# A cow pat question



## LittleMissSee (Jul 27, 2009)

I have a 13 week old puppy and I take him for walks on the fields next to my house. He absolutley loves being off the lead and running around.

Just recently I have noticed he has started to lap up fresh cow pats! He will happily trot past the dried up ones, it's just the really fresh ones he seems to make a bee line for. 

Are they harmful, and should I be stopping him when he's snacking on them?Is he lacking something in his diet, or does he just genuinely enjoy the taste? 

Thanks!


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## WaveRider (Sep 8, 2009)

Found this link if it helps:-

My Dog Eats Poop! Help!

Some sites have suggested too much protein or lack of vitamins in their diet.

One of my dogs did'nt eat manure but rolled in it. I have been told wild dogs do it for disguising their scent. Useful when hunting.


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## mookie&me (Aug 13, 2009)

Thanks for raising this and for the link both of you. My 15 week old puppy discovered fresh cow pats and horse manure at the weekend and finds them irresistible. As you say, she trots past dried cow pats, but mmmmm those fresh ones are tasty!

Glad this isn't too harmful, although not terribly sociable


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## LittleMissSee (Jul 27, 2009)

Ah thanks for your help, that article was really handy, and I am glad to see mine isn't the only one!!

I have tried "leave it" which he is generally pretty good at, but he suddenly becomes deaf when licking away.


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## Guest (Sep 9, 2009)

Just make sure your dog is treated for lung/heart worm, as they may ingest slugs from the pats


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## Vikegirl (Aug 6, 2009)

Hmmm, suddenly Boo's water patting habit seems oh so less worrying. 

That link however made me laugh. Then almost barf.


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## JennieJet (Jun 19, 2009)

hi, my 6 month old puppy loves rolling in other dog poo and totally loves eating it as well


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## Kinjilabs (Apr 15, 2009)

Dirty dogs they are lol, I tend to avoid cow fields because they eat it fresh or stale, and I dont want to get crushed by a cow


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

My dog used to lick at cowpats until she was given probiotics. The cowpats could contain a source of healthy intestinal bacteria.


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## mookie&me (Aug 13, 2009)

Burrowzig, how and why was your dog given probiotics? Interesting..


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## Sylvestris Kennels (May 12, 2009)

Our new pup is persisting with this, does anybody have a handle on whether there are uk products similar to those suggested in the article?


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## Burrowzig (Feb 18, 2009)

mookie&me said:


> Burrowzig, how and why was your dog given probiotics? Interesting..


She had a course of antibiotics, and the vet gave us some probiotic powder to restore the healthy gut bacteria that the antibiotics would have killed off. You use it during the course of antibiotics and for a couple of weeks afterwards to set the gut up properly. I would always take them myself with and after antibiotics, to keep the balance and stop other organisms such as yeasts from proliferating.

You can get dog balanced probiotics from online vet medicine places. Protexin Pro-enzorb is one. You can use human ones, but there are bacteria in the dog one that aren't in the human one and vice versa. A lot of the human ones are just acidopholus, which is not much good for dogs, you have to go for the ones with several different cultures.


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