# Puppy eating rabbit poop in the yard! Uggh..



## DogMomma (May 22, 2008)

So my pup - 4 months - is doing something that is gross to me, but maybe it's (somewhat) normal.

When he goes outside in the yard, I always catch him eating rabbit poop!! It's like he sniffs it out and finds it no matter where it is. Reaching in his mouth and getting it out isn't the most glamorous part of being a doggy mom, either.

I try my hardest to find it and remove it before he gets to it, but (like this morning) at 7am when I'm trying to tend to my toddler's needs, it's just not possible. We have a family of rabbits living somewhere either on my or my neighbors' property, so I know the frequency is because they are always around.

My question: is there any serious medical problem that can come out of him ingesting rabbit poo? Is this normal? 

I'm starting to get that new mom feeling where instead of calling my pediatrician every 10 minutes, I want to call my vet. Thank goodness for message boards.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

It's totally normal. I don't discourage it at all. I'm pretty sure there's no rabbit diseases that dogs can get from bunny poop.


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## Maggpie (May 21, 2008)

I strongly urge you to keep an eye on him (on a leash as an example) while he is outside and do not let him eat any type of feces. He can get very ill from eating feces.

http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=pro_apcc_ask_plant&s_state=rabbitfeces

http://home.gci.net/~divs/behavior/coprophagia.html


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## DogsforMe (Mar 11, 2007)

When my boys were younger we once had a guinea pig, then a dwarf rabbit. April loved it when I moved the cage around the backyard. She would devour the poop. As they are veggie eaters I think dogs get nutrients from it. It's like the stomach contents that wild dogs eat from a kill. I don't know if it would be safe if they are wild rabbits. In Australia wild rabbits can carry mixamatosis.


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## Cobalt (Jul 27, 2007)

Mia did this when she was a puppy so I put bitter apple all over the rabbit poo that I could see before she went outside. I haven't seen her do it in awhile so maybe it worked. I'll have to watch and bait now that the snow is gone and it's harder to spot. I did take Mia to the vet for a stool sample test to make sure she didn't get worms, it was negative.


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## Noah (Apr 17, 2008)

I've heard rabbit poop is actually good for dogs, because they get extra nutrition they don't get in their own food. But, I would not allow him to eat it if it is wild rabbits. You have no idea what the rabbits may have picked up (diseases, worms, etc).


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## DogMomma (May 22, 2008)

These are totally wild rabbits just making their way into my yard (how nice of them). Sam goes in for a checkup on Wednesday, so I'm going to mention it then.

Thanks everyone!


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## Wimble Woof (Jan 16, 2007)

I prefer my guys eating rabbit poop over some of the poop and hoof trimings they sometimes get ahold of ...
I really dont think eating a few bunny kibbles would really be cause for insane alarm.


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## DogMomma (May 22, 2008)

I'm not throwing myself into panic mode -- yet.  I'm just one of those new nervous puppy moms.


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