Why do they eat this?

[Toby's Mommy]

Boo Boo and Maggie both eat horse crap. Maggie is beginning to stop because I get mad at her, but Boo Boo just goes in the pasture and eats it! It is really gross and he won't stop. I have heard of dogs eating horse hooves when there clipped but never horse crap!

[guster girl]

I'd heard from a couple different sources that it's because they may be lacking something in their diet. But, I don't know for sure....My friend's husky used to always eat kitty poo out of the litter box. But, my dog, Finn, doesn't eat our kitten's or his own, so, I don't know. What do you feed them? Have you talked to your vet?

[countrycowgirl]

I THINK ITS JUST A DOG THING CAUSE EVERYDAY WHEN I CLEAN OUT THE HORSES AND COWS STALLS ALL OF MY DOGS DO THAT ANY DOG I HAVE EVER OWNED HAS DONE IT AND THE HORSE HOOF THING I ASKED MY FARRIER WHY THEY DID THAT HE SAID THAT THEY JUST LOVE THE TASTE ITS JUST LIKE A BONE FOR THEM HE SAID HE HAS NEVER MET A DOG THAT WOULDN'T EAT THEM

[guster girl]

It may be just a dog thing, but, that doesn't mean it's healthy. I'm interested to see other's opinions on this. Have you done any research on why dogs eat feces? I'll probably look it up, too. But, I've never personally owned a dog that ate poo of any kind. I dunno. I'm not grossed out by it or anything, but, I don't know that it's the healthiest thing for them to eat.

[countrycowgirl]

ITS NOT LIKE THEY GOBBLE IT DOWN OR ANYTHING MY DOGS ANYWAYS THE JUST KINDA LICK AND NIBBLE AT IT. I HAVE TRIED TO STOP THEM FROM DOING IT BUT I CAN'T UNLESS I PUT THEM IN THE TACK ROOM THE WHOLE TIME AND THATS NO FUN SO NEEDLESS TO SAY THEY GET THEIR MOUTH WASHED OUT WHEN WE GET BACK HOME IM NOT SURE IF IT IS UNHEATHLY FOR THEM ???

[Amber]

guster girl is right, when katie had this problem my vet said dogs do it for nutrients that they are lacking in there diet.

[countrycowgirl]

IDK I MEAN THINK ABOUT WHAT A HORSE EATS CORN, OATS, GRASS, HAY ,AND LIKE ALL GRAINS AND FORAGES ,MY HORSES GET HAYLIGE NOTHING THAT A DOG REALLY NEEDS OR ATLEST I DON'T THINK

[Amber]

don't know, unless your dog(s) just like the taste, who knows when it comes to dogs.

But thats just what my vet said.

every dogs different

[guster girl]

I don't know. I can't see how eating another animal's waste (the animal got rid of it because it shouldn't stay in their body in the first place) is healthy. I'm not saying at all that it's going to kill your dog, but, I don't think it's good for them either.

[countrycowgirl]

Originally posted by Amber
don't know, unless your dog(s) just like the taste, who knows when it comes to dogs.

But thats just what my vet said.

every dogs different

KNOWING MY DOGS THAT IS PROBULY IT LOL AND YES THAT IS TRUE EVERY DOG IS DIFFERENT

[countrycowgirl]

Originally posted by guster girl
I don't know. I can't see how eating another animal's waste (the animal got rid of it because it shouldn't stay in their body in the first place) is healthy. I'm not saying at all that it's going to kill your dog, but, I don't think it's good for them either.

IT MIGHT NOT BE BUT THEN AGAIN IT MIGHT I KNOW THAT BEFORE THE MAD COW THING HIT THAT THEY WOULD TAKE LIKE THE BLOOD AND MAKE BLOOD MILL OR TAKE THE LIKE INTERNAL ORAGNS AND LEAVE THE WASTE INSIDE THE STOMACH AND COOK IT THEN GRIND IT UP TO MAKE MILL AND IT IS VERY VERY VERY HIGH IN PROTIEN AND NUETRIANTS SO I REALLY DON'T KNOW????

[BCBlondie]

LOL!! Ick haha. Sesh keeps eating our cat's poop. Very gross.. Now I nicknamed him Kaka LOL!! I try to tell him: "NO!" when he eats it but he thinks it's funny.

[guster girl]

Undigested or partially digested food inside of the stomach or organ meat, I can see being ok. I don't know that they were including the intestine or colon full of crap.

[Lissa]

Layla will only eat cat poo. Nothing else, not hers, other animals, just the cats...I'm starting to wonder if its the litter she likes. I was told that all dogs do it and it isn't harmful. The vet told me it wasn't a big deal, though I don't like it because of the breath....

[Desert Arabian]

Horse manure is every nutricious and rich, that is most likely why they eat it. There is also a lot of undigested food items in manure, which the dogs may be attracted to also. Foals eat their mothers fresh manure to get nutrients from it too.

I would make sure they stop eating it ASAP, since manure can harbor eggs/larva of worms such as whip, hook, and tape- play it safe....