Eating Dirt?

[jimsherriek]

My senior has started a new bad habit. When she lays in the grass, I thought she was licking her leg, but she was really hiding the small hole she was digging with her lower teeth. We have red clay under the grass, and she was scooping it up from under the grass.

 

Any ideas what she is missing in her diet that she would eat clay dirt?

 

She will be 11 in July.

 

Worried Mom

[KF_in_Georgia]

Someone else might have better input, but sometimes dogs just eat stuff as long as they don't think it tastes awful.

 

My Sam eats tissues--only used ones from the trash, though; he's totally uninterested in the clean ones fresh from the box. In Sam's case, I'm fairly certain there are no essential nutrients in used tissues.

 

If you Google the topic, there are lots of articles. The consensus seems to be that it might be nutritional deficits--or just boredom. But the articles do say that you need to stop it to be sure your dog isn't picking up parasites from the dirt.

Edited April 17, 2009 by KF_in_Georgia

[Guest Hollys2hounds]

All three of my dogs eat dirt from time to time. I think it just tastes good to them.

 

They don't always do it. I actually even began my own thread about this a month or so ago.

Since then, they only do it once in a while.

 

Funny when they act like dogs though....

 

Personally, after much reading, and others imput, ...., I don't think they are missing minerals, I think they just like to do it.

 

Good luck.

[greysmom]

There's been several threads about this over in the Behavior section. It does seem as if mine are only eating particular dirt, or dirt from particular places in the yard, and it does seem to only happen in the Spring. But I don't think there are any clear indications as to why they do this.

 

I try to stop it when I can, but they'll even mash their muzzles into the hole to get at a dirt clod!

 

greysmom

[Burpdog]

If this is something new, I'd investigate a little Did you change dog foods over the past year?

[NevadasMom]

I believe there is iron in red clay??

[jamngrey]

cant help all mine have partaken every so often in dirt.

[jimsherriek]

Burpdog, no change in diet. Melissa only does it since its spring and she can lay out in the grass. Digging a tiny hole with her lower teeth. We have only had Melissa for 7 months. But her food is the same as her foster home was feeding.

 

She has not been able to try it for several days now. (Lots of rain and the yard is a lake.) Will see if she goes back when the yard is usable again.