The main causes for a dog eating dirt include. Putting a bit more effort into quality time with your pooch should reduce the mud eating.
Grass dirt leaves sticks feces from geese rabbits deer and other animals and sometimes rocks garbage or anything else they find when on a walk or out in the back yard.
How to stop dog from eating mud. How to Stop Your Dog Eating Dirt. There are four steps that you can take to stop your dog from eating dirt. Keep your dog mentally stimulated.
Exercise your dog frequently. Get a health check. To begin with especially if you have any concerns about their general health is to take your dog to their veterinarian for a health check.
Ingesting dirt is a fairly common behavior among dogs. Whether your dog eats soil from pots or eat dirt directly from your garden attention needs to be paid. The main causes for a dog eating dirt include.
Pica syndrome in dogs. Pica syndrome is one of several eating disorders that a dog can suffer from. Pica syndrome manifests as the desire to ingest non-edible substances such as dirt.
Your dog is in good company with over two hundred other species partaking in a soil snack from time to time. Suppose its true that eating dirt is an adaptive behavior. That our dogs and other animals eat it to combat toxins or nutritional imbalances then theres no reason to stop your dog from eating the occasional dirt snack.
If the mulch your dog has taken an interest in has particularly large wood chips you will want to do what you can to keep your dog away from it. Mulch due to its moist nature can also carry molds in it. Not only can it carry mold but it can also contain residual pesticides as well.
On the behavior side make sure your dog is getting enough physical and mental exercise to curb dirt eating that stems from boredom. If all else fails denying access to favorite dirt-eating. Lastly a dog that eats dirt is prone to digging and other destructive behavior.
Steps to Keep Your Dog from Eating Dirt. Supervise your dogs when they are outside. Dogs who are left alone can get into all sorts of trouble.
Restrict your dogs when you cant watch them. Using a crate is a great way to prevent unwanted behaviors like eating dirt. If however your dog is more of a casual dirt eater Birch suggests trying the following.
Make sure your dog has adequate physical exercise every single day. Dogs that are well exercised are more relaxed and they get into far less trouble she says. The easiest thing to do is provide your dog with a high-quality diet and if the behavior continues consult a vet to confirm that there is no underlying reason why your dog insists on eating poop over something more wholesome.
There are however further steps you can take without professional help. Basic Commands and Instructions. Manage your dog when outside.
Walk your pooch on a leash and watch out for any dirt-eating tendency. Scold them once with a high tone of your voice to make it clear to them that they are not supposed to engage in this kind of activity. You can also try the distraction technique by offering them a treat if they leave the dirt.
Step 2 - Detox the system provide minerals At this point you have the option to wait for the hair test results or start your best friend on an herbal liver detox and a plant-based mineral supplement. If your dog stops eating dirt it means that toxicity and deficiency were the main problems. If the habit continues here is what you can do.
Give your grass-loving pup an alternative to satiate its craving. For instance you can provide a patch or a container of healthy wheatgrass for your dog to munch. Pet-supply stores often have grass- and herb-growing kits available that are safe for dogs as well.
Be sure your dog is getting enough exercise each day. Encouraging the Behavior Try to distract your dog away from the mud by interacting with him more or initiating playtime. A bored dog usually has too much pent-up energy which can often lead to misbehavior.
Putting a bit more effort into quality time with your pooch should reduce the mud eating. Coger says that adding bones may stop the dirt eating in cases where a raw diet is being fed without bones. You could use bone meal or other mineral supplements if feeding of meaty bones is not possible Coger says.
My preferred nutritional bones are chicken necks chicken backs duck necks chicken thighs or quarters and chicken wings. Provide a distraction whenever your dog starts eating dirt. You can distract them with a verbal command or a loud noise or by offering a toy to chew on instead.
Leash your dog whenever you go outside so you can lead them away from areas with exposed soil. Remove indoor potted plants or place them well out of your pups reach. Unsealed floors can soak up moisture including spills urine and dirty water.
When it comes to a muddy dog often the mud will transfer due to your dogs paws being wet as well as muddy. When choosing a wooden floor sealer its a good idea to choose one which is hard-wearing as dog claws can create scratches that look like damage. A common complaint among those living with puppies is that they eat everything they can when outside.
Grass dirt leaves sticks feces from geese rabbits deer and other animals and sometimes rocks garbage or anything else they find when on a walk or out in the back yard.