Dog ate chocolate?

ask a vet

Dog eating his own poop.

Species: Dog
Breed: Rottweiler
Age: 6-12 months
My dog is eating his poo. He eats his poop whenever he gets the chance! Is there something he is lacking in his diet? Are there nutrients that I can give him to make him stop doing this because this is really really gross!


Online vet, Dr. Marie

Dr. Marie replied:

Hi Anne, and thanks for your question.

This is certainly a very frustrating problem! The good news is that your dog is not doing this because of a dietary deficiency or anything like that - it is just a bad habit.

I have had good success using a product called "Forbid". It is not very expensive and you can buy it from your vet or from many pet stores. You sprinkle the powder on your dog's food and it tastes very good. However, when it goes through the digestive tract it makes the stool taste absolutely horrible. The package tells you to feed it for 3-5 days and it often will cure the problem. The problem with this though is that you need to let him taste the stool during this period.

Another thing that often works is to set up some booby traps by spiking some stool in the yard with either tabasco sauce or a spray of a product called "bitter apple".

Most dogs do grow out of this behavior, but usually if we use one of the above methods we can fix this quickly.

Dr. Marie.


Do you have a pet website? Interested in learning more about SEO for Wix?


Check out our dog age calculator and cat age calculator.

Want to receive pet coupons, vet advice and info on new pet products in your inbox?

* indicates required

We'll only send you great stuff, never spam. Unsubscribe any time.

Disclaimer: Although Dr. Marie is a qualified veterinarian, the information found on this site is not meant to replace the advice of your own veterinarian. AskAVetQuestion.com and Dr. Marie do not accept any responsibility for any loss, damage, injury, death, or disease which may arise from reliance on information contained on this site. Do not use information found on this site for diagnosing or treating your pet. Anything you read here is for information only.

Search for similar questions:

ask a vet

Popular questions...

Brown spots and hair loss. Hi again Dr. Marie, My 6 year old Golden Retriever is itchy. I noticed that she... (22940 views)

Vaginal bleeding. Hi, my little desexed jack russell is bleeding slightly from her vagina when she... (108357 views)

Pimples on dog's stomach. Your Question: Edit Question Our dog suddenly got little pimple-like lesions all... (40603 views)

Puppy vaccinations. I have a new puppy. I was given his vaccination record (number of... (7180 views)

Dog ate absorbent chicken pad. My dog just ate one of those absorbent pads from a chicken meat tray......would this... (99669 views)

Radiation danger to pets? I am currently undergoing radioactive iodine therapy and my doctor says that I need... (42276 views)

Possible asthma My 7 year old cat has always had frequent hairballs. I have always suspected he had... (16911 views)

Puppy died. My 7week old puppy died yesterday. She laid around all weekend and was not very... (13428 views)

Wart on a cat? Hello. I found a small bump on my cat's throat a few months ago. It has gotten... (45605 views)

Tick Borne Disease. I took my dog to the vet on both Friday and Saturday. He has a fever. He has a... (13261 views)

See all questions...

Dr. MarieDr. Marie is a veterinarian who practices in a busy animal hospital in Ottawa, Ontario. She created Ask A Vet Question as a resource for good, accurate veterinary advice online. Dr. Marie treats dogs, cats, hamsters, guinea pigs, and rats. She has been a vet since 1999.

Is an online vet visit just as good as a trip to your veterinarian? No! But, many times, asking an online veterinarian a question can help save you money. While Dr. Marie can't officially diagnose your pet or prescribe medications, she can often advise you on whether a vet visit is necessary. You can also ask Dr. Marie for a second opinion on your pet's condition.