Doggie diet question

Oh, it's awful when they eat their own mess!! We had a dog that did that and my vet suggested to put pineapple in her food, I don't know how it works but, it did help. Hope this may be of use

Thanks Tattie I reckon it is some kind of dietary deficiency as it only happens when she has dried food or tins.

Uncooked chicken bones are perfectly safe for dogs. Cooked bones of any kind are dangerous.

The raw diets that are sold usually contain ground bone as well as meat.

Confused by raw food.do you mean raw meat? I thought dogs should not be given chicken bones. My dog is also attracted by pooh left by other dogs!

Eating poo or other things that aren't normal can be a sign of a deficiency in the diet. It's called PICA. You could try a supplement called Companion CA-37.
Although to be fair it could just be a learned habit. I would try several different high quality hypoallergenic kibbles. I thoroughly recommend Millies Wolfheart. They do small bags so you could try the different kinds but in the first instance call them and they will advise you.
I got a rescue lab last year and ended up only able to feed him tinned Chappie (yuk) as he had permanent upset stomach. I put him on Millie's gradually and now he's fed solely on it and we've not looked back.
Remember it can take 4 to 6 weeks for them to settle in to a new food

I think the sheep disease was scrapie iam64 and since DS2 put his dog on raw food she has done really well and put on weight (which she needed to do).

I used to buy sheeps heads on the market, but was told several years ago, they aren't allowed to sell them due to that sheep brain disease, name escapes me. Our local butcher sells dog mince for £1 for 51bs. It's great, the dogs love it. The ready made raw foods contain all the nutrients needed, which I don't suppose our dog mince does. Good luck with your young dog broomsticks

Thanks everyone. Lots of sensible answers and I think just using my common sense is right! She doesn't eat poo or get upset unless she has dog food so I will just be a doggie chef or try raw food. we had one dog that ate she eps' heads and was super healthy. I wonder if you can still get them? we did find teeth (not the dog's) everywhere mind you.

I can't feed raw for various reasons. I agree about the bowel movements for those who do.
I forgot to mention, cooked sweet potatoes added to their food helps make bowel movements firmer. One of my foster dogs had a pooh eating habit, and awful bowels on arrival. She was also bone thin. I started with the white fish/chicken diet, added sweet pots and pasta to add weight. Within a fortnight, she was fine (apart from self harming, which took a bit longer…)

I agree with madcatlady - try feeding raw.
If it's a puppy maybe introduce raw food slowly.
Our collie has raw chicken legs, bones, supplemented with biscuits. Plenty of water.
Bowel movements are firm, which I think is also good because it avoids anal gland problems.

Is your dog up to date with worming/flea treatments Broomsticks, and is the dog a rescue or a pup? Rescues and puppies often have upset stomachs as they settle into a new environment. Stay with rice or pasta, and skin/fat free plain boiled chicken or white fish for about a week. Feed small meals frequently. Aim to gradually increase amounts, decrease frequency till you are feeding twice a day for adult dogs, 3 or 4 times a day for youngsters. Then, start to introduce the diet you plan to feed.

Have you tried more than one dried food? There is an excellent website called dogfoodanalysis.co.uk which will tell you which of the many varieties of kibble are good quality.

Dogs on decent quality food do smaller, less smelly poohs.

Eating pooh is another familiar behaviour in some rescue dogs. Always pick up immediately so the dog doesn't get into the habit. Some people put a bit of pineapple into the dogs feed, as dogs with a pooh eating habit evidently don't eat it if there is pineapple in it (why do they eat it in their food then I wonder) The other thing some folks recommend is to leave the pooh in place, put a bit of chilli on it, and let the dog discover how unpleasant that is with the aim of putting them off the habit. I've not tried either of those things, but with rescue or foster dogs with a pooh eating habit, I've just made sure they never get the opportunity to do it. Give them lots of other things to think about - good luck

you could try raw food diet. Poos with that are less an d don t smell much because much more is actually absorbed by the body. Our dogs and cats are fed it and lo e it... great for teeth too... our 10 year old collie has no tartar at all.

We give our dog as mixed a diet as possible. So this includes kibble but it is always mixed with say boiled mince either beef or chicken. He also likes fish. So boiled fish or tinned tuna. You can do a load and then freeze it in portions - easy peasy!

I know nothing about dogs' nutrition, but would suggest you don't feed her Kibbles?

I think it is a nutrition thing as she only does it when fed kibbles. Sigh.

Eating poo can be learned behaviour from mum cleaning up after puppies, but can also be a sign of not getting nutrition from food.
Why were you cooking her chicken and rice? Had she had upset tum previously?

if she is pooing a lot, and the end of it is loose, that can be a sign of overfeeding.

If you can afford it do not feed proprietary coloured dried dog food - it is often heat pressed, which kills flavour, can swell in the tummy and contains lots of nasties like cereals , try a cold pressed food like Markus Muhle or Gentle

If she continues with upset tum Royal Canin Gastro Intestinal Food is excellent, but dont give it without a vets advice

Puppies do have some horrible habits so all being well she'll grow out of it. I used to hover with a poo bag ready to whip it away when mine was a pup. Teach her to 'leave' and give her a tiny treat as reward.