One thing we all know about dogs is that they eat and chew everything- from your earphones to your shoes (Everything except green vegetables!)
One such nasty thing is the poop of other animals (or even their own!). Rabbit poop is something that is very commonly gulped by our furry friends.
So, we are here to tell you some tips and tricks in which you can train them to stop eating rabbit poop!
Why Do Dogs Eat Poop and Is It Normal?
There are many answers to this question, which include a poor diet, better taste, or as vague as copying other dogs! So, it can be anything, and it’s pretty common and normal in dogs and puppies!
Yes, it is very revolting and disgusting for humans, but the funny truth is that sometimes dogs eat other animal’s feces because they like the taste of it.
There is a specific term for poop eating – Coprophagia. Since it’s a very big scientific word, let’s not use it and move ahead with rabbit poop eating in dogs as it’s the most common type of Coprophagia.
Why Is Rabbit Poop Irresistible for Dogs?
You must be thinking- How can poop be irresistible to anyone? Well, Dogs are an exception! While it might sound disgusting, Rabbit poop has a lot of fiber, vitamins, and digestive enzymes, which improve your dog’s skin, heart, and digestive system.
A dog might find rabbit poop irresistible if they have Diabetes, Thyroid, or Cushing’s disease, so that’s another thing you need to keep in mind and get your doggo checked.
Just like humans, dogs also crave foods if they lack certain nutrients and minerals, and obviously, the added cherry on top is finding surprising treats in the grass. Taste is another factor that makes rabbit poop irresistible for some dogs!
Related: Why Do Dogs Kill Birds?
Is Rabbit Poop Harmful for Dogs?
Yes! Even though Rabbit poop has some good things about it, it is harmful to your dog to some extent, as it might cause your pet to have an upset stomach.
In general, poop of other animals may have parasites or other ‘not so good’ guests for your dog’s stomach, and you definitely don’t want them to get to your dog.
If your dog ate many rabbit turds while you were looking away, then it might cause lethargy, vomiting, or worse, your dog might refuse to drink or eat.
Usually, if the amount of rabbit turds is less, it might not affect your doggo, but if the quantity is a lot, it might even cause blood vomiting, which is not something anyone wants to see happening to their baby.
Obviously, no dog likes to go to the vet, so it’s better to be cautious about your dog eating rabbit poop when you both are out for a walk or training them to be a good boy or a good girl!
It is a major issue of concern if your dog has eaten a rabbit. Rabbits are a source of ticks, fleas, and a lot of parasites for your doggo, which is as bad as it sounds, so if you are sure that your dog just ate a rabbit, then please get them checked at the vet.
Related: Can Dogs Smell Carbon Monoxide?
How to Get Your Dog to Stop Eating Rabbit Poop?
It can be revolting and even embarrassing for dog owners if their dog eats rabbit poop like it is some tasty chicken. More than that, if your doggo ate rabbit poop or any other poop and comes to you for licks and kisses, it can be dangerous and unhygienic for you too.
So here are some ways you can avoid this mishap and save your dog from a visit to the vet for their bad tummy and save yourself from those ‘not-so-good’ kisses from your doggo.
Look After Your Dog When Out for A Walk
The most basic way to stop this nasty habit of eating rabbit poop would be to look around and be cautious so that your doggo doesn’t find rabbit turd while sniffing in the grass.
There are two types of rabbit poop (yes, we know it is absurd, but still, we gotta know which ones to be sure about what your doggo just ate!) The first is Cecotrope, and the second is dry Pellet shaped.
The Cecotrope kind is full of nutrients and has a distinct order. It is mostly consumed by rabbits themselves and isn’t found by dogs easily around.
The dry pellet-shaped kind looks like tiny dark-colored pebbles, which are actually dried feces. These have no odor and are found easily by dogs.
So, beware of the dry pellet-shaped kinds because it is difficult to distinguish between a pebble and these kinds of droppings.
Don’t let your dog wander off without you, especially when there is uncut grass around because, in that case, even you won’t be able to see what your dog just ate while sniffing around!
Tweak Your Dog’s Diet
Just like humans, if your doggo isn’t getting enough vitamins and nutrients in their diet, they will crave other nasty things to fulfill their dietary needs.
So, an important thing would be to improve your dog’s diet by giving them treats, chews, and snacks that supplement your doggo’s health along with their meals.
In the case of rabbit poop, giving them foods that are high in Vitamin B, fibers, and digestive enzymes would be the best way to go about it!
Adding some fresh fruits will definitely positively impact your doggo’s diet and reduce their craving for rabbit poop (or any type of poop eating!). Giving your dog treats that are super healthy and nutritious while you train them or play with them would be a great supplement.
Train Your Dog
We know you love your doggo too much, and they are basically your baby or babies (if you have more than one dog, which honestly sounds like heaven at home!)
So, like potty training, training your doggo for not eating nasty things is a way you can try to stop rabbit poop from being consumed by your furry baby.
Training your doggo will help them learn what’s good for them and what’s bad, and it will mentally stimulate their mind.
Reward treats like dehydrated treats and tiny reward bites are a way to go about training your doggo, and it will help to make the process faster, and positive commands like ‘Good doggo’ or ‘Good boy/girl’ are going to make your doggo lick your face even more!
Using negative or training commands like- ‘No,’ ‘Leave it,’ ‘Bad Doggo,’ ‘Drop It’ while training outdoor or indoor would also help your doggo to understand that it’s a bad thing to do or to eat a particular thing like rabbit poop, or for that matter any nasty thing which isn’t good for them!
You need to train your doggo like you’re training your baby, in the most literal sense. Training your doggo will take time, but it will be worth it for the long run!
Related: Why Do Dogs Lick Their Beds?
Keep Your Dog Busy with Other Activities
Doggos love it when we hoomans play with them and pet them and reward them for their good behavior. So why not be busy with them instead of being on Instagram all the time?
Enriching and training activities are a great way to keep your doggo busy, as well as mentally stimulating them and making them learn new tricks. It also relieves your stress, so that would be a stress-buster for you too.
Playing games like fetch and doing other fun activities when you are out with your doggo is also a good way to distract them from wandering off in search of rabbit poop to munch on!
So, by playing with your doggo and being busy, you’ll be able to do two things- avoid them being nasty rabbit poop eaters and secondly, being happy because who doesn’t love to play with dogs and have a lot of kisses in return?
Using Taste Aversive Techniques for Your Dog
If you are a dog owner or you are planning to have a dog, you might have heard about ‘Aversives’ in dog training activities. But if not, then let’s first make you aware of them!
An aversive is something which you can use to stop your doggo’s bad behavior or unwanted behavior. There are different types of Aversives- Sound, Touch, and Taste.
Sound aversives are used to stop your dog from doing something by making sounds like an air horn, whistle, which your dog might not like.
Touch aversives include sticky surfaces, shock collars, or mats to make your dog stay away from certain things or surfaces.
Finally, taste aversives are used so that your dog doesn’t eat something due to the bad taste. Most common examples include tabasco sauce, bitter apple spray, vinegar, or even pepper, which makes your dog not like nasty things like rabbit poop.
So, when you see a rabbit turd around, and you want your doggo to not have it, using the above-mentioned taste aversives are going to make the rabbit poop taste like literal poop, and your doggo won’t eat it more.
But with taste aversives, you also need to be careful because overuse of the same will be less effective over time. And, using them less might not have any effect on your doggo.
So, it is important to keep an eye on them when you do decide to use it, to see their reaction so that the next time you know if you didn’t use it correctly. Using aversive on fearful doggos is not advisable.
This process of realizing your dog’s bad taste will take some time, but it will definitely help them in the long run. So, taste aversion is definitely a technique that can come in handy for you, undoubtedly!
Be Patient with Your Dog
Training, or preventing them from getting a habit requires quite a lot of patience. So, being patient with your doggo is the key, and it will do wonders for you and your doggo. It will make you patient, and your dog will become a better learner.
We are sure these tips will help you to stop your dog from eating rabbit poop, or in fact, any other type of poop. Training a dog is a task, and it’s not instant, so obviously, good habits like ‘no-poop-eating’ will develop in your dog over time with regular training!
Related: How to Stop Your Dog From Peeing on the Couch
To Sum Up
All of us can agree that dogs are funny and weird in their way, like humans! Rabbit Poop eating is a common problem in dogs and puppies, and it is almost inevitable because, at one point or the other, every dog must have eaten rabbit poop.
So, try all the above tips and tricks, and we hope you never have to see your dog eat rabbit poop again!
