Dung Eating

What is dung eating? In simple terms, it is when your dog is eating his own stools or the stools from other animals.

The cause is hard for humans to understand, but many dogs eat dung as a matter of course. Mother dogs eat the stools of their puppies in order to keep the nest clean and, in the wild, to prevent predators from homing in on the smell. And some dogs may simply like the taste!

Veterinarians aren't sure why some dogs eat dung all the time while others never seem to develop a taste for it. Cats rarely eat dung. They do know that some dogs eat stools because they are not getting all the nutrients they need from their regular food. In addition, specialists in Chinese veterinary medicine suspect that dung eating may be a symptom of "stomach fire," a condition in which there is an imbalance of energy between the liver, spleen, and stomach.

Dung eating isn't dangerous, although dogs that indulge are more likely to get worms than those that don't. But it is an unpleasant habit, to say the least.

Here are a few ways to help your dog turn his appetite to more wholesome things.

Cook  naturally: Some commercial pet foods are nutritious and well-balanced,
but others are made with inferior ingredients that aren't easily absorbed by
the body. When your dog isn't getting all the nutrients he needs from his food
bowl, he is going to forage elsewhere. One of the best ways to stop dung eating
is to give dogs a high-quality diet consisting of fresh meats, fruits and vegetables.  If
you cannot feed your pet raw for any reason, we recommend Life's Abundance.

Give him a supplement: Every dog digests his food differently, which means that
even high-quality foods don't always provide all the nutrients dogs need. This
is why it is a good idea to give your dog vitamin and mineral supplements made
for pets.  One supplement, called Advanced Daily Nutritional Supplement by
HealthyPetNet, provides a number of essential nutrients that can help reduce a dog's
desire for dung.  Giving your dog a digestive enzyme can also reduce dung eating by helping
your dog digest his food more completely.  Simply follow the directions on the label.

Keep him active: Dogs will occasionally eat dung merely as a way of passing the
time. Keeping your dog busy by giving him fun toys to play with, for example,
and by taking him for extra walks will make him less likely to seek other
less-tasteful sources of amusement.

Add Adolph's meat tenderizer: Adolph's meat tenderizer contains an enzyme 
that may improve digestion and give stools a taste dogs find objectionable.
Dogs under 15 pounds can take one-quarter teaspoon of Adolph's with every meal.

Give dogs 15 to 30 pounds one-half teaspoon. Dogs weighing 31 to 50 pounds can
take three-quarters teaspoon, and dogs over 50 pounds can take one teaspoon.