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The Dog Eats Earth – Causes and Consequences

Animals know how to use nature as a pharmacy. This also applies to dogs, which have been domesticated for thousands of years but have retained their instincts. If your dog starts eating grass or dirt, something is wrong and your animal will seek relief naturally.

The Most Important Things Summarized

  • If your dog eats dirt, it can have very different causes. Your four-legged friend usually tries to relieve stomach or intestinal problems with it.
  • Eating grass or dirt is a natural instinct of dogs. The behavior is by no means problematic.
  • If the behavior persists over a longer period of time, it makes sense to visit a veterinarian and use a blood test or a stool sample to determine what is wrong with the animal.

Possible Causes if Your Dog Eats Dirt

When your dog eats dirt, it is usually trying to reduce a physical imbalance with its symptoms such as nausea and vomiting, abdominal pain, or heartburn. Their occurrence has very different causes:

  • unsuitable feed
  • nutrient-poor feed
  • a metabolic disorder
  • a worm or parasite infestation
  • boredom
  • dental problems
  • stress, e.g. B. by moving
  • changing from one type of feed to another too quickly

Puppies and young dogs will try it out first and eat dirt just out of curiosity. Instinct only develops over time.

Feed Change as a Cause of Stomach Problems

Unlike humans, a dog’s stomach has to get used to a change in food slowly. After all, a new feed is accompanied by a changed nutrient composition.

It can take up to 2-4 weeks for your dog to get used to new food and eat grass or dirt again and again during this time. However, if this behavior persists, your four-legged friend either does not tolerate the new food or is missing certain nutrients.

Different Soils for Different Problems

Earth is not equal to earth. While some strains help miracles heal faster, others counteract deficiency symptoms. A dog instinctively knows which soil the body needs at the moment.

  • Loamy earth protects the gastric mucosa and at the same time reduces acidity in the stomach. At the same time, clay has a detoxifying effect.
  • Types of soil such as forest soil, compost, or potting soil reduce symptoms in the intestinal tract. The enriched soil with its valuable enzymes gets the intestines going and at the same time relieves nausea.

You Can do That About It

When your dog eats dirt, it usually indicates a problem. By being admitted, your animal relieves its symptoms in the short term – you are responsible for the long-term treatment. A veterinarian can use a blood test or blood sample to quickly determine if your dog is lacking in minerals, enzymes, or vitamins – and then take the right action.

If nausea persists, a change in diet is often sufficient. Not every dog ​​tolerates every food equally well and not every food offers all nutrients in sufficient quantities. The additives that are added to the feed often trigger allergies and intolerances.

Eating dirt is an instinct that you can’t just train your dog out of. It is much more important to determine the causes and to take the right measures. However, there are also some dogs that simply eat dirt because they like it. Under certain circumstances, a treat can help to distract the four-legged friend.

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