Is Eating Dirt Bad For Dogs?
Yes. Eating dirt presents many dangers to your dog and you should try to stop the behavior whenever you see it. As we mentioned above, dirt contains all kinds of harmful things that could hurt your dog.
The trace minerals that may be found in it do not outweigh the risk of ingesting worms, parasites, or their eggs. Dirt may also be treated with pesticides which pose an incredible risk to your dog’s health if consumed.
Eating dirt or clumps of mud can also be a choking hazard if your dog swallows any rocks or pebbles in the dirt. Chewing the rocks can also cause damage to your dog’s teeth and gums.
If too much dirt is consumed, your dog may experience a gastrointestinal obstruction. This is where dirt, rock, sticks, or other foreign objects get stuck in the dog’s esophagus, stomach, or intestines.
When this happens, surgery is often needed in order to remove the blockage. Some symptoms to look out for include coughing, gagging, decreased appetite, abdominal pain, vomiting, or lethargy.
If you think that your dog is experiencing a blockage, get them to the animal hospital immediately. Timing is crucial, as the veterinarian can help induce vomiting so that the obstruction can be cleared.
You’ll want to get your dog to the vet within an hour of ingestion since a dog’s stomach will usually empty within two hours. Best Prescription Diet
Tasty Dirt
A less serious cause is simply that your dog is going after something tasty, like bacon or hamburger grease under a grill. Check the area to make sure there isn’t something your dog is trying to get to … especially if he keeps going back to it!
Humans exhibit strange habits out of stress and boredom – hair twirling, knuckle cracking, overeating, etc. Same goes for our pets who are designed to be active and outdoors, and who don’t always get all the stimulation they require.
Picture a large working dog being stuck home alone all day… He’s probably going to find a way to entertain himself, possibly by eating dirt.
“Some dogs, especially youngsters and puppies may simply eat dirt out of pure boredom,” says Osborne. “This could be from a multitude of reasons such as lack of exercise, being cooped up in a kennel during the day, not enough playtime, or a lack of proper social interaction. Remember, dogs, like people, need a job and a daily purpose, especially when dealing with herding and high-energy breeds. In general, dogs enjoy jobs, so if your canine’s behavior seems out of sorts, give him something to do. Doggie day care facilities offer unlimited opportunities for socialization and human and canine interaction. In addition, they relieve boredom and for most are just plain fun!”
Like humans, dogs can also have obsessive-compulsive disorder. A dog with OCD may start to eat dirt obsessively as part of the disorder. If you suspect OCD or a related behavior disorder, consult with your holistic vet or an animal behaviorist.
“Eating dirt” sounds so strange, but in fact some clay can be used to soothe digestive problems, help with parasites and for detoxification.
Could it be our dogs are instinctively trying to soothe or detox a digestive issue by eating dirt? It could very well be so.
“My instinct is that the dog is looking to get whatever is in the digestive tract moving out, either by throwing up or by pushing it through,” says Coger. “Dirt could act as mild abrasive to ‘scrub’ clean the inside of the intestines. It could also stimulate more contractions of the intestine, moving material through the digestive tract more quickly.”
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Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM has 30 years of experience as a veterinarian. His love of dogs and passion for natural healing and nutrition led him to writing, teaching and helping people create health naturally, without drugs, chemicals and processed food.
Dogs! We love them, we care for them and sometimes we wonder why their habits are so different from ours.
It is unlikely to see a persons head in a planter or a garden bed eating dirt, however, many dogs do exactly that. Naturally, one would wonder if there is something missing in their dogs diet. Others would ask if dirt-eating is a sign of indigestion, toxicity or is just a bad habit shaped out of boredom. If your dog is a dirt eater, my plan is to take you through six simple steps to help you stop your dogs habit. So theres no need to worry.
Most people would agree that most animals know by intuition what is good for them. When it comes to eating dirt, it is very likely that your pooch is trying to replenish missing minerals or neutralizing toxic substances in their body. Minerals should normally be gleaned from food, however, when you consider the level of intensive agriculture and soil depletion and the questionable quality of pet food ingredients, it is not surprising that deficiencies and toxicity can be very common conditions. To find out what your dog is missing, test your dogs hair with a highly accurate plasma induction method. The roots of your dogs hair are bathed in the bodys plasma and contain minerals. While the plasma levels of minerals fluctuate, these minerals are sealed in the hair of your dog and can be measured with extremely high accuracy. In a way, your dogs hair is a time capsule of his or her nutritional history.
At this point, you have the option to wait for the hair test results or start your best friend on an herbal liver detox, LiverTune,and a plant-based mineral supplement. If your dog stops eating dirt, it means that toxicity and deficiency were the main problems. If the habit continues, here is what you can do.
The second most likely cause of dirt eating is indigestion. If your dog is eating kibble, I urge you to switch to either cooked or raw food. Kibble, similar to human processed food, is far from what nature intended. Even if it was made from the purest quality ingredients, just the fact that processed food sits in bags for months – and sometimes, years – causes fats to go rancid and nutritional value to decrease.
To learn more about preparing raw or cooked food, sign up for our free raw and cooked diet course here.
Indigestion and eating soil can also be caused by vitamin deficiencies, especially B complex and Vitamin B12, as well as imbalances of the intestinal flora, which can be corrected by high-potency probiotics. The paradox is that all-natural, whole-food based vitamins help address soil eating, but the majority of vitamins are synthetic and can exacerbate a soil eating habit.
If your dog continues to eat dirt when you have completed steps 1 through 3, I strongly suggest comprehensive blood testing, including a complete blood count, chemistry, urinalysis, pancreas, thyroid and adrenal tests. Click here for more information on hypothyroidism, pancreatitis, Addisons disease, or Cushings disease.
If all the tests come back clear, it is highly likely that your dog is an obsessive soil eater. In this case, I suggest you find an experienced animal homeopath, Bach Flower practitioner, or herbalist to balance your dogs body. It is also wise to prevent your canine friend from eating soil while you are going through the elimination process. Boredom can also be a factor. If your dog loves other being around other dogs, play and park time is the way to go. Every dog should have at least two, 45-minute walks a day and if you live in a too-hot or too-cold region, safe play is a great way of keeping your dog occupied and happy.
Why Do Dogs Eat Dirt (and how to stop them!)
As a pet owner, you may have caught your dog eating (or attempting to eat) some pretty weird stuff. But have you ever observed your pet snacking on straight-up dirt?
Holistic veterinarian Dr. Laurie S. Coger, DVM, explains, “Dirt eating is a form of what is termed ‘pica,’ the ingestion of nonfood materials. There are many causes, including nutritional, behavioral, and physical. Stress or boredom can also lead to eating all sorts of things, including dirt.”
If your dog is continually eating dirt, you shouldn’t discount this behavior. It could be a sign of a bigger issue, such as:
Dr. Coger notes that while stomach and gastrointestinal issues could be to blame for your dog’s interest in dirt, canines are more likely to seek out grass in these cases. “If [the dirt eating] is frequent, intense/manic in nature, or large quantities are consumed, then it’s time to go to the vet,” she says. “Changes in stool would be another sign that a vet visit is in order. Bloodwork to look for underlying abnormalities may be helpful in pinpointing a cause.”
As you may expect, there are risks to letting your dog continually eat dirt. The main risk is impaction of the intestine (hardened stool that gets stuck in the body due to long-term constipation) if your dog eats a lot at once. Impaction often means surgery. “
The dirt could also contain pesticides, fertilizers, or other toxins that could reach toxic levels if enough dirt was ingested,” Dr. Coger adds. “Depending on the dirt, dental damage or wear could also be a concern.” If the dirt has rocks in it, for example, it could cause damage to your dog’s teeth and cause obstruction in the throat or any point along the digestive tract. Sharp sticks could puncture the linings of your dog’s mouth, throat, intestine, or stomach. It’s also possible that your dog could ingest a parasite along with the dirt, which can cause a range of additional health issues.
“I would add that any new, unnatural behavior, such as dirt eating, should be acted upon quickly,” Dr. Coger says, “both because of possible serious underlying causes and before it becomes a habit. Dogs will learn from other dogs in the house, and who wants a houseful of dirt eaters?”
If you’re worried that your dog’s dirt eating is due to a nutritional imbalance, you should consult your veterinarian about your canine companion’s diet and whether changes need to be made. On the behavior side, make sure your dog is getting enough physical and mental exercise to curb dirt eating that stems from boredom. If all else fails, “denying access to favorite dirt-eating areas may be required,” Dr. Coger says. Remember, dirt eating may be a sign of something bigger, so you should never ignore it.