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This summer I plan on an approximately 23 hour car ride with my new dog. Since this will affect the normal schedule, what is recommended as far as feeding? I plan on stopping about every 2 hours. Recommendation!!! Should I feed what I do normally before I leave or should I minimize the amount of food while traveling?
Wow, that's a long trip!
Well, we took a road trip with our Lab this summer. Since we know his regular pooping schedule (in relation to feeding times) and knew that he had never shown any signs of motion sickness in past car trips, and since dogs feel most secure when they can anticipate their routines (and we were shaking up enough of his life by dragging him halfway across the US), we decided to stick as closely as possible to his regular feeding schedule and then just scheduled rest stop breaks accordingly. It also helped, hugely, that he has taught me his "I need to go out!" signals and that I trained him to eliminate on command. Since we communicate well, we made minimal unnecessary stops and we never had any dog-related accidents.
How long have you had your dog? What breed of dog (or, more importantly, what size, since that affects the size of the "tank")? Are you familiar with your dog's current feeding/pooping schedule, or will you have time to track this schedule for a few weeks prior to setting out on your trip? You also need to consider hydration. It's important to balance the amount of water you provide your dog with the number of times she will need to stop to pee. Also, do you know how your dog travels in the car? Does she seem at all inclined towards car sickness? If so, you might want to adjust the feeding schedule so she has time to digest and eliminate prior to any car motion. If you're not sure about these factors, or aren't confident addressing them if they do arise, you should start by checking with your vet to set up an appropriate feeding schedule and plan for any dehydration (so you can recognize warning signs, plan ahead to avoid it, etc), motion sickness (see if the vet an recommend a pharmaceutical or holistic supplement to help settle her stomach, or can suggest dietary changes to food that is easier kept down and digested) or other unforeseen difficulties.
Hope this helps your planning process!
Thank you so much for your quick response, Megan. I appreciate. I've only had the rescue dog for just over a week. I'm looking towards what I need to do for my trip to visit family this summer.
I tried everything to do with my pet to make him to stop eating pup I remember that it was very hard to watch because I knew it would become a habit if you do not stop. I'm new to this a few of these principles has helped me
Stop Puppy From Eating Poop Step 1 - Get Rid Of The Stools
The first thing you should do is to find all the stools that your dog may want to consume and throw them away. This method can work on canines that are not determined to eat feces and are willing to find something more appropriate to do.
Stop Puppy From Eating Poop Step 2 - Add A Bit Of Spices To His Feces
Next step involves adding a bit of spinach, pumpkin or pineapple to your dog's meals because these substances smell horribly after being digested and eliminated. Next, you will have to cover his freshly defecated feces with strong smelling substances such as cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce (just make sure it is something that repels your pet effectively).
Stop Puppy From Eating Poop Step 3 - Change His Diet
You need to make sure that you feed your dog with well-balanced and nutritious food because in some cases canines can eat their own poop in search of additional vitamins and minerals. The best choice is to purchase a bag of dry kibble suitable for your dog's age and add a bit of canned food to make the meals more interesting. Never give your dog the food you eat as it may cause various medical problems.
Stop Puppy From Eating Poop Step 4 - Eliminate The Stressful Stimuli
Some canines may consume their own feces as a reaction to strong stress they have to deal with. Try to identify whether there is anything that could cause your dog to become harassed and get rid of it (it can be anything from you screaming on him to the street noise). Relaxed puppies do not need to look for a way to relieve the stress and are less likely to eat stools.
Stop Puppy From Eating Poop Step 5 - Make Him Busy
Ok, now that we have eliminated the likelihood of your dog coming across his own feces, eating them in order to supplement his diet or relieve stress we need to get rid of the boredom factor. Simply start taking your dog on regular walks, play games with him and invest in a variety of toys (such as Kong toys). All you need to do is to provide your furry friend with a bit of quality time so that he does not have to look for alternative forms of entertainment.
Combine these 5 techniques and you will be able to stop puppy from eating poop much faster.