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dogs and rabbits

20 9:48:44

Question
My parents have a black lab who gets along very well with my bunny rabbit.  My rabbit is not caged at my home, nor is she caged at my parents...a potentially serious problem we have is that their black lab eats my rabbits poo, she does too so i didnt think it was that big of a deal, although disgusting, but a friend said it was harmful to him.  Is it?

Answer
Feces eating, their own, other dogs, rabbits, deer, horses, etc. is a common problem.  Labs with their insatiable appetites may be worse than some other breeds.  Usually it doesn't hurt much except the owners stomach.  There are cases of it upsetting the dog's digestion too.  Feel free to discourage it, but don't worry too much about it.  

You could try feeding the rabbit some of the additives that are supposed to discourage dogs from eating their own.  Pineapple juice and canned pumpkin are popular home remedies.  Commercial products include Forbid and Deter.  I have no idea how good the additives are for the rabbit.

I have had trouble with my Labs cleaning up after the wild rabbits in our yard. When I take my one older dog out, she will also eat deer pellets.