Among the most bizarre dog behaviors a pet parent can witness is the consumption of dirt.
Yes, dogs eat dirt. If done rarely, it may not be anything to worry about. But if your dog’s dirt-eating behavior turns into an obsession, it may be a sign something’s seriously wrong.
So why do dogs eat dirt? Join us as we explore this weird and potentially harmful doggy phenomenon.
Pica or geophagia in dogs
According to the National Eating Disorders Association, pica is “an eating disorder that involves eating items that are not typically thought of as food and that do not contain significant nutritional value, such as hair, dirt, and paint chips.”
Here’s the thing: pica can occur in humans as well as in dogs. So if your dog eats dirt in addition to other non-food items such as grass and rocks, it could be a manifestation of canine pica. Pica can be extremely dangerous, especially if your dog eats sharp objects or things contaminated with germs or toxins.
If your dog is eating dirt only, then they could be experiencing geophagia, a variant of pica that causes the sufferer to consume earth or soil. Geophagia has been observed in humans as having psychiatric or cultural origins.
Pica or geophagia in dogs may be caused by medical, nutritional, or behavioral issues.
1. Medical
If you catch your dog eating dirt frequently, they may be suffering from any of the following health conditions:
Hormonal imbalance. Hormonal problems could prevent a dog from absorbing enough nutrients from their food, resulting in a nutritional deficiency (more on nutritional imbalances in the following section).
In addition to the swallowing of dirt, symptoms of hormonal imbalance in your dog include excessive panting, increased urination, increased drinking, weight gain or weight loss, lethargy, weakness, and skin problems such as hair loss.
Treatments range from medications to surgery.
Gastritis or upset stomach. When your dog experiences tummy troubles, they may try eating dirt to induce vomiting, soothe their irregular bowel movements, or alleviate the discomfort in their inflamed stomach. It’s more common for dogs to eat grass to “treat” this issue, however; some dirt just gets swallowed in the process.
Other symptoms of a gastrointestinal disturbance or an upset stomach include decreased appetite and sudden vomiting.
While it’s best to consult a veterinarian when your dog is having stomach problems, home remedies such as fasting for 24 hours or eating canned pumpkins have proven effective and are generally approved by animal health experts. As your pet could upset their stomach further by drinking water, you can ensure they stay hydrated by feeding them ice cubes.
Portosystemic shunt. A liver shunt is an abnormality in the vein connecting the gastrointestinal system to the liver. This abnormality causes blood to bypass the liver. As a result, the liver fails to receive sufficient blood supply, leading to its improper functioning.
While rare, shunts can occur in adult or elderly dogs, and in puppies as a congenital issue.
Other symptoms of liver shunt include seizures, circling, pressing the head onto surfaces, staring blankly into space, disorientation, poor muscular development, and stunted growth.
Treatment may require changes to your dog’s diet, special medications, and if necessary, surgery.
Anemia. An anemic dog is low in red blood cells, which leads to a decreased absorption of sufficient amounts of b vitamins and iron. Such dogs are driven to eat dirt to correct the resulting nutritional deficiency. Other symptoms of canine anemia include a poor appetite, lethargy, pale gums, weight loss, vomiting, rapid breathing, black stools, and a swollen face or jaw.
This condition can be caused by numerous issues, such as bleeding disorders, diseases that affect the immune system, tick disease, a flea infestation, intestinal parasites, or even cancer.
Flea and tick infestations can occur in any dog. Though rare, bleeding disorders and immune system diseases can also develop in a dog regardless of their age. Hookworms can be passed from the mother’s milk to the puppy. Cancerous formations can cause internal bleeding in older dogs and make them severely anemic.
Treatment methods include antibiotics or corticosteroids, and blood transfusion in severe cases.
2. Nutritional
Dietary deficiencies. A dog’s body knows when it lacks essential vitamins and minerals and will prompt the dog into seeking these important nutrients. If your pet pal is eating dirt frequently, your dog’s food may not be giving their body and brain what they need to be healthy enough for proper functioning. As the soil is rich in minerals like calcium, iron, and sodium, they may eat dirt to make up for what their diet lacks.
An underfed dog is also more likely to start eating dirt.
All dogs need proper nutrition. As such, consult veterinary advice to determine what kind of dog food is right for your pet’s breed, age, and any existing health condition.
The best dog food usually meets the stringent criteria of the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) and is manufactured by a reputable company. Exceptional brands include Purina and Royal Canin.
3. Behavioral
Once you’ve determined an underlying health issue or nutritional imbalance isn’t the reason behind your dog’s dirt-eating habits, you can address their behavioral problems.
A lack of physical stimulation. A dog’s dirt-eating habit could be explained by a lack of physical exercise, which can leave the dog with a surplus of pent-up energy. To release this energy, the poor pooch may resort to destructive behavior, from ripping up furniture and chew toys to eating dirt.
Take your dog for regular walks and play games with them so they get lots of exercise. Such physical activities will allow your dog to release pent-up energy as well as keep their body healthy and strong.
A lack of mental stimulation. Boredom may be another reason why dogs eat dirt. In other words, some dogs eat dirt to entertain themselves.
Walking your dog introduces them to various new scents and other mind-nourishing stimuli. Regular training sessions and puzzle toys will keep their minds preoccupied. You should also consider taking them to a pet-friendly park so they have opportunities to meet other dogs and humans. Sniffing all those doggy butts will do wonders for their mental health!
Stress or anxiety. Why do dogs eat dirt? Because they may be stressed or anxious.
When pet parents leave the house, their furry friend may experience separation anxiety, which is often behind odd or destructive dog behavior. In other cases, external stimuli such as a loud noise can make your dog nervous or scared enough that they resort to eating dirt and other non-food items to soothe themselves.
There are various methods to alleviate your dog’s stress and anxiety, including training via positive reinforcement to develop their trust in you, crate training to cultivate their feelings of security, and the ingestion of anti-anxiety medications and supplements. You should also shower your dog with affection so they learn that they’re safe with you. Avoid corporal punishment and yelling at your dog, as these could harm their mental well-being.
Curiosity. Eating dirt to satisfy curiosity is more common among puppies. Like human babies, puppies like to explore things with their mouths, and dirt-eating is a convenient way for a pup to determine what earth is. Thankfully, in a majority of cases, they learn earth isn’t tasty and shouldn’t be ingested. In other cases, the puppy is drawn to dirt when they smell something delicious in it, such as a tiny piece of leftover food.
With proper training through positive reinforcement, a pet parent can dissuade even the most curious dog from eating dirt. Be observant when they’re exploring your yard. If you catch them about to eat dirt, distract them by offering them a chew toy, or with an interrupt command such as “No!” or “Stop!”
The dangers of eating dirt
Seeing a dog eating dirt may be more puzzling than worrying to some pet parents. However, there are legitimate dangers associated with the consumption of earth, soil, and other non-food items.
Intestinal parasites. When your dog eats dirt, they may unwittingly ingest soil-dwelling parasites such as roundworms, hookworms, whipworms, and tapeworms. These worms then stay in the dog’s intestinal tract, where they extract nutrients from the host to cause nutritional deficiencies.
Roundworms are particularly worrisome, as they tend to dig their way into other organs, such as the lungs. In an infected mother, these parasites can tunnel through the uterine wall to infect the unborn litter. In puppies, roundworms can prove fatal.
Symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, lethargy, dehydration, coughing, pneumonia, a swollen abdomen, and nutritional deficiencies.
In addition to stopping your dog from eating dirt through training, regular deworming is necessary if your pet is to avoid contracting these parasites.
Pesticides. Pesticides and other toxins in the soil can poison a dog. Whether or not your dog is eating dirt, make sure to only use pet-friendly bug spray for your pest control.
The ingestion of pesticides can result in numerous problems, such as diarrhea, vomiting, skin irritations, confusion, excessive drinking, rapid breathing, and seizures. The worst cases can even lead to a coma or death. A trip to the veterinarian is strongly recommended if your dog is exhibiting any of these symptoms.
Fertilizers. Fertilizers are generally toxic to canines. Until they’ve learned to control their pets’ behavior, fur parents who observe their dogs eating dirt should avoid using fertilizers on their garden or lawn.
Fertilizer poisoning can cause numerous concerns, including breathing difficulties, vomiting, skin burns, drooling, and gastrointestinal ulceration. Contact a veterinarian as soon as possible if you suspect your dog has consumed fertilizer.
Problems in the gastrointestinal tract. Is eating dirt bad for your dog’s body? Not necessarily. In general, however, eating things that don’t belong in the stomach can cause problems in the gastrointestinal tract – from your dog’s mouth to their anus.
For example, the ingestion of twigs, rocks, and similar objects can lead to blockages in the throat or intestines. Symptoms of gastrointestinal obstruction include coughing, gagging, vomiting up water or food not long after drinking or eating, regurgitation, abdominal pain, lethargy, and a poor appetite. In extreme cases, this issue can only be solved through surgery.
It can also damage the teeth and various parts of the digestive tract, leading to internal injuries and inflammation.
When to take your pet to the vet
Observe your pet’s habits. If you catch them gobbling up soil once or twice, they may just be trying to destress or entertain themselves. Use tried-and-tested training techniques to prevent the reoccurrence of this behavior.
If your pooch consumes dirt religiously, give your vet a call and ask for advice. You may be required to bring your pet to the clinic for a checkup.
You should also contact your vet if your dog begins behaving differently after ingesting dirt. This is regardless of how often you’ve seen them engaging in the behavior, as dogs can develop one or more medical issues even if they’ve swallowed dirt only once in their lives.
As discussed above, there are many symptoms you can watch out for. For your convenience, here are some of the most common signs that there are medical reasons behind your pet’s odd behavior:
- Lethargy
- Weakness
- Decreased appetite
- Frequent vomiting, and/or vomiting almost immediately after eating or drinking
- Diarrhea
- Excessive panting
- Excessive drooling
- Skin problems
- Breathing difficulty
- Weight loss or weight gain
- Frequent urination
- Frequent drinking
Final thoughts…
So why do dogs eat dirt? The answers range from an underlying health issue to vitamin deficiencies to a lack of training to severe anxiety.
Remember: a trip to the vet is necessary if your dog simply won’t stop eating dirt, and especially if they start exhibiting any symptoms pointing to a medical condition or nutritional imbalance. Use training and exercise to discourage your dog from eating dirt. By keeping the information we discussed in this article in mind, you can ensure your dog’s health and happiness!