Eating dirt

dlroberts

For the last few months, Lucy has been trying to eat dirt at the dog park. She'll start digging and then start eating where she's just dug. I try to correct her from afar, but she always ignores me and when I get close, she jumps back and runs 10 feet away and starts the process all over again. After chasing her around and correcting her a few times, she'll run clear across the park and start all over again too.

I've tried distracting her with treats. I've tried catching her and leashing her up for a few minutes (like a time out). But she's just so damn stubborn about it. I don't think its that she's bored because she'll continue to play with other dogs once she gets tired of me correcting her all the time.

I've heard that eating dirt or grass can be an indicator of something lacking in the diet, but we've done more than enough blood work on her to know there is not an apparent medical reason for this behavior.

Any suggestions on how to stop it? Or should I just not worry about it? It doesn't seem to upset her stomach, if anything it firms up her stool the next day. 

brandon_w

It's possible that Lucy could be lacking something in her diet, mineral content wise.  Not that her diet isn't healthy and sustaibale, it could just be missing something since she can eat such a limited amount of things.  It could just be a phase too.

How much dirt is she ingesting?  The only way I can think to stop it would be a basket muzzle.

dlroberts

It's tough to tell exactly how much she eats. It's almost like she's looking for something specific because she always digs a little bit before she starts using her mouth. If I left her alone, she would probably eat a fair amount, but I try to stop her before she can have too much. She also only does it when at the dog park, and typically only our usual dog park. She doesn't seem to do it as often when we are at other dog parks. If I had to put a number on it, I'd say maybe an 1/8 of a cup?

BradA1878

When Kaia was having her stomach issues she eat a few small rocks - this really messed her up for a few weeks. She is fine now and never does that anymore but when we had her checked out at the vet (this was 5+ years ago) our vet told us that she had noticed that dogs who require a low residue diet or who have food allergies will sometimes eat things like rocks and dirt in order to calm their stomachs down. So perhaps she is experiencing a similar issue - I know you have battled with GI issue with Lucy anyway.

I wish I could tell you what we did to stop her from doing this, but we really did nothing - took her home and changed her diet and she has never done it again... I know you are on a specific food and are hesitant to change her diet but maybe that is what she is telling you (as Brandon mentioned). Instead of changing her food maybe you can supplement it with kelp or something high in minerals and digestive enzymes - we add seameal to our pups which i think contains that stuff.

When we lived in ATL we noticed Hilo liked to chew on dirt... He has always had some GI issues as well... (????)

dlroberts

Thanks for the suggestions. I'm more than likely going to be switching Lucy to Natural Balance in a few weeks, so hopefully that will help her overcome the dirt issue.

If I knew it wasn't a problem, I would just let her do it and not worry. I'm just concerned, especially at the dog park, that she'll pick up something that will cause her even more problems.  

MommyofNiko

Give her some peanut butter cookies.....

dlroberts

Ha ha. Very funny Rachael.

sujewel

I know Mika and Keigo eat leaves when they feel the need to vomit. Maybe her tummy is upset and she's trying to induce vomitting?

dlroberts

With her digestive problems, anything is possible. I doubt its an upset tummy though. It happens too regularly. We go to the dog park once or twice a week and she always does it. She does chase leaves in the wind and chew them up, but the doesn't swallow them. Its just dirt that she seems to like to swallow.

kwyld

Taj does that too. I've taught her to dig on command(yeah I know great thing to teach a dog huh?). She will dig furiously at mole holes and actually uses her mouth to grab large chunks of grass and dirt and sometimes eats it and gags. I've never seen any adverse reactions from it and don't really correct her for it. I think it might be slightly different than Lucy though because she only seems to want to move the dirt out of her way quicker to get the critter, she doesn't actually sit down and start ingesting it like food.

DaddyofNiko

That reminds me Kelly.  Some how I got Niko to learn to attack weeds when I pull them.  Its hilarious to see her come charging across the yard and attack the weed as im trying to pull it out of the ground still.  The sad part is she gets real excited she doesnt realize the difference between the weed and my hand until I throw it across the yard. 

kwyld

Hah, that sounds hilarious Chad!  Yeah, the command "Reaaaadyyyy, get it!" means to attack mole holes, mounds of sand, dirt and snow, or, to look under furniture in the house for mice.  When Taj was younger she caught a mouse that ran out from under a couch and swallowed it in one bite, so for the rest of her life she believes mice live under all furniture.  When she attacks mounds of dirt, she freezes up then steps back and pounces like a fox and starts digging like crazy, sticking her nose in the dirt and doesn't have the will power to walk away.  I have to drag her away from the mound, or she would dig all day looking for vermin. 

jellyfish

Okay so this post is really, really old, but did Lucy ever stop eating dirt? Did changing her diet help the dirt cravings?

I am asking because Toki eats a lot of dirt too and i dont know if it just cause he likes the taste or he has a defincicy. ....and he has had a history of having bad poops since ive had him cause of a sensitive stomach. Im still trying to figure what sits well with him.

Sangmort

@jellfart - My boy Wraith eats a ton of dirt. [ & rocks, & sticks, &...etc. lol ] Fate has started doing it too, tho not to the extent that Wraith does. I've just associated it with being a "dog" thing. We try to discourage it and especially make them drop the rocks / sticks / etc. But not much stops them other then keeping them busy & offering them more delicious stuff to snack on. ~

jellyfish

Haha, perhaps it is just a dog thing. Sometimes, i think they just like the taste of it. I had sardines today while working with Toki on "come here" or recall, whatever it is called,, and he is obsessed with them. But...the dirt is still way too delicious, lol!

Sangmort

lol! I know, it can be frustrating! Whenever Wraith is chugging away at the dirt, I just think, "I spend money on raw food for you?! I should just go to home depot & buy a bag of topsoil!"

Silly dogs. ~

Losech

Conker eats mud.

TheWalrus

Rome eats anything, dirt included, that he can get in his mouth.

Saya

I sometimes feed Saya outside and well dirt kinda sticks to raw so she does eat tiny bit of dirt, but never eats it on purpose though.

I dunno how to stop it maybe work with leave it command? I dunno.