Disgusting! Advice needed please

So today I am off work as I have some bug thing. At 6.30am my OH came down to find Doug had poohed in the kitchen - first time ever. He noticed there were what looked like "lick" marks in it but didn't think anything of it and off to work he went.

Well I came about about 8.50am to find 3 large piles of  on both his beds and on the back door mat - just what I needed with my stomach bug!!   Anyway 1 pile smelt like his toilet department! Doug must have though "umm yummy breakfast early today" and scoffed it!  

He now looks very sorry for himself especially watching me spend 40mins cleaning it up at 9am on a Friday!

Advice on "why" he thought it looked yummy and what, if anything, to I feed him for the rest of the day?

Totally agree, it's  

Unfortunately it seems an ingrained instinct for dogs to eat their own sick! I honestly don't know why.

I wouldn't worry too much - he probably has a bit of a tummy bug like you. Maybe cut out any treats etc today & just give him his normal meals. If you have an Kaogel it wouldn't do any harm to give him a dose or two.

What's Kaogel and where can I get it? I wouldn't mind him eating sick so much but he ate his pooh! Disgusting doggy!

He normally gets a kong at lunch but I'll leave that today then. Thanks Caryll  

Oh dear poor you  

Some dogs will eat their poo to hide it if they have been told off for doing it inside the home before. It could be due to the heat and he is feeling a bit warm.

Have any of his timings for meals been disrupted or is Doug out of sinc for anything? Does he appear to be OK in himself otherwise ?

There are quite a few different theories about this. There aren't really any that are set in stone, so a lot of it is up to personal opinion.

One of these theories is that the faeces contains undigested minerals, which they then consume because they need them. It's called Coprophagia and usually applies to younger dogs, as they're still growing and need a lot of nutrition. Making sure that they have a balanced diet and any necessary supplements might help.

Some dogs, as vile as it sounds, just like to eat it. I don't know if it's because of the taste or the texture, but it happens. The best thing to do in this case is to make sure you take your dog out to relieve himself first thing in the morning and last thing at night, as well as in between meals to make sure he's able to poop outside. If he still does his business inside, make sure it's cleaned up as soon as possible and the area is disinfected. You can also put some pumpkin powder of garlic in his food, which makes the faeces unappetising, so he will be less likely to eat it.

There's another theory regarding the instinctual side of animal behaviour, though it's disputed, as dogs don't retain as much of the wild instinct of their ancestors as some believe. Wild dogs and wolves would often eat their own faecal matter to gain nutrients in hard times, as well as hiding their scent from rival packs and dangerous animals. This usually happened when the animal was ill, as other animals would be able to tell from the pheremones that it was weak. If you go with this theory, you might want to take him to the vets to make sure he has a clean bill of health.

It has also been suggested that dogs eat their own faeces due to boredom or stress. Is he left alone for long periods of time?

It isn't especially harmful for your dog to eat his own faeces, but you should still try to nip it in the bud, as eating the faeces of other dogs can be harmful.

Can I ask what you feed your dog, by the way?

KarlyandDoug wrote:What's Kaogel and where can I get it? I wouldn't mind him eating sick so much but he ate his pooh! Disgusting doggy!

He normally gets a kong at lunch but I'll leave that today then. Thanks Caryll  

Kaogel is a sort of animal Kaolin & Morphine tummy medicine. It has Kaolin in it to soothe & soak up any toxins & it eases any tummy pains. I got mine from Amazon, I think.

Ah he did look "sheepish" when OH came down this morning and he hid & curled himself in the doorway when I came down so you might be on to something! We've had him since Easter and he's not toileted inside before today but I don't know where he lived before us besides being a stray. Neither of us told him off infact OH gave him cooked bacon before he left!

He's abit lethargic but I've been putting that down to the heat. Scotland is abnormally hot recently. He won't go on walks no matter how late I wait to go. He's been eating later but again he won't eat when it's warmer and he's been sleeping more than "normal".

Could this all be hot weather related or something more serious?

Could be that the hot weather is making him feel a bit off. It happens to a lot of dogs. I'd just keep an eye on him and see how he goes.

I'd stay away from bacon though, if I were you. It's very fatty and too rich for a dog.

It could well be the heat.

However, if he's sick again, or if he poos inside again, I'd be tempted to pop along to the vet to rule out any underlying health blip.

I take it he's drinking ok?

I'd also advise no bacon - fatty, rich & full of salt!

He never usually gets bacon but I think OH was trying to make it "ok" and not make Doug think he was in trouble for poohing inside. Doug gets very stressed when he "thinks" he has done something he shouldn't have.

Eleanor - thank you for your advice very helpful! Doug has never eaten pooh before nor poohed in the house. I put it down to him not wanting to go for a walk last night. He was in the garden all evening though.

I work 9-5 weekdays but I come home for lunch every day for 45mins . The rest of the time he is left but is quite happy with this. He's left a stagbar and gets a filled Kong for his lunch. We feed Doug a dried kibble called Pero with Natures menu mixed in.

He's moping around now and looks like he's not sure where to lay but both of his beds are in the wash so that could be why  Lucklu I'm at home today so I'll keep a beady eye on him and if he's sick off to the vets we go - thanks everyone I'll keep you posted  

KarlyandDoug wrote:He never usually gets bacon but I think OH was trying to make it "ok" and not make Doug think he was in trouble for poohing inside. Doug gets very stressed when he "thinks" he has done something he shouldn't have.

Eleanor - thank you for your advice very helpful! Doug has never eaten pooh before nor poohed in the house. I put it down to him not wanting to go for a walk last night. He was in the garden all evening though.

I work 9-5 weekdays but I come home for lunch every day for 45mins . The rest of the time he is left but is quite happy with this. He's left a stagbar and gets a filled Kong for his lunch. We feed Doug a dried kibble called Pero with Natures menu mixed in.

He's moping around now and looks like he's not sure where to lay but both of his beds are in the wash so that could be why  Lucklu I'm at home today so I'll keep a beady eye on him and if he's sick off to the vets we go - thanks everyone I'll keep you posted  

The odd treat won't hurt. Might want to limit them until he's feeling better though

Some dogs don't really like going to the toilet in the garden - is Doug like that? That could be why he pooped in the house.

Pero's a decent food, from what I can see. The main ingredient is meat, which is a good sign. There is maize in it, but a lot of dog foods will have some sort of grain in there as a filler. As it's a one off thing, it probably isn't actually related to diet, so I wouldn't worry about that. I think it's more likely to be the heat.

Hope he feels better soon!

I had this problem with Zeus when he was young and it seemed like it'd never go away. Instantly, whenever he poo'd, he'd turn around and try to scoff it. It became so irritating because anything we tried never worked (stool repel tablets from pets at home, charcoal biscuits, pineapple chunks - all of which are meant to stop Coprophagia).

He also used to do the same with his puke, which I agree, are both totally disgusting. In the end, I simply told him off with a firm "NO" anytime he'd do it, I'd literally be waiting to pounce on him as soon as he got near it. Eventually, he got over it and has stopped! It can be really frustrating though.

Ewwwww ewwwwww ewwwwwww Herbie went through this faze of eating any type of poo his own, other dogs, horse, fox,cat, rabbit, duck, swan you name it he tried it!!! a friend of mine advised to try banana which he didn't like so I bought some banana chips baked in coconut oil & he loves them, since he's been having these we have no more poo eating & if he goes to sniff it we just tell him no & he leaves it xxx