Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Clearly eating poop is not the definition of eating healthy. I just caught Crystal eating her own poop! In the past 3 months, I have caught her doing this 3 times, this being the third, but she's never done this before as a puppy or at any other point during her life. What is going on? How do I get her to stop?
I'm sure there's multiple possible reasons and asking a vet would probably be the most informative. Still, I'll share my experience with Gerry. I think it was last winter, he had gained some weight because circumstances were such that we couldn't go out for exercise and much and so I gave him a little less food and/or treats. Then he started eating other dogs' poop on walks I figure, just because he needed to lose some weight didn't mean his stomach knew it! So, I did my best to find ways we could get more exercise so I could increase his food again and still help him lose the extra couple pounds he had. And he did stop trying to gobble down other dog's poop almost immediately. So, that's my unscientific input.
Incidentally, this winter he's gobbling down snow like there's no tomorrow, so maybe I need to once again make a bigger effort at exercise and give him a few more treats along the way...
Gerry has been a tripawd since 12/16/2009.
He was a shelter dog with a mysterious past and an irrepairable knee injury.
Videos and pics of Gerry's pawesomeness can be found at: http://gerry.tripawds.com
I know it's gross. There's actually a term for it -- coprophagia. My American Eskimo Matti eats hers all the time. She doesn't like fresh poo, it has to "season" a little while before she'll eat it. I've tried the pills to get her to stop but nothing works. I try to pick up after her as soon as she does her business.
Some people say they do it because they are missing something in their diet. Like Gerry, I have her on a diet since she is kind of a tub and think sometimes she's just "supplementing".
Maybe you should ask your vet next time you visit.
Marla and Daisy
My Two Tripawds...Biscuit 
and Spirit Daisy 
I've done some research on this as Miss Emmi eats her poop - but only if she has an accident in the house.
Here are some possible causes
* they aren't digesting their food well and the food not breaking down is attractive to them. This can be the food itself or an underlying health issue, talk with your vet
* something missing from the diet again a conversation with the vet
I didn't get serious about finding the cause with Emmi when I realized hers was limited to a specific event. As long as I watch her and get her outside, no problem.
Shanna & Spirit Trouble ~ Trouble gained her wings 3/16/2011, a 27 1/2 month cancer survivor, tail wagging. RIP sweetheart, you are my heart and soul. Run free at Rainbow Bridge.
The November Five - Spirits Max, Cherry, Tika, Trouble & Nova. 11/2008 - 3/2013 An era ends as Queen Nova crossed the Bridge.
Thanks for the info everyone. Crystal's not a diet and she has food around if she wants to eat it so I don't think that's the cause. I will ask the vet about this when I take her for her CBC though. I guess I should be grateful that she isn't doing this every time she goes...
Someone correct me if I'm wrong...
but if the vet suggests buying the pills - Don't. I was told MSG is the same thing and to spinkle it on the food instead of pills.
Rugby, our shep mix ate Comet's poo. It was an on-going battle to keep the yard clean but without fail he'd find a piece somewhere!
I once got so frustrated, I sprayed his mouth with Cloraseptic! I don't know if it was bad for him but I wanted something to kill the germs!
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
Hi Corndog here,
My sister Lizzy does this all the time and it drives our mom crazy. Savanna our greyt aunt also does this when she doesn't like what mom has made for dinner. Our vet told our mom that it's normal behavior but I really think Lizzy has behavioral issues. Lizzy loves poopsicles the best (winter ones) but I've noticed her doing this all year round.
Mom read in the "K9 Kitchen" book to sprinkle " Accent" on Liz's food for a few days and it works. But then mom stops, or doesn't want to keep giving her the accent too much and she usually goes right back at it.
So mom' s best solution to this problem is to pick it up right away. Lizzy hates this and to get back at mom she bugs her for more cookies all day long.
Don't try the Accent (its' that meat tenderizer that people use) if you have seizues or epilepsy as it's not good.
That's funny, CometDog's mom ... but I know how you must have felt. One of our dog's had that tendency — and he loved to kiss. YUK!
Smilin' Sammy, March 16, 2004 – Dec. 5, 2011
Golden retriever, diagnosed with osteosarcoma in September 2010 — right front leg amputated November 2010. He fought valiantly to stay with us; but a second diagnosis of osteosarcoma, this time in his left front leg, was more than our golden warrior could overcome. He loved his pack — and everyone else he met.
We loved him even more.
Thanks for the pennies, Sammy. They helped.
Both of my dogs have eaten poop their whole life. The only thing that I can do to help the problem is pick up the poop everyday and I follow them around the yard until they go and pick it up immediately. I really hate this problem. It's so gross!
Scout, too, loved to eat poop. He did it his entire life. You can control your own backyard with daily poop checks, but walking is another ballgame. I used to silently (and not so silently) curse my neighbors for not picking up after their dogs-- Scout always managed to find a chunk of poop on our walks. We couldn't take him to the dogpark because all he wanted to do was eat poop 
I've heard that there is something simple (can't remember exactly what, will have to look it up) you can feed your dogs to make their poop unappetizing - LOL!
Catherine
Scout: January 31, 2002 to November 7, 2011
Scout's diagnosis was "poorly differentiated sarcoma"; amputation 1/11/2011. Scout enjoyed 9 fantastic years on 4 legs and 9 glorious months on 3 legs. If love alone could have saved you…
Haha. This is terrible but after reading all of your stories, I don't feel as bad. Actually I kind of feel thankful that Crystal has only recently begun doing this.
Yes, it bothers me also when people dont pick up their dog's poop. Even if my dog's didnt eat it I would still pick it up very frequently. It seems gross to just leave it sitting all around your yard. Also your dog's step in it sometimes and track it in the house and you could step in it too. It's just not very sanitary to not pick it up. When my children were young I got into the daily habit of picking it up so the kids didn't come in contact with it and I have picked it up daily every since. I feel like the yard is my outside carpet and I have to keep that clean too. I know some people with dogs that never ever pick it up and say that it's good fertilizer for the grass. But that just grosses me out. And to not pick it up when your dog goes somewhere off of your property is just rude. I have always been really embarrased that my dogs eat poop but the more I talk to other dog people I am finding that it seems to be more common than I thought.
I don't think our dogs have eaten thier own poop - well I haven't caught them doing it 
but they just have to eat everyone elses, we have a couple of cows, 3 cats and heaps of chooks and it seems to be a buffet for the dogs, the chooks are in a huge pen so that one is usually easy and the cats go in the garden then bury it, but cows ummmm hard to control that one, i'm forever telling them off for having a feast when were out doing stuff- Yuck!! 
jezz what a lovely conversation this is
I knew I read that somewhere too Catherine just found it Pineapple or Garlic is suppose to make poop taste yuck, not sure if it works.
Okay, I had to look up "chook" and you either have a huge pen of chickens or a huge pen of women. Given the cows, I'm goin' with the chickens.
http://tate.tripawds.com/
August 16, 2006 to November 28, 2011
TATE ~ Forever in our hearts.
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