Beardie eating his own feces

[GlaedrsOwners]

I was picking up some dried feces off his basking rock, and he came by and ate it! Is this bad?

 

[AHBD]

It's not good of course but they will pick at anything so this can happen even with the most distinguished and mannerly dragon.

 

[daughterofMyou]

I'm fairly sure it won't do him harm - but obviously he won't get any nutrition from it :lol: Bless him. He might have thought it a cricket or roach, and wanted to snatch it from you before you could deny him a snack!

 

[kingofnobbys]

Is only bad if he has parasites.

 

[GlaedrsOwners]

Is only bad if he has parasites.

I don't think he has parasites.

 

[EllenD]

Took the words right out of my mouth... It's completely normal for them to do that, just like most "animals" do, such as dogs, cats, birds, etc...The only time it's actually harmful is if they have a high count of parasites, worms, or bacteria that they would be introducing into their mouths and upper gastrointestinal tracts where they don't normally live, or they have open wounds in their mouths that can become infected. But it's normal, lol.

 

[Savora]

Eww, completely grosses me out. One time I was cleaning up a big ol' poo in Cactus's cage, she seemed interested in what I was doing and walked over and started inspecting the poop real close--I had to push her away because I thought she was going to eat it! Completely grossed me out and Cactus became quite grumpy at me, lol

 

[kingofnobbys]

There are likely valuable minerals in it.

 

[EllenD]

There are likely valuable minerals in it.

Sad but true. I used to have a veterinarian (notice I said "used to"...He was a trip!) that I took my dogs to, he was recommended to me by a co-worker because of how inexpensive he was and they heard me complaining about a vet bill one day. He just raved about how great his vet was with his dog and his 2 cats, and how getting all 3 of them their shots each year cost under $100 total. So when my pug got a really bad ear infection I made an appointment with this guy just to see what he was like, and I figured if I liked him and he really was so cheap then I'd start taking both dogs to him regularly. He got Jaeger in the very next day, so that was impressive, but when I went to his office he had around 20 dogs there at the same appointment time, and they just kept coming in for appointments, lol. Anyway, I waited for 45 minutes to actually see him, he did a full exam on Jaeger and prescribed the same Antibiotic/Antifungal ear drops my regular vet did, so overall I was fine with him. I happened to mention to him that I had recently caught my female Australian Cattle Dog eating either the pug's poop, her own poop, or both, out in the yard several times, and I asked his opinion on those pills you can give your dog that are supposed to make their poop "taste bad" (lol, the pills make their poop "taste bad")...That's when he told me I should just let her eat the poop because it's full of vitamins, minerals, and protein that, and I quote, "Aren't absorbed the first time through", and then he told me that he never cleaned his yard up, that he took his dogs around the yard every day and actually"fed them the poop in the yard"....?

I decided I was fine with what my regular vet was charging me, and I have never complained about her pricing since...?

 

[SHBailey]

:lol: That might work for rabbits, but not so much for dogs or cats or beardies, I would think.

I guess you get what you pay for, huh? :roll: