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Eating Poo

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sophieandhoney

sophieandhoney

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Ermm bit of a delicate question......

Do Guinea Pigs eat their poo?

My normal floor covering for the girls' run is dark blue, however I have switched for a light blue one, this has meant I can see their poo, which I have just notice Sophie eating........ I assumed when she was eating previously that it was her dried food......but this was definitely poo.

Help!
 
Guinea pigs often eat their own droppings. It is a habit that most guinea pigs participate in at one point or another, whether or not their owner sees them. Do not assume that, because they eat their own droppings, that they are ill or unclean.
 
It's not bad at all! I've heard that it is necessary for them to eat their poo, since they get some vitamins from it (I think)! So don't panic! Be happy everytime you see your piggies eating their poo!

Take a look here, you'll understand more:
http://guineapigmall.com/?coprophagy,106
 
It's part of how their digestive system works. Because they mainly eat long fiber strands, it can be hard for them to break it all down the first time around. Eating droppings is a normal way to get extra nutrition from a hard to digest diet. This is similar to cows chewing their ***, except instead of regurgitating guinea pigs will re-ingest droppings.
 
Guinea pigs can't produce vitamin C in their bodies. They need to eat a special variety of poo in order to regain the vitamin C they would otherwise lose forever.

This is called coprophagy and the edible poos are often called "vitapoos". Vitapoos are often lighter in colour and smaller than normal poo.
 
Oh thank GOD

and all of you obviously.


I have had them for over a year now and never seen it :red

thank you for putting my mind at rest. my vets already think I am paranoid as it is!
 
It's kind of a weird quirk... my four year old has been known to tell her friends about our pigs by saying things like: "This is Linney and Sundae! They like to eat poo!" LOL!
 
Can I butt in this thread and ask....is it okay for dogs to eat guinea pig poop? My girl loves the boys poop....its gross!
 
AudioHeart said:
Can I butt in this thread and ask....is it okay for dogs to eat guinea pig poop? My girl loves the boys poop....its gross!
Click to expand...

lol...
my moms dogs did it when she was baby sitting my piggies when i moved house...
and they were fine... i doubt its anything detremental...
afterall they eat there own poo... :)
x
 
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