Question
I'm trying to deter my dog from eating his own feces. I've heard that adding spinach or pineapple or pumpkin to his diet can help contain the problem, preventing this act by making the poop unappealing.
Is this true, and is there scientific evidence to back it up, or is it only anecdotal?
If this is true, how much of any should be used? I'm assuming the amount varies based on dog weight, but I want a guideline.
Does canned or fresh work better? I assume canned for pumpkin, but I don't know about pineapple.
For pineapple, should I just add juice, chunks, or both?
For spinach (suggested from the comments below), should I use fresh spinach or frozen (obviously not creamed)? Should I cook it first?
Answer
Dogs eat poop for a number of reasons.
- Nutrient deficiency (cheap/bad food)
- To get attention (negative attention still counts as attention)
- Parental instincts (see below)
- Digestive enzymes deficiency
- GI parasites
- Anxiety/stress
When mother dogs and cats have litters, they deliberately consume the feces of their puppies or kittens to hide their scent while the litter is vulnerable and sheltered in the den.
Don't just discourage eating poop: it's most likely the symptom of a bigger problem. Solve the problem and the symptom (eating poop) will go away.
Suggestions: make sure your dog is eating a high quality food, get him checked for parasites, give him plenty of exercise/attention, stick to a schedule, and give him toys/training to prevent boredom.
If all else fails, then make poop less accessible (clean up poop right away and if you have a cat, keep the litter box out of each).
Source: Why Do Dogs (and Cats) Eat Poop?
Answered By - Lindsay