath, when we wipe his feet! I have heard somewhere (not 100% where?) that it could be that his food isnt digesting properly, and that he can smell it, thats why he's doing it?

Please help, i really am at my wits end?

Thank you

Gemma

Gemma,my Shady was the same ,now she sniffs and gives it a wee lick but leaves it(how disgusting),I didn't know how to stop her ,she is the only one of mine that does this,and even as a puppy she was never as clean at toileting as the others,so I will be watching for advice too.I had heard it could be a deficiency in something but when other dogs are fed the same I don't see how?????Sandra.

Hi Gemma and Sandra,
Poo eating is called Coprophagia so if you do a Google search (and a search on here too) you'll find lots of info. :) You could try giving a bit of crushed pineapple with their food as the enzymes in it cause the poo to taste nasty.

Kath.

Hi Gemma,
You can also use Brewers Yeast to deter coprophagia, although pineapple is probably better to start with.
Good luck
Ali :)

...or you could use both. :) I use brewers yeast as a general supplement and it helps keep fleas at bay too.

Kath

I am going to get some pineapple tomorrow,thanks guys:)

thanks for all your ideas, i'll try anything!!

Hi I have a 4 month old Boxer bitch who starting the same thing when I changed her food 2 weeks ago. I had changed her on to an holistic dry dog food from a well known brand of dried dog food which I had heard would b better 4 her.  I went to the vets and got some tablets called Deter and they really work. The vet told me as the new food was richer in meat that I was probably feeding her too much and her body wasnt using up all the goodness and so when she had a poo it attracted her to eat it again.

Eating poo isn't so amazing - the first thing a pup sees when it opens its eyes is it's mother cleaning up after it and many youngsters try it for a while until their owners discourage them.

Some dogs also eat their own to avoid getting told off - for example when they soil indoors and know it's wrong so they 'hide the evidence'.

Keep going out with your dog everytime he poos and clear it away so he can't.  I doubt it's anything to worry about - just do your best and the phase will hopefully wear off.

Could he also be eating cat dirt in your garden which is also a very common habit and it smells horrid on a dog's breath ?