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Horse Care and Comfort

Donkey (Wild burro) eating charcoal

By:

Christena

Date:

2012-Jun-23 at 03:33AM

I have owned my donkey (wild burro) for over 3 months now. I have noticed that she is eating charcoal. She is let to out to run my property at night and I have noticed that over the past few days charcoal has gone missing from my fire pit. I thought I was just mistaken. BUT tonight I went out to check on the animals and that was when I found my donkey eating the charcoal. She has a mineral black, I feed her top hay and grain. And she is also let lose to forage for other natural plants that she would eat out in the wild. I have never had a horse eat charcoal, could she be needing something that the charcoal offers that the salt block or grain is not giving her.

cyril.cambien 2012-Jun-23 at 06:18AM

Animals can eat charcoal (not only horses). Charcoal has a purifying effect are some animals can eat some when that have a problem in the digestion system (stomach ache, diarrhea)
All, some animals, typically dogs, can also be attracted by the taste of food if you do some cooking on the fire.

Christena 2012-Jun-23 at 04:06PM

Thanks. Should I let her eat as she wants? and should I have a vet check our our?

cyril.cambien 2012-Jun-23 at 06:58PM

Eating a small quantity of charcoal is not a problem in itself, but if she is looking for charcoal it may be because she has another problem, so checking that with your vet is not a bad idea, even if here is probably nothing urgent.
Purified and activated charcoal is even a way to cure poisoned animals (and humans in fact) so it's not toxic.
If she starts to eats tons of it, or eating charcoals everyday, don't let her do that because eventually she will have a digestion problem.