Glossary · 🐾 Anatomy & biology
Coprophagy
Coprophagy is the normal behaviour of eating one’s own droppings to re-absorb nutrients — healthy and necessary in rabbits, guinea pigs, rats and other small pets, not a sign of illness.
In hindgut fermenters it’s specifically the soft caecotrophs that are re-eaten; in rats it helps them absorb certain vitamins and minerals. Trying to stop it can cause nutritional deficiencies.