she eats her poop!

[chris267]

every time my femal Shi Tzu goes to bathroom, she eats her poop. I have tried everything.  what can I do.  my husband is ready to get rid of her because it is gross.  I can't have my kids let her lick them if that's all over her mouth and face.  please help.

[Thomas Dock, CVJ, Vet. Technician]

Without a doubt, this is one of those behavior issues that grosses people out greatly!!

Your biggest issue is that you need to prevent her from having access to her stool or any other dogs' droppings.  So, what this means is that she needs to go out on a leash (6ft leash max, no retractable leads) so that you have control over her movements.  No running loose in the backyard!  Once she is done defecating, you can move her away from that area, continually calling to her and then praising her lavishly when she comes right to you.  A little treat reward wouldn't hurt either.

Then, I would also be very diligent about cleaning up her feces so that she doesn't find a forgotten pile somewhere and decide to have a snack.

This is something that can be "unlearned" but it is going to take some patience and persistence on your part.   You can also ask your veterinarian about a product called "For-Bid".   It supposedly imparts a nasty taste to the feces (as if they wouldn't taste bad enough anyway!!)

You are right to be concerned about your family as her "snacking" could lead to the passage of intestinal parasites, like roundworms and hookworms, to you or the kids.

Good luck to you!!

[BrendaMichele]

Hi there, I saw on the TV show its me or the dog, that a dog that did the same thing, and she recommended pineapple to the dog, and when she went #2 she didn't eat it. MAybe this might help.

[Jim Humphries, B.S., D.V.M.]

most things like that you hear don't work well.  but if it does not hurt the dog, it may be worth trying.  Training and no access to stool are the best ways to solve this problem.