Puppy eats crap and grass.

I have a 6 month old chihuahua that recently started eating things like grass, rabbit turds and I have caught her with crap from another unknown creature ( possibly her own) in her mouth. What can I do to stop this behavior? Obviously it is not good for her to do this but how bad is it?

Answer #1

Ok well we have answers on why dogs eat poop, here are suggestions on how to stop them. A poor quality diet may be at fault so make sure you feed high quality dry kibble as a base, with canned meat supplement of not more than 25%.

You can mix some meat tenderizer (such as Adoph’s) too expensive, I just buy the cheap brand) I mix it in with my kibble and some can dog food and the meat tenderizer. What this does is aid in digestion.

There is also a product called Forbid made from Alfalfa. This product give the poop a disagreeable odor and taste.

The other thing to do is make sure you pick up all poop right away. I do this whenever the dogs go out.

Answer #2

it called Coprophagia. My female chihuahua does this, I use a product called For Bid. we sell it at the hospital I work at

Why Dogs Eat Poop: 20 Reasons

  1. Your dog might be hungry. If your dog doesn’t have access to food, he might eat poop.

  2. Some dogs will eat poop to clean up an area like a housekeeper. This is most likely if your dog is confined to a crate or kennel, or when he’s chained up or otherwise restricted. He’s taking care of his space.

  3. If your dog likes to carry poop, and then eat it, it could be genetics. Some dogs have instincts to carry stuff in their mouths.

  4. Your dog might be eating poop because of parasites or worms. They can suck nutrients out of your dog, driving him to eat poop. It might also leave him extra hungry because of the lack of proper fuel.

  5. Your dog might be eating cat poop or other animal poop to get key nutrients and minerals not available in his own food.

  6. Some dogs will simply eat poop to pass the time. Dogs will eat poop because they are bored or lonely. It can be a sign of neglect.

  7. Your dog might eat poop because he’s anxious, nervous or otherwise upset. Stress will drive animals to do odd things.

  8. Some dogs will eat poop to hide the evidence. If you punish your dog for pooping, he might eat it to stop you from getting angry.

  9. If your dog has puppies, she might eat puppy poop. This is an instinct to hide the poop from predators. Poop is evidence. Getting ride of it keeps her puppies safe.

  10. Some young dogs and puppies will eat poop as a novelty. That is, they’ll eat poop as an experiment. They don’t know better.

  11. If your dog watches you pick up poop, he might learn to do the same. This is called allelomimetic behavior. Your dog observes you and learns from you, by putting the poop in his mouth you put poop in a bag.

  12. Your dog might see others dogs eating poop. From this, they learn to eat poop too.

  13. Many dogs simply like the taste of poop. This obviously doesn’t make sense to dog owners but that’s irrelevant. Some dog like to eat it and that’s that. It’s warm, moist, and very much like what your dog was given as a very young puppy.

  14. If your dog food lacks key nutrients, he might eat poop. Your dog is trying to get “food” with nutrients any way possible, even from his own poop.

  15. Sometimes dog poop seems like dog food. This can happen when dog food is low quality and includes materials that are easily passed and not absorbed by your dog. When the dog poops, it seems to be very much like the food he just consumed!

  16. In some cases, dogs will eat poop if they are given too much food. This is especially true if your dog’s diet is high in fat.

  17. Some dogs will eat poop to gain attention. Many dog owners get very upset when their dog eats poop, which means the dog gets attention. This is a wonderful opportunity for your dog to interact with you, although it is because of negative attention.

  18. It is possible that some dogs will eat the poop of other, more dominant dogs. Your dog might be more submissive than other dogs, resulting in strange poop eating behavior. This seems to occur more in households with multiple dogs where dominance and submission is a factor. Obviously this doesn’t explain much about dogs eating cat poop or other animal poop.

  19. It is possible that your dog wants to eat more than one time per day. If you only feed your dog once per day, and your dog eats poop, it could be an indication they want to eat more frequently.

  20. In some cases, your dog will eat poop by accident. Dogs are curious and will try to eat almost anything, including poop. Dogs explore the world through taste and smell, much more than humans.

http://www.pet-comfort-products.com/why-dogs-eat-poop.html

Answer #3

Some times dogs eat poop because there’s undigested food in it and they can smell it , so feed it some pinapples I think it is and it will make there poop smell nasty .. I d k what to tell you about all the aother things

Answer #4

The chewing grass thing is normal so dont fret about that. Eating feaces is a problem because your pup could catch nasty things from it. Have some latex gloves in your pocket and keep him on the lead when you are out. If he starts eating something nasty take it from him(gloves) and say ‘nooo’ and pinch him between the shoulders like his mother would have done to tell him off. If he goes to eat some, grab him and do the same. It will take a while but if you’re persistent, he will learn. In the meantime, make sure he’s got all his jabs and keep him frontlined and wormed as he is high risk from parasites and germs until he stops. good luck:)

Answer #5

My cat eats grass 24/7 and he’s very healthy. Lol You should talk to the vet about it =]

Answer #6

well they say animals eat gras when they are sick and that will heal them

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