Why do we pick up after our dogs?
To look after the environment? To protect wildlife? To keep our green spaces clean? Whilst all of this is true and very important, something that doesn’t often come to mind is to protect other dogs from becoming unwell. Riley the Cockapoo is one of those dogs, he’s a poo eater. Yes, that’s right… and whilst this may sound quite unpleasant, it’s a surprisingly common behaviour amongst many breeds of dogs who naturally like to scavenge when out on a walk.
Dog poo contains many harmful pathogens, bacteria and parasites that can easily be picked up and contracted from not only eating other dogs poo but even just from sniffing it. Sadly, this is exactly what happened to Riley and why he now has to wear a muzzle on his walks to stay safe.
Here’s what Riley’s owners have to say…
“Riley has always been extremely food motivated ever since we got him as a puppy, he will eat anything he can get his paws on. We had years of him getting poorly from eating things on walks. Riley started losing so much weight even though he was eating more than ever, he was being sick multiple times a day and having accidents overnight. The vets did so many tests with him and tried him on different foods but nothing really made a difference. They tested for bugs and found out that he had something that he could have only gotten from eating another dogs poo. They treated Riley and he got better, but he kept scavenging on walks and the same thing kept happening when he would pick up bugs from other dogs poo that was left on the ground.”
Unfortunately this issue got so bad it reached a point where poor Riley’s stomach completely shut down and he had to spend 3 nights in hospital on an IV, and being tube fed until he was well enough to come home. At this point Riley’s owner had no other choice than to find him a comfortably fitting muzzle to stop anything like this happening again in the future, as it simply wasn’t worth the risk. Riley is now thriving, he is healthier and happier than ever and now maintaining an ideal weight. It has also given his owners peace of mind when out on walks that he isn’t going to seek out any free “snacks” along the way.
In an ideal world Riley would be muzzle free on his walks with no risk of sniffing out anything dangerous that has been left behind, but in reality dog poo continues to be a problem. So, for now Riley and his owners aren’t ashamed to talk about and share his story to raise awareness about the dangers of dog poo and the harm it can cause. Since sharing the story of this brave ambassa-dog on his social media many other dog owners have come forward thinking their dog was the only poop eater, when in fact this taboo subject is a lot more common than you may think. Dogs are natural scavengers, some more than others and are able to detect food or nutrients in poo which can make the taste or smell appealing to them. They may also seek out other dogs poo simply because they are hungry or bored, but whatever the reason for it, it’s happening a lot.
So, next time you’re out with your dog and they go to the toilet, think about Riley’s story and always make sure to bag it and bin it. Not just for your own dogs safety but for all of the Riley’s out there 💙 (there’s more than you think!)
