Boredom Stress Anxiety And Frustration
Sometimes a GSD will eat poop if he is bored, lonely, or simply wants to attract attention.
Eating poop can also occur in dogs that are nervous, frightened, or under the influence of stress. Stress is a common cause of behavioral problems in dogs.
If you feel that this may be the case with your GSD, it may be wise to consult with a dog trainer or behaviorist. A solution may be as simple as alleviating boredom.
Why Do German Shepherds Eat Their Poop
Mother dogs do this to keep predators away and protect their young. Your German Shepherd Dog is bored so he eats his poop. Like a lot of behavioral problems, coprophagia can be caused by boredom. Dogs who dont get enough attention or exercise will often find other ways to spend their time chewing things or eating poop.
Properly Socialize Your German Shepherd
As a German shepherd owner, you have to be prepared for long walks and running, because your dog needs them, at least twice a day.
If possible, allow your dog to socialize with other dogs, which, along with a quality relationship with his owner, will help help him to avoid boredom and anxiety both common reasons for a dog eating poop.
A happy and occupied GSD will be less likely to engage in poop eating behavior.
For a through guide on how to socialize your German Shepherd, we have a great article for you right here. It contains all that you need to know in order to successfully socialize your GSD.
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When Should You Be Concerned About A Dog Throwing Up
Prompt attention from a veterinarian should be sought if your dog vomits multiple times in one day or for more than one day in a row. In addition, you should seek veterinary attention if your dog shows the following symptoms accompanied by vomiting: Loss of appetite. Change in frequency of urination.
They Are Not Fed Enough
You once went to a picnic with your German Shepherd. All was going well until they drove their heads right in the picnic mat. You cover your face in embarrassment.
Goodness, gracious!
Even if your dog just ate a minute ago, they always look for food. Why is that?
The reason why they eat everything could be because you are not feeding them enough.
German Shepherds are large dogs. Their average weight ranges from 49 pounds to 88 pounds .
With that weight, they have to be fed correctly. If not, they will look for food sources elsewhere.
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Keep Our Dogs Busy And Well
Bored dogs will frequently develop behavioral issues and cause property damage.
It is important to walk our dog regularly , and to provide structured, interesting activities, to keep his mind sharp and engaged.
My dogs work for all of their food, either by performing dog obedience commands, or through interactive food toys. If we provide a lot of alternative activities for our dog, he will be less likely to find unacceptable entertainment on his own, including eating his own feces.
If we are busy in the short-term, and do not have the time to give our dog the attention that he needs, consider sending him to dog daycare or hiring a pet sitter.
Make Sure Your Dog Does Not Have Underlying Health Issues
Another reason that your dog is eating poop could be that it has underlying health issues. If your German Shepherd is eating more feces than usual, make sure to contact your vet to get a check-up. There could be a few different issues that your dog could be experiencing, such as:
- Diabetes
- Any condition that is causing an increase in appetite
- Parasites
- Malabsorption problems
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There Is A Lack Of Nutrients In His Diet
If your dog is lacking any type of nutrients from his diet, he may try to eat his poop to supplement it. This is likely due to the fact that your dog is either not getting enough to eat or isnt eating quality food.
Solution: Buy high-quality food and make sure your dog is getting enough to eat.
There are many German Shepherd specific dog foods on the market with the proper nutrients to keep him healthy and strong. It may cost a little extra but it is worth it for your dogs health.
Dogs That Eat Cat Poop
Even though its considered normal, you might not want your dog to be diving into the litter box for a snack.
For dogs that eat cat poop, make sure you put up a pet gate or door that allows the cat access to their litter box while keeping the dog out of that room. You can also place the litter box on a table that is longer than the box to allow a spot for them to jump up onto.
Keep in mind, dogs usually repeatedly eat things that taste good to them. Poop may just appeal to their taste buds.
There are dog chew products that are made to discourage dogs from eating poop that may change the taste of the poop.
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Some Dogs Eat Poop To Please Their Owner
Harsh potty training techniques may cause some dogs or puppies to eat their own poop in an effort to appease us or to avoid painful punishment.
Remember the antiquated trick of rubbing a dog’s nose in their feces when they poop in the wrong place? This can send mixed messages to a dog about getting feces on their mouth.
Some dogs may also see us cleaning up their poop in the house and try to mimic that behavior. This is why many trainers suggest that we do not clean up potty mistakes in front of our dogs.
Consistent feeding times will regulate your dog’s digestive system and make it easier to supervise their pooping behavior.
Month Old Eating Poop
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Its A Natural Instinct
This works in two different ways. The first natural instinct of a dog is to be a scavenger. Before German Shepherds were introduced to the family as a domesticated pet, they lived in the wild. Dogs had to find their own sources for food. If they were running low and couldnt find anything else to consume, their own feces was a viable option.
Secondly, momma German Shepherds will eat their puppies feces to protect them from predators. If a predator smells the puppy doo, then they will know there is an easy target nearby for prey. To make sure their puppies didnt become another animals dinner they simply hid the scent by consuming the poop.
Solution: The natural instinct of a German Shepherd cant be modified.
Its best to wait it out as it will stop once the puppies are grown. However, grownup German Shepherds should be trained to leave their feces alone and shooed away. Always make sure your German Shepherd as enough to eat so he does not need to scavenge.
Normal Reasons Why Dogs Eat Poop
A dog eating poop is normal in the following scenarios:
1. They Are Nursing
Nursing female dogs eat the poop of their young to keep their den clean.
2. The Poop of Other Animals Tastes Good to Them
Dogs sometimes eat the poop of another species. The stool of other animals, such as horses or cats, contains nutrients that can be beneficial .
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Is It Harmful For A Dog To Eat Poop
You’ve been asking yourself this question from the get-go. And maybe you already know the dangers.
It’s likely not as harmful to your dog to eat poop as you may think. Afterall they are scavengers. And as we saw earlier on, it’s not unusual for dogs to eat poop.
However, the risks you face are much higher than for them.
Infections like Salmonella and Toxocariasis are serious risks you and your family face. If these micro-organisms are there, they are passed on through licking. And possibly from touching your dog.
There are 3 types of coprophagia in dogs:
Autocoprophagia is when your dog eats only their poop. Of course, this is serious.
Intraspecific Coprophagia is where dogs eat feces of other dogs. This is especially prevalent in multi-dog households.
Interspecific Coprophagia is where a dog eats the poop of other animals like rabbits, deer, foxes, cats, etc.
Although neither of the 3 types is particularly appealing, and all of them can pass on parasitic, protozoal, or bacterial organisms, I think Autocoprophagia is likely the lowest risk. Although not risk-free by any means.
Adjust The Frequency That You Feed Your German Shepherd
Pay attention to your dogs diet and to the nutritional value of the meals you give him.
Instead of one meal, divide the daily amount of food into several meals, so that your dog does not feel hungry during the day.
In my experience, dogs that eat balanced raw or cooked foods are less likely to consume feces.
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Your Dog Cant Absorb The Nutrients In Food Well
The presence of parasites is the number one cause for medically-induced canine coprophagy. But it is not the only potential trigger.
Deficiencies in certain key digestive enzymes may also be a culprit.
As PetMD explains, exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, or EPI, is the best-known medical problem that can result in coprophagy in dogs.
The pancreas is responsible for producing a number of important digestive enzymes along with insulin. EPI arises when the pancreas isnt pumping out enough digestive enzymes to absorb the nutrients from the food your dog eats.
Researchers believe that when EPI shows up in a German Shepherd, it may be genetic.
There are two main reasons for EPI: pancreatitis and idiopathic pancreatic acinar atrophy . The latter is caused by defective cells. The former can be genetic or induced and may also be triggered by canine diabetes.
EPIs classic symptoms include the following:
- Weight loss .
- Ongoing issues with diarrhea.
- Increased stool output.
- Eating stool.
Interestingly, some German Shepherds that only seem to want to eat the stool of a particular dog may actually be responding to disease in the other dog.
In other words, if the other dog cant absorb the nutrients in their food well enough, there will be more nutritional value leftover in the stool and your German Shepherd may be attracted to it for that reason.
Dealing With Constipation In Your German Shephard Puppy
In the event your German Shepherd puppy isnt pooping like normal, they may be dealing with constipation. Constipation is where your dog is having significant trouble defecating from their stool.
While there are more severe things that can cause constipation, such as a concurrent kidney disease or an enlarged prostate, often the dog has simply swallowed something difficult to digest.
Grass and hairs are frequent items that prevent the puppy from pooping normally. Dog bones, believe it or not, can cause this problem as well.
The experts at PetMD recommend providing the dog plenty of water, control bouts of their eating grass, and substitute a bone with a nylon chew toy.
Should the problem persist, take the puppy to a veterinarian clinic for the appropriate treatment. Depending on how severe the situation, the dog may require hospitalization for the purposes of an enema procedure to eliminate any obstructions in their rectum
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How Do I Stop My German Shepherd Puppy From Eating Her Poop
Give your GSD a proper diet that includes digestive enzymes and probiotics. Make sure your German Shepherd is eating the best dog food available. Do not let your dog be bored because many GSDs will eat their own feces when bored. If your GSD is heading towards its feces, distract it using a toy or treat.
Why Dogs Eat Poop
The scientific term for the habit of poop-eating is coprophagia.
Dogs eat poop for a variety of reasons. Some are normal and some are signs of an underlying issue. Its normal and somewhat common for dogs to eat the poop of another species, but its uncommon for adult dogs to eat their own poop or another dogs poop.
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Teach Leave It With The Poop
If your German Shepherd hasnt learned the leave it command yet, this is a good one for discouraging poop eating behaviors.
When you teach leave it, you will essentially be redirecting your dogs attention away from the poop and towards you. Then you will reinforce this with praise, pats, treats, and attention.
German Shepherd Puppy Feeding Guidelines
Here are some general German Shepherd puppy feeding guidelines that may be helpful to consider as you plan your puppys menu:
- Puppies typically need to eat more than adult dogs.
- The puppy diet is usually higher in fat and protein than the adult dog diet.
- A good puppy food will always meet these two criteria: it is formulated for large breed puppies AND it offers complete and balanced nutrition.
- Do not provide extra vitamins and minerals unless your veterinarian advises otherwise.
- Puppies generally eat at least three times per day, whereas adult dogs may eat twice or even just once per day.
- Puppies always need access to plenty of fresh water during and in between meals.
- A common age to switch GSD puppies from puppy food to adult dog food is 12 months.
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What Are The Risks Of Dogs Eating Feces
It generally poses little danger for a dog to eat his own stool. However, bacteria and parasites from that stool can possibly be transmitted to humans and other animals through contact with the dog’s mouth and saliva. If you are unable to keep your dog from eating feces, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly if you are in contact with your dog’s mouth/saliva.
When a dog eats the feces of another animal , he is at risk for ingesting the eggs of intestinal parasites and potentially harmful bacteria that can easily lead to illness. A dog that is known to eat the feces of other animals should have frequent fecal analyses by a veterinarian.
Perhaps the worst effect of a dog eating poop is the foul breath you have to smell. Home dental care can help the breath, but it’s best to prevent stool-eating altogether.
Preventing Stomach Problems In German Shepherd Dogs
There are some things that you can do to prevent your dog from developing any of these conditions. The most common and simple ways to do this are by making sure that your dog is eating a diet thats suitable for it.
To make sure that youre not going to put your dog at risk for developing stomach problems, its important that you make sure you know that youre getting quality food. Quality food, for a German Shepherd, isnt necessarily the same quality food that you might get for another dog.
Of course, youre going to need to make sure that you get a good mixture of protein, fat and carbohydrates. For a Shepherd, this equates to roughly 20% of its calories coming from protein and 5% coming from fat However, more important than the breakdown of nutrients is the quality of the ingredients and the specific ingredients used. Try to go without glutenfree or at least low grains.
In terms of protein, youre going to want to make sure that you choose a high-quality protein source. Good sources of protein for Shepherds would be those that come from whole meats like beef, fish, and other organ meats. Chicken isnt the best food for Shepherds because foods made with chicken often come with a lot of byproducts that arent good for anybody, especially not a Shepherd with a sensitive stomach.
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Reasons Why Your German Shepherd Eats Poop + 7 Tips
Your German Shepherd eats poop at every occasion they get
Its embarassing, worrying and disgusting.
But your German Shepherd acts as if its the most tasty thing in the world! Is this even normal?
And most improtantly, how do you stop it?
Keep reading to find out:
- What your dog is feeling that made him act this way.
- How your dogs health is associated with poop-eating.
- What other factors make dogs eat their feces and how to stop it.
- 9 easy things you can do immediately after your dog snacked on poop.
- And much much more
Supplement Your German Shepherds Diet With Probiotics
Many dog owners report a decrease in poop eating behavior a short time after beginning to supplement their dogs diet with probiotics.
In addition, if your GSD is suffering from diarrhea or related issues, beneficial bacterias in probiotics are a great way to boost them back to normal levels.
These products usually come in different forms, such as yogurt, kefir, powders, capsules, chews, or dog foods.
One probiotic that I have used and would recommend to you is Vetrinex Labs Advanced Probiotic Formula.
Vetrinex Labs Advanced Probiotic Formula for dogs is a probiotic powder that will improve your dogs digestive health in just 2 weeks of regular supplementation.
It comes in powder form so theres no need for hiding pills in your dogs food all you have to do is just sprinkle it on your GSDs food.
This probiotic contains a blend of 7 selected species of live beneficial bacteria with added Inulin.
All ingredients are clearly marked, and there is no misleading claims of a proprietary blend that is all too common in probiotic marketing.
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