do animals drink their own urine?

Question

i know it sounds crude but i was having this conversation with some mates last night

one of my mates thinks urine is poisonous if it touches oxygen...is this true? and says that all animals drink theirs

one says that its always poisonous and no one drinks it

and my other mate says its not poisonous and all animals, including humans drink it...and i have heard that some women do because its anti-ageing, but they water it down a LOT!

so who is right? how poisonous is urine and who/what drinks it?

Answer 1

Bushbabies use urine on the delicate skin of their ears, apparently. And a male animal may sniff and taste the urine of a female to test if she's in heat. But there's no animal that drinks urine. Other than the kind of humans that take monkey gland pills and royal jelly to stay 'youthfull' for longer.

Answer 2

Different animals (including humans) have different concentrations of UREA in their "urine"... hence the similarity in names.

To make this very short... the amount of urea determines the toxicity (how poisonous it is). I don't know if animals drink their urine, however. But it is a possibilty. After all, most mammals CAN eat their own feces to gain back some of the nutrients that it contains... especially if they are starving. Not that I would ever suggest that. Yeck.

Other animals make excrement in different ways. There is an excessive amount of urea in bird droppings (that is why some are so white) and therefore more toxic.

Answer 3

Never heard of animals drinking their own urine, but certainly some humans do. I am sure that certain faiths especially in India start the day by drinking a glass of their own urine.
However, from what I have read, it has no advantages as it just makes the liver work twice as hard having to get rid of waste matter.

Answer 4

Urine Drinking Problem: In this type of behavioral abnormality animals start sucking and drinking their own urine or the urine of their herd mates. This anomalous behavior is commonly seen in the animals of all age groups and especially common in individually housed bulls and also in bullocks used for draught purpose. About 52 per cent of total cases of urine drinking has been reported in bull calves. Diet deficient in minerals predisposes the animals to this type of anomaly.

Answer 5

Urea is a toxin which is why the body expels it. Urine however can be ingested in small quantities (as part of your daily water requirements) with little or no ill-effects as it does indeed contain mostly water and some proteins.

More interestingly tho', during the 1st world war, before gas masks were totally reliable and/or properly distributed, soldiers would soak cloth in their urine and wear it across their face to negate mustard gas in the trenches.

Answer 6

Many people reconsume thier urine for the health benefits... look up Urine Therapy... millions of people all over the world who do not rely on western medicine utilize their urine to protect themselves from disease and treat themselves. Turtles contain a urethral duct in their throats that facilitate this and if you look up monkey drinks his pee...there are several videos of this. Your pee is only gross if you eat a Standard American Diet.

Answer 7

Not poisonous and not healthy. No animal would touch it. They have more sense than that.

Answer 8

Pretty salty I would think, and so dangerous to drink. Only the actress Sarah Miles drinks it.

Answer 9

Some animals do to find out sex of the animal.

Answer 10

Its not poisonous!
Not sure if they drink it tho, they do eat there own sick tho!