- Joined
- Aug 30, 2012
- Messages
- 121
Two of my dogs really like to chew the pieces of tortoise poop.
Is this dangerous?
Thanks all
Is this dangerous?
Thanks all
Two of my dogs really like to chew the pieces of tortoise poop.
Is this dangerous?
Thanks all
The dogs should not be getting close enough to your tortoise to be chewing the poop. It's also not really healthy for your dogs. When you see poop, it should be picked up.
Don't know about you, Barb, but every time I go into the tortoise yard, there is new poop! And lots! My dog goes with me as all the tortoise way outweighs him - the largest by 5 times!The dogs should not be getting close enough to your tortoise to be chewing the poop. It's also not really healthy for your dogs. When you see poop, it should be picked up.
In the wild, animals are not getting medicated, that could pass through to the tortoise that is eating the poop. My dog is not allowed in the tortoise area. A dog won't die from eating tort poop, but it's not the healthiest thing to let them do either. They could get sick from it, or if your tort does have worms, etc, well now it could be passed to your dog. A tortoise could however be poisoned by eating dog poop (heartworm meds, flea meds, other types of worm meds, etc). Not a good practice and if one is watching their dog eat poop, then it should be picked up. I don't let tort or dog poop sit around.Don't know about you, Barb, but every time I go into the tortoise yard, there is new poop! And lots! My dog goes with me as all the tortoise way outweighs him - the largest by 5 times!
Not only that - want to see your tortoises go crazy - let them find some dog poop you didn't know was there! I believe that is an important part of their diet in the wild - animal poop!
Dogs will not get tortoise parasites except some protozoans. My concern is in regard to certain bacteria that tortoises can shed. E. Coli comes to mind. I don't worry about Samonella except with aquatic turtles. My advice which I adhere to is: my dogs don't get near it. It's picked up and disposed. I hate seeing the tortoises eat it. Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Entameba, come to mind that dogs could get if they ingested contaminated feces.
Yaaaaack!!!!!By the way, to celebrate Summer, I'm going to start chewing on the tortoise poop myself.
Kind of like a plug of tobacco, but with a more unique flavor.