# What to do if your dog likes eating bird droppings...



## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Our yorkshire terrier has for a long time liked to eat bird droppings; atleast that's what I think they are; they're a little smaller then marbles and apparently all over the place; we live on a farm so there's lots of chickens and ducks, so I'm guessing they're the ones depositing them; the droppings tend to be most around trees and bushes though, so i'm thinking they may actually be from squirrels and mice.. or maybe it's both birds and rodents? Anyway, I've heard he may want to eat them because of something lacking in his diet. Any help would be appreciated.


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## sassafras (Jun 22, 2010)

It sounds like rabbit poop to me. I've met very few dogs who _don't_ like to eat rabbit poop, I don't think it means anything is missing in the diet.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

My guess is rabbit or deer droppings. Do they look like this: 








or this:









It's a dog thing. Mine loves goose and human feces. It's gross, but the only way to manage it is to teach a strong leave it or heavily supervise. If your dog only occasionally nibbles on some I don't think it's a problem.


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Thanks for the replies; Canyx, that is indeed what they look like, but do mouse/squirrel droppings look much different? Also, what about chickens? I'm guessing there's something nutritional about it? All I know is that if he pigs out on them as I once let him do, he'll throw them up (and then want to eat them again, but I wouldn't let him go that far -.-). He seems ok if he just eats a few though, so that's what I've been letting him do.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

Mice droppings are the size of large eraser shavings so I highly doubt it. And chicken poop is watery; think bird poop on your car windshield.


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

Sounds like rabbit poop! A favorite snack of my dog. We work on 'leave it' -- otherwise... *sigh* hasn't hurt him yet? Yay dewormers? 

I actually don't mind the rabbit poop as much as his penchant for goose poop... or cat poop... that's the worst.


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## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

The first time I took Lucy to the Fairgrounds where there were a lot of geese, I finally had to leave because she thought that goose poop was the best tasting stuff ever. I do Agility with her and hope she has forgotten about it by the time I start to trial her as several of the trials are held where there are lots of geese.


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Bird poop is a lot runnier and white/green/grey. Because of the way birds relieve themselves, its usually a combination of "pee" and poop.

Like everyone else here, rabbit poo is one of Snowball's favourite snacks. When he sees a rabbit, he doesn't want to chase it... he just sniffs along the rabbit's trail to look for "treats". I figure, rabbits don't carry that many diseases compared to other things, and probably most of them aren't contagious to dogs - its better than him eating other dog or coyote, poop.


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Canyx said:


> Mice droppings are the size of large eraser shavings so I highly doubt it. And chicken poop is watery; think bird poop on your car windshield.


I thought mice poop might be a little small, guess I was right . I'm surprised there's that many rabbits around, though I certainly have seen the dogs chase a few.


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Hambonez said:


> Sounds like rabbit poop! A favorite snack of my dog. We work on 'leave it' -- otherwise... *sigh* hasn't hurt him yet? Yay dewormers?
> 
> I actually don't mind the rabbit poop as much as his penchant for goose poop... or cat poop... that's the worst.


Lol . The dog is on a leash and I'm generally quite attentive to what he's doing.. it kind of depresses me that he'd rather eat rabbit poop then the organic chicken I give him (the dog is so picky it drives me insane -.-); as to the regular dog food, it can sit there for a week .


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> Bird poop is a lot runnier and white/green/grey. Because of the way birds relieve themselves, its usually a combination of "pee" and poop.
> 
> Like everyone else here, rabbit poo is one of Snowball's favourite snacks. When he sees a rabbit, he doesn't want to chase it... he just sniffs along the rabbit's trail to look for "treats". I figure, rabbits don't carry that many diseases compared to other things, and probably most of them aren't contagious to dogs - its better than him eating other dog or coyote, poop.


I find it rather funny how we're all confessing to our dog's rather questionable habits, laugh . Honestly, I so want to find out what the heck is in this poop that makes it so attractive to him. Could it be that the bacteria involved is like yoghurt bacteria for humans? Although the ground is frozen right now, not sure if the bacteria would live through that. Oh, and my dogs -love- chasing rabbits, but it's only happened a few times under my watch. The thing is, I'm not sure that Bailey would actually -eat- the rabbit assuming he took part in killing it. A few days ago, Bailey (the yorkie) killed a mouse super fast. I thought he was going to eat it; I actually didn't stop him from trying, I wanted to see if he'd do it. He didn't; he sniffed it once or twice, then moved on. So I'm not sure I'm going to let him "chase" any more little animals anymore, what's the point if he doesn't even want to eat it afterwards?


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> Bird poop is a lot runnier and white/green/grey. Because of the way birds relieve themselves, its usually a combination of "pee" and poop.
> 
> Like everyone else here, rabbit poo is one of Snowball's favourite snacks. When he sees a rabbit, he doesn't want to chase it... he just sniffs along the rabbit's trail to look for "treats". I figure, rabbits don't carry that many diseases compared to other things, and probably most of them aren't contagious to dogs - its better than him eating other dog or coyote, poop.


Good point. So I guess I'll let him eat a few rabbit poops now and then, laugh .


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

My dog tries to eat cat poop @[email protected] He doesn't do it when I'm supervising because he knows he shouldn't... but he will do it if I leave him alone with a litter box for more than 15 mins lol..


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

taquitos said:


> My dog tries to eat cat poop @[email protected] He doesn't do it when I'm supervising because he knows he shouldn't... but he will do it if I leave him alone with a litter box for more than 15 mins lol..


My former dog would eat human poop (baby of our help who lived with us in Mexico); he'd get the diapers from the trash and then eat -.-. But that dog got crappy dog food, I'm feeding these dogs organic meat; I kid you not, he'd rather eat the rabbit poop sometimes 8-/. One day I really have to find out exactly what it is they think is so pleasing about it :-/.


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## Canaqua (Sep 27, 2011)

Bird poop is really liquidy and funny colored...some of the Canada Geese poop around here can be kind of solid, but it is unmistakeabely not mammal poop. What you are finding sounds like rabbit poop. 

I do not let my dogs eat rabbit poop (only one wants to), as rabbits can carry tularemia, which can infect most mammals (including humans) and can make them quite sick. Rabbits are the only species that sheds it in feces, rather than requiring a bite to spread it. It's nothing to mess with. I let the dogs eat horse poop (unless it's worming day at the barn), but rabbit poop is OFF LIMITS.


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Canaqua said:


> Bird poop is really liquidy and funny colored...some of the Canada Geese poop around here can be kind of solid, but it is unmistakeabely not mammal poop. What you are finding sounds like rabbit poop.
> 
> I do not let my dogs eat rabbit poop (only one wants to), as rabbits can carry tularemia, which can infect most mammals (including humans) and can make them quite sick. Rabbits are the only species that sheds it in feces, rather than requiring a bite to spread it. It's nothing to mess with. I let the dogs eat horse poop (unless it's worming day at the barn), but rabbit poop is OFF LIMITS.


I see :-/. What do you think about pig poop? He seems to like that one as well .


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## taquitos (Oct 18, 2012)

That's so gross!!!

I do have another bodily fluids and dog related story, but I don't think it is appropriate to write on here (because there are younger people and whatnot)... soo I'll just say that poop is NOT the only thing dogs I have taken care of have been interested in... LOL.


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

taquitos said:


> That's so gross!!!
> 
> I do have another bodily fluids and dog related story, but I don't think it is appropriate to write on here (because there are younger people and whatnot)... soo I'll just say that poop is NOT the only thing dogs I have taken care of have been interested in... LOL.


Lol . Those dogs eh ?


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## Hambonez (Mar 17, 2012)

taquitos said:


> That's so gross!!!
> 
> I do have another bodily fluids and dog related story, but I don't think it is appropriate to write on here (because there are younger people and whatnot)... soo I'll just say that poop is NOT the only thing dogs I have taken care of have been interested in... LOL.


:| I think if you asked my dog he'd tell you that cat food tastes just as good the second time around (and I'm not talkin' poop).


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## Scott75 (Jan 9, 2013)

Hambonez said:


> :| I think if you asked my dog he'd tell you that cat food tastes just as good the second time around (and I'm not talkin' poop).


Lol . I don't know what it is with these dogs man -.-


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## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

taquitos said:


> That's so gross!!!
> 
> I do have another bodily fluids and dog related story, but I don't think it is appropriate to write on here (because there are younger people and whatnot)... soo I'll just say that poop is NOT the only thing dogs I have taken care of have been interested in... LOL.


I hear you!! Blech.


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## reynosa_k9's (Dec 14, 2007)

I have my chickens in a chicken tractor that is moved every couple days. When it's moved my entire wild bunch will run out there to clean up any chicken poop left behind. I've wondered if it's bad for them. I don't even try to stop them because I know that's a battle I will not win. They like it too much. 
Anybody know if chicken poop has anything in it that should concern me?


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