While observing your dog in his daily activities, you notice that he regularly eats dirt? This little habit can quickly turn out to be dangerous for your companion. He ingests substances that are potentially harmful to his body. It is therefore important to understand why your dog eats dirt, so that you can remedy the situation.
Puppy’s thirst for discovery
Just like the oral stage in babies, puppies need to discover the world around them by putting everything in their mouths. You have probably already noticed that chewing on anything and everything amuses them, but also allows them to understand what is edible and what is not!
The earth proves to be interesting, the dogs scratch it with their paws, and thus reveal, some interesting flavors for their overdeveloped sense of smell. That’s all it takes for the puppy to quietly enjoy the fresh soil of the garden or the green plant!
If you don’t have to worry about it in the first months, you have to make sure that your dog doesn’t persevere beyond 5/6 months.
Your dog is bored and lets you know it
A dog that is left alone for a long time during the day, without a playmate, and that does not go for regular walks, will soon become bored. Repeated punitive or even aggressive behavior by a master towards his dog can lead to behavioral problems in the animal.
A dog that suffers from loneliness or stress will look for different ways to attract its owner’s attention. To express its discomfort, but also to take advantage of the contact that the situation can bring. Eating dirt will undoubtedly lead to dirt in the house, and give rise to reprimands and punishments, if the facts are repeated. Meanwhile, the master pays attention to the actions of his pet and the dog has understood this. To continue, it is the hope for him, to see his sufferings understood, and that his master finds a solution there.
He wants to fill his hunger or possible deficiencies
Your dog’s diet must satisfy all his needs, depending on his age and activity. Even if it is not the most common cause, your dog may feel hungry during the day. Eating dirt (or something else) may be a way for him to fill his stomach and achieve a temporary feeling of satiety.
In the same way, if your pet does not find enough minerals in the composition of his bowl, he will tend to look for them elsewhere. Indispensable for proper bone development, brain function and energy intake, trace elements, minerals and vitamins must be present in sufficient and proportionate quantities in your dog’s diet. Turn to your veterinarian, he will be able to advise you, in order to adapt the diet of your animal, so that he stops eating earth.
He has Pica syndrome
You have already reviewed all the above cases and your dog continues to eat dirt? He may be suffering from Pica, a serious eating disorder that causes the dog to eat anything and everything. All these inedible substances, and not providing any mineral or vitamin benefit: plastic, wood, paper or even electrical wires can end up in the body of your pet and cause irreversible damage.
Pica is usually the result of a sudden trauma, a situation of intense stress, modifying the usual canine behavior. It can also be explained by bad eating habits, another disease or the beginning of senile dementia. The syndrome can occur at any time in the life of our pet and must necessarily make you react.
A quick consultation with a veterinarian is essential, in association with the advice of a canine behaviorist. The latter will be able, in the absence of any other disease, to help you restore the psychological and emotional balance of your animal, so that it finds a healthy and adapted diet.
