ARGH! Poo problems galore!

[Sanvean]

We've been having quite a time with Macy lately.

As I've mentioned, she is not entirely reliable in the house (though she is getting better). As such, she is kept in an x-pen when we're at work. Jay came home the other day to find that she had pooed ALL over her pen. I figured she was sick, as the only other time she'd pooed while confined was when she'd gotten into some wet cat food and snarfed a bunch of it.

Then she didn't poo for almost three days. We were very worried about her, but we called the vet, and he said that as long as she was acting normally (she was), not to worry. Sure enough, she eventually pooed, and was fine.

THEN, last night, Jay took her out to go potty and said she turned right around at ATE her poo as soon as she made it! I was absolutely horrified! I'd seen her eat kitty poo before (she's always trying to find a way to get to the litterbox), but never her OWN! We were pretty disgusted. The only reason I could think of for her behavior was that Jay had given her tons of Greenies the day before, and maybe her poo still smelled like them.

I took her out this morning, but she didn't have to go, so I couldn't see what she did. Now I'm worried that maybe she was pooing in her pen and eating it during those days we thought she wasn't going at all. Please help us...I don't want a poo-eating puppy dog!

[DogPaddle]

Add some natural yogurt to her diet - may relieve the poo-eating. There are other products and methods for this as well. Switch from xpen to crate with crate being only big enough to comfortaly lie down/turn around/sit/stand in. If there is no where for her to go in the crate (without being in it herself) she probably won't. With this method you may need someone to come by and let her out for a half hour or so during the day depending on how long she would be confined. Crate training takes time and doesn't work for every dog but it is well worth it for most dogs. Note - You will probably need to start acclimating your pup to the crate before you leave her in it while your away.

[Sanvean]

Good suggestion about the yogurt! I will try that.

She's in the x-pen during the day because she's crated at night. We hated the thought of leaving her in the crate all day and all night, too. I certainly agree, though...if she has another accident in her pen, she'll be back in the crate until we think she's more reliable.

[julie45]

I had a dog that did what your's is doing so i took her to the vets. he took a look at the dog and could'nt find anything wrong with her.so he surggested that she could be lacking in viitamins, and so i changed her diet and made sure it had all the vitamins in she would need,plus the vet gave me some tablets for her with added vitamins in.With in a week she had stopped eating her own poo. when we went back t see the vet for a check up he said she could possibly be a dog that bruns them upto quickly and may need extra vitamins for the rest of her life.This didnt matter to me as long as she ate her food and not her poo :wink: Anyway i just thought i would share this with you so you might wont to give it a go.Good luck hope this has been helpful. :)