WHY DO DOGS EAT THEIR OWN POO ?

1. 60

   ScarletRyan1970posted 14 years ago

   What can i do ? My Dog eats his own poo.
   
          Uhh Yuck !
   
   
           Scarlet Ryan 1970

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      bbruce1968posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      This is a natural behaviour.  Sometimes the animal is lacking certain vitimins, but other times, they eat just for pleasure.  The real danger to your dog, is if they eat from a litter box. The litter is toxic and will cause dog internal damage that can become fatal.

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      starme77posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Don't let him give you doggie kisses ...ewwwwwwwwwwwwwww

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      Stimpposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      You will find my Hub today humorous:
      
      http://hubpages.com/hub/A-Morning-With- … o-to-Sleep

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         Stimpposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         By The way....there is nothing nutritionally wrong with your dog.  ALL Of the dogs I've had (even my 17 year old pom) loved the tasty treats.  BTW:  they also love horse manure so whatever.  When they eat THEIR OWN, then there is a nutritional issue.

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            Amie Marieposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Sometimes it is a habit that is formed when they are a puppy (at the breeder's home, puppy store, mill, you name it) due to lack of nutrition at a young age. They just eat whatever is around them and unfortunately that is normally the most abundant. It happens to the best dogs and it is just a habit that is formed and rarely broken. Other dogs do it because they like the taste of it or enjoy the reaction they get out of you when they do it. Pineapple chunks are suppose to make it taste "bad", but I have had 50/50 luck with it. Good luck!

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            itcollposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            ya i second that.if you are able to fill that nutritional requirement by some means,it will not eat the poop.

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      Blogging Erikaposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I worked at a Doggie Daycare for many months. I can attest that, given the opportunity, about 1/3rd of dogs will eat poo - either theirs or someone else's.
      
      Why do they do it?  Because they can.  And because dogs are gross, no matter how much we love them. 
      
      Dogs are born scavengers, and will eat anything that's even remotely edible.  Poo has undigested protein in it, so I'm afraid I have to tell you, it is "remotely edible"!
      
      But it's gross, I agree.  And bad for them, too.

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      JBeadleposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Have you ever tried it?  You shouldn't knock it until you try it.  Just kidding!

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      cosetteposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      my bunny does that, but just these little teensy ones called cecals. supposedly they need the nutrients and minerals in them. her poos look like Cocoa Puffs anyway and are dry and have no smell, so it doesn't bother me. but when i see a dog do it oh boy, that would turn my stomach. just don't let him lick your face

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         JBeadleposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         It's bad when they lick your face and that is how you know they just chowed on poo.  Hate to break the theory but none of our cats or dogs have worms... but poo is still eaten.  Although, I haven't "witnessed" any poo eating in at least a year so maybe it was just a phase they grew out of.  Or maybe it dawned on them they were eating poo.  Not sure.

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      DogSiDaedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Two reasons
      
      Firstly, hygiene, the dog will re-eat it's poo to keep the area it is in cleaner, especially true when there are puppies and the mother cannot move far from the place where the puppies are for an extended period of time.
      
      Secondly, nutrition. Some molecules are not fully digested the first time through, namely certain vitamins, such as K.
      
      The name for this behaviour is coprophagia

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      caravalhophotoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      The most disgusting thing your dog can do is eat it's own poo and then scoot across your just cleaned rug.  Funny.
      
      Dogs from puppy mills and kennels and smaller breeds such as shitzus and chi's tend to be big on eating their poo???? I've heard many reasons why and I found 1 sure cure and it comes in a can.
      
      Pumpkin in a can...that's it.  Give your poo eating pup 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie filing with kibble, by the time that can is empty, the habit will be gone.
      
      You may need to do this intermittently until the deed is completely abolished...hasn't failed yet...good luck

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         prettydarkhorseposted 14 years agoin reply to this

         Hi I like your avatar?
         
         they will eat their own poo because in their mind they dont think it is a poo, they are animals and they dont have any notion of values, hehe....
         
         and plus you didnt feed them too and they are hungry, they will eat anything if they are hungry

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            caravalhophotoposted 14 years agoin reply to this

            Hi PDH...I'm in my detective/slueth mode hence the new Avatar...getting in the mood.
            
            Okay...dogs do not eat their poo because they are hungry ...I spit out coffee on that one...actually if they are only kibble feed they do it more, it is because they are lacking nutrients...also when raised in puppy mills or closed kennels as puppies they eat each others poo.  Disgusting 
            
            Seriusly, try the pumpkin pie filling trick...it has worked with many dogs...something in the pie filling they don't like and it has worked on many breeds of dogs.

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      nyliramposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      If your dog was  a fermale, its what they do for the Pups, inbuilt thing Gross inbuilt thing but thats what its about. Dog housework, why a male dog does it guess hes just a tidy freak.

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       wsp2469posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I've read about this.
       I've read they eat it for two different reasons:
       1.  They are NOT picky eaters and their body still needs something
       2.  (Well,do ya know how sometimes yo take a poop and there are still whole kernels of corn in it?)  Well, sometimes a dog sees stuff like that and says: oh, wait, there's still some good stuff here . . . or so they think anyway!
       Now go read one of my hubs and get that image out of your mind!

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       Stevennix2001posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       ummm...not to sound like a jerk or anything, but it's because they're idiots.  trust me, i love dogs, but i'll be the first to admit their morons okay.  complete morons.  most dogs will have sex with their sisters, and will hump legs and stuff animals before getting nutured.  and your asking why do they eat their own poo?  they're idiots okay.

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   Ghost32posted 14 years ago

   Don't know why.  Do know that only some dogs do this.  Sure a lot of 'em that seem to like to roll in road kill, though.

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   loveofnightposted 14 years ago

   i once heard that they do it when their body needs something that has been passed out in their poo ( some kind of nutrient) so they have to re-eat it in order to extract it.....don't know how true it is

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4. 60

   ScarletRyan1970posted 14 years ago

   Hello,
   
             Thankyou for you answers.I am thinking that my Dog
   
             was badly treated before i got him. He is a recused
   
             Dog.
   
             I mean it's not as if he doesn't get feed!
   
   
             P.S.  A questions for Ghost32. What do you mean by
             A lot of'em that seem to like to roll in road kill
             mean ?
   
   
             Scarlet.

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      dutchman1951posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      I was told by a vet it is for two reasons. One could be abuse, they do it because they want to clean it away, not be near it, not lie in it. It comes from the Mother dog doing that when they are new born to keep them clean, (instinct overtaking behavior)
      
      the other and more true reason is a lack of iron and other nutrients and they sense it and do it, especialy if the poop smells like something they are needing or sense they are missing. If the Dog is not digesting properly and retaining the vitamins it needs, it may be a feed or internal problem also. Talk to your vet, and get involved. Animal behavior can give signs to possible problems. Its good to be attentitive to there actions and reactions.
      
      There are training viedos that show you why and how to prevent that behavior, if it is a behavior thing, not an internal thing going on. Talk to the Vet first.

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   cosetteposted 14 years ago

   i have owned a few dogs here and there and i never saw one do that, although i had heard they do that. i think it is one of those urban legends

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6. 60

   ScarletRyan1970posted 14 years ago

   Cossette,
   
        You should try and get back saying the Rosary.
   
        It's amazing.
   
        Cossette it is no urban ledgend.
   
        I have seen it with my own eyes.
   
      
        Kindest Regards
   
        Scarlet.

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7. 85

   Marisa Wrightposted 14 years ago

   Where's Whitney05 when we need her?  She's the dog person. 
   
   I've heard it's because they're lacking something in their diet.

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   Whitney05posted 14 years ago

   I have a hub on the topic:
   http://hubpages.com/hub/Coprophagia

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9. 68

   lmmartinposted 14 years ago

   Dogs eat their own poo because they're dogs. In the wild, dogs are more scavengers than hunters and they have the ability to digest the protein left by the poo-er.
   
   I know it seems disgusting, but it is a normal thing for a dog to do.

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    ralwusposted 14 years ago

    Well my dogs don't do it, thankfully. I need to keep 'em away from the dam cat litter though. LOL yuck and double yuck

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       Friendlywordposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       That's the problem if they can get to cat food or cat poo or table food they eat thier own Poo. If you make sure your dog only eats his dry food; it should stop.

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    Len Cannonposted 14 years ago

    I'm betting they're hungry.

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    AEvansposted 14 years ago

    Our Male Cocker did that when he was a puppy and the vet told us lack of iron, they gave us puppy vitamins and he has not eaten doo-doo ever since.

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    Kidgasposted 14 years ago

    They are environmentally friendly.  Recycling all the way.

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       maudine_05posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       
       

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    paulejposted 14 years ago

    This is a mystery that most dogs do and humans don't understand the reasons why.  When dogs are puppies they need to experience everything by their mouth.  They have to figure out what the poo is and who it came from.  Most dogs stop when they grow up, but some do not.  It may be they want the area clean.  I think it is unlikely--dogs prefer things to be a mess.  They may be lacking a vitamin.  Again unlikely, most foods are pretty nutritionally sound.  It isn't a matter of being hungry.  What I have seen from working with dogs in large dog groups is that it may also be a sign of dominance if they are eating other animal's poop.  Dominance isn't necessarily a bad thing and is natural in dog groups. Kind of like if the poop isn't there, the other dog isn't marking it's spot it the dominant dog's territory.  It may be a learned beahvior from the mother (no idea why the mother would do it).  There really is no danger if he is eating his own poop.  The poop of other animals may contain disease and parasites and this should be prevented when possible by picking up all poop right away.

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    Highland Lilyposted 14 years ago

    One of my dogs eats poo and rolls in it AND eats and rolls in road kill! I've learned to live with it because I certainly haven't been able to cure it.
    Many years ago I had another dog who ate poo and  the vet advised that if it's their own poo they eat you can feed them pineapple chunks. Apparently they taste evil once they've gone through the system and it cures the habit. Don't know if it works though. I couldn't go around feeding every dog in town with pineapple chunks!

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    pioneer_writer5posted 14 years ago

    When I was younger and my father brought home a 2month old German Shepherd, he also purchased a stupid How-to book on dog training in which it said in order to train the dog you had to make him look at the excrement and tell him "no". Well in short order he was eating his feces. Needless to say, that book was tossed into the trash, and our dog stopped eating his poo. Perhaps your dog had a similar experience before he came to be with you.

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    yoshi97posted 14 years ago

    My dog prefers my cat's poo ... and that doesn't make me any happier ...

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       JBeadleposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       All of our dogs seem to like to raid the cat boxes, if given the chance.  Crunchy nut rolls we call them.
       
       It is not good when you can "detect" they've done this by the smell coming out of the mouth that is licking you now.

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    caravalhophotoposted 14 years ago

    I once had a dog that did this and it was the most disgusting thing I ever witnessed my dog doing.  After taking her to the vet, we were given a powder to put on the dogs food to stop this...$60.00 bucks later the dog still found her poo tastey.  Here is what I did to cure the disgusting habit...a tablespoon of real pumpkin...not imitation, real pumpkin mixed in with her food cured it with 1 can of $.85 real pumpkin.
    A lot of puppies get this habit when in close qtrs. in kennels and dogs who eat only kibble have a higher rate of this habit.  Hope it helps.

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    prettydarkhorseposted 14 years ago

    because they are not at all selective...see they love humans

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    B.C. BOUTIQUEposted 14 years ago

    actually it is to cover their scent , its an instinct that is born into many carnivorous animals....
    
    and yes, some people subconciously eat their own poo..I have read the medical journals on it, and it is for the same reason...
    
    and sometimes it is eaten due to lack of minerals in the diet, but mostly to cover their scents.tracks

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    Bovine Currencyposted 14 years ago

    subconsciously eating poo... Now I have heard it all

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    Ugh. Some breeds are worse about this than others. Shih tzus are noted for this deplorable habit.

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       DogSiDaedposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Hence the name?

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    JBeadleposted 14 years ago

    Our fearful husky eats poo but not his own.  He kind of just chows on it like grass a bit... more than eating it like a meal.  I think it is fairly common for huskies.

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    I wrote a hub about why dogs eat cat poop. Our Danes love the "tootsie rolls" the cats leave behind.

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    IzzyMposted 14 years ago

    One of ours dogs (a pup)eats and own and the pooh of the other dogs. It even secrets some away into its bedding for later too. Treble yuck!
    My partner says its a natural thing dogs do to make themselves sick though why they want to make themselves sick I don't know.
    They also will all eat the vomit of another dog!
    And yes they do all get fed regularly, so it's not hunger.

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    ddsurfscaposted 14 years ago

    Not aways, but most of the time it is because they have worms.  Eating cat pooh is really bad because cats eat rodants, and other things that can be transfered to humans, so if that can be ended it would be good.
       Dogs, and even humans if they have worms will eat pooh, dirt, and all kinds of wierd things because they are craving minerals lacking in their system because of the worms.

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    Leash DogTrainingposted 14 years ago

    Thank god it is only some dogs that do it, But it mostly happens because they have got worms.
    For Free Dog Tis & Advice :- Go To
    http://clicker-dog--training.com/

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    Laura Thykesonposted 14 years ago

    My sister's dog did that, and her vet said he was lacking nutrients in his diet. He was also diabetic. so that may have had something to do with it. I know it grossed me out really bad the first time I saw him do it!!

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    Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years ago

    You should ask WeStand4Freedom

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       tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       You should stop insulting people.

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          Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Who have I insulted?
          
          btw there is no such thing as "the" Obama.  No one who respects the office of the President would refer to him that way regardless of political affiliation.

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             tksenseiposted 14 years agoin reply to this

             Come on. There is no need for the constant insults of fellow hubbers. There really isn't.

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                Ron Montgomeryposted 14 years agoin reply to this

                This from you?

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          nyliramposted 14 years agoin reply to this

          Hi TK

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    How did we go from coprophagia to Obama? Did I miss something?
    
    You guys should see a wolf hybrid chowing down on a nice big, warm cow patty on a hot summer day! Talk about gagging a maggot! It never bothered me too much to see Blitz eat the horse poop - it comes out in neat little balls, but the Polled Hereford poop was yuck!

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    auntpammyposted 14 years ago

    A way to get your dog from not eating the doo-doo is to either go to the Vet and buy a product called Forbid or sprinkle meat tenderizer on their food. Tastes good going in- tastes bad going out. Another way is to lay a trap for them. Sprinkle tabasco on the poo and wait.

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    C.J. Wrightposted 14 years ago

    I'm sure this has probably been covered. Here is what I have learned. Dogs will do this for two reasons. The first is nutritional. If the dog is lacking nutrition, it may eat its own waste. Now, to some this may not make sense because the dog seems well fed. However the dog may have something going on that's preventing the proper absorbsion of nutrients. Parasites come to mind. The second common reason is behavioral, if the dog has had a traumatic housebreaking lesson, such as severe punishment for having a bm in the house, it may "eat" the evidence. Take your dog to the vet, have them checked out. Once nutrition is ruled out, focus on changing the dogs behavior. Start by taking the dog out a lot and making a big deal when he evacuates outside. In essense turn the negative bm experience into a positive one for the dog.

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    rohanindrimposted 14 years ago

    hi,dogs eat thier own poo for a number of reasons,but none is related to nutrition.pick up the poo so your dog does not get the chance to eat it.behavoural problems and senility are the main rerasons.hope this helps

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    ddsurfscaposted 14 years ago

    There can be several reasons for this nasty habit.  One is a lack of vitimins and minerals in their system.  Another is because they have worms.  I would suggest dealing with those two possibilities before the pumpkin treatment.

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    My Danes think the cats leave tootsie rolls lying around in the  yard just for them!

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    NunezWillLearnposted 14 years ago

    I had a dover-man. Her name was Gypsy. She lived with us for 17 years. My grandpa is interested in gardening stuff. He bought some manure and left it aside in the garden. My Gypsy ate it and died due to food poisoning.

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    habeeposted 14 years ago

    Oh, that's terrible! I'm so sorry.

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    bojanglesk8posted 14 years ago

    Because they don't know any better.

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    jellydonut25posted 14 years ago

    my dog eats deer poop...it's disgusting but at the same time, i find myself ASTOUNDED by how good her nose is
    
    we currently have like 2 feet of snow on the ground and she'll be hopping along (she's not very tall) and all of a sudden stop, dig through the snow, and start eating deer poop...it's unreal...

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    IzzyMposted 14 years ago

    While we're on thesubject of disgusting dogs, can anyone advise me? My partner has a 'thing' for dogs. We had one, that wasn't 100% clean in the house, then he brought another home that was spotless, and she taught the wee dog to be clean so things weren't too bad.
    THEN he took in another wee dog from a friend of his, an adult male that the family said they couldn't keep because they were out all day...which of course really meant he wasn't house-traind and they couldn't cope anymore. Then he took a puppy in that won't house train either.
    So, 4 dogs, only one of them is clean and it is driving me crackers. They get taken walkies about 6 times a day and they come home just to piss and shit everywhere. Thank God all my floors are tiled but I am fed up running around after them with a mop. To add to the misery, the puppy eats the pooh of the others and spreads it everywhere,onto the settee, the bed, wherever! I am ready to chuck the partner and his bloody dogs out. I can't take much more. Any suggestions?

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    ThePartyAnimalposted 14 years ago

    OMG  - Too Funny. I have a senior Dog who just started to do this, but it an age thing for her. When she has an accident she will do this - once and awhile and on top of that the dogs eat the Cat Poo from their litter box which I call Cat Tootsie Rolls. It is gross and I have no idea why they do this - freaks me out.
    I wish I can answer this one for you, but instead I can tell u that u r not alone.

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    bedding boyposted 13 years ago

    You know there was a study done on animal defecating on themselves, we studied it in psychology class. It looks like over 16% of common domestic pets are reported to do it.

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    anonimuzzposted 13 years ago

    As many have said, they either need nutrients from it (after all, it's all organic), eat it simply because it smells/tastes good for them or maybe to hide it, in case they think they might be punished for leaving poo wherever they are.

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