Eating dirt
Written by DesertWolf7
We have a 12-week-old puppy who likes to eat dirt and rocks. She'll just wander around the yard grazing. She does this regardless of whether she's eaten or not, so it's not because she's hungry!
What could be behind this behavior, and how bad is it for her? She's not easily discouraged.
Thanks.
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my vet said my dog did this for lack of iron and prescribed iron meds and he stopped
I have dogs that eat dirt too. Probably 20-30 of our dogs eat dirt on a daily basis - the scratch up the grass then lick and eat the dirt. They dont eat the grass or any rocks - their ages range from 1-12 years, and breeds are from schnauzer to mastiff.....someone told me that the dogs lick/eat the dirt for nutrients. When I lived in Texas, none of dogs every exhibited this behavior. We live in Georgia now and I was told it was because there is Iron in the dirt......is this true?
I think this behavior is one that may always be a mystery to us humans. There certainly are many theories floating around but to know for sure is hard to say. Some say boredom, instinct of some sort, something lacking in the diet, they like the taste, learned behavior and the list goes on.
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Puppies will put just about anything in thier mouths. Eating dirt and rocks may be an experiment, boredom or play behavior. It can be very dangerous for your pup if she swallows a rock. A large enough rock can get stuck in the stomach or intestine and keep food from passing through or puncture the intestinal wall. The only way to remove it is major abdominal surgery, not ideal for the dog or your wallet.
The best way to prevent your dog from eating rocks and dirt is to supervise as much as possible and have several chew toys available that you can rotate every few days to help eliminate boredom. Kongs with kibble in them or toys you can put treats in or raw marrow bones are good choices. Have you tried a Wiggly Giggly ball as a distraction?
Most puppies will out grow this behavior. I did know a Husky once who ate rocks and had to have 6 surgeries in 5 years to remove them. The owner then poured a cement pad for her kennel.
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I was once fostering a small breed dog that ate rocks and dirt. The vet said eating rocks was bad for the dog. One of my own dog's likes to eat dirt when the ground is soft about a day after it has rained. He comes inside and looks at me with dirt all over his face and waits for me to clean him up! The vet said to discourage him from eating dirt (he has several medical issues), but she did not say why it was bad for him or how to cure it. We concluded that the foster dog that ate rocks was possibly at one time starving and learned to eat rocks, but the source of my own dog's dirt munching habit remain unknown. He too is a rescue and I believe was one of those pet store dogs. He has a lot of obsessive compulsive behaviors.