Shih Tzu Eats Poop- Tips to stop
You may call it poop or faeces hence it’s cute to call it poop though it’s something very disgusting. When your Shih Tzu eats poop whether its own or another’s, your pet has a very unhealthy Shih Tzu behavior. And that would really turn everybody off. However it’s a common animal behavior known as coprophagia.
Why Your Shih Tzu Eats Poop?
Coprophagia is a behaviour often observed in dogs, and there are many reasons why this is one of the Shih Tzu problems you may have to encounter. It might be seeking attention from you. It might have anxiety and stress, or might be hungry. You must have punished your Shih Tzu for defecating in the wrong places and it’s scared of being punished again so it tries to clean it up by eating its own poop.
This Shih Tzu behaviour may also be due to some health issues such as intestinal infections, food allergies, and intestinal parasites. Parasites or worms absorb the nutrients from your dog’s food and make your pet hungry and malnourished so its tendency is to eat poop.
If your Shih Tzu dog training does not include toilet habits, more likely you’ve been picking up its poop and it is trying to imitate you or another dog eating it. Maybe another reason is that your dog is curious about other animals and wants to get more familiar with the smell and flavor of their poop.
How to Address the Problem:
If your shih tzu eats poop around your home you can rest assured that this issue can be solved easily.
Your initial step to correct the poop eating behaviour is to have a check with a vet for any health disorder. It is very easy to detect this if your dog hasn’t done it before and it had a very good Shih Tzu dog Training. This sudden change may be due to worms which steal the nutrients from your dog’s digested foods making it hungry. Your vet knows what’s best for your Shih Tzu regarding this problem.
It would be great if your dog gets a clean bill of health; that means there is less to take into account if it doesn’t stop eating poop. Try to find out what is causing your dog’s appetite for poop. You might be surprised to find out that the poop is more appetizing for your Shih Tzu than other foods. In all of these issues there is a solution.
Be sure to maintain the cleanliness of your surroundings. Clean it from the faeces every time there is one. If there is nothing to eat, your dog will not eat. It’s as simple as that. You can get rid of this behaviour by just removing the source of the problem.
Help Your Shih Tzu Adjust From The Behaviour
Some people may advice you to feed your dog a little of pumpkin puree each day to make its poop less appealing, but what if it is eating the poop of another animal? To spray it with water may work and a command like “NO” can be more practical. The use of cayenne pepper and bitter apple may also do the purpose.
The bottom line is removing the cause of your Shih Tzu problems. To get rid of coprophagia, don’t let them do it by keeping the yard free from poop. Keep a close watch if you let it lose or during walks in the parks. It is only your consistent training that will keep your Shih Tzu a well-rounded dog.
Share this article with your friends and family so they know why shih tzu eats poop. You can always depend on the best dog health strategies from enchantingpets.
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