Does Your Dog Eat Dirt?

Dog Eat Dirt? Dogs are fascinated by weird things. Let’s see, there’s the garbage. And of course other dogs’ pee and poop. And for some dogs – dirt.  Dogs can eat dirt for a variety of reasons, none of which are beneficial. Understanding the underlying causes of canine dirt eating might help you to stop your dog from being a dirt eater. Pica is defined as a state whereby dogs eat things other than food. For example, eating dirt would be a pica disorder. This usually occurs when a dog’s body is mineral deficient or is suffering from nutritional deficiency or imbalance.

“Some say that it reflects an underlying behavioral problem,” says W Jean Dodds DVM. “This could be due to obsessive-compulsive disorder, mental problems, which developed from painful past experiences, or due to a genetically inherited behavioral problem. More commonly, this behavior is thought to reflect either a minor mineral or vitamin deficiency, a gastric upset or irritation, or even something simple like the animal smelling some food scrap on or in the ground. If it seems compulsive or excessive, take the pet to your veterinarian for a checkup and be sure that the pet’s diet is balanced.”

Clearly there are some good possible reasons why your dog has taken a liking to dirt, some more serious than others. Let’s look a little closer at the possibilities…

Continue reading the article from Dogs Naturally Magazine, titled “5  Reasons Dogs Eat Dirt” that Dr. Carol has contributed to.