# Heidi is eating dirt!



## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Several times, I have caught Heidi eating dirt in the backyard! It is in a particular spot where she lays, and unbeknownst to her (I hope) the ashes of two cats are buried under there. Any ideas on why she is doing this? Could she be needing iron in her diet or something? I tell her to stop it.


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## 1sttimeforgsd (Jul 29, 2010)

Mine have always eat dirt, and they eat grass often also, as far as I know it has never been harmful to them.


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## Daisy&Lucky's Mom (Apr 24, 2011)

The girls(Chevy and Thunder have always eaten dirt, particularly potting soil which I do everything to stop. Lucky recently started eating dirt. I assumed their lacking something in their diet. I was going to start a thread but Ill just watch yours . Thanks Bridget. My four GSDs all ate grass. My husband call them German Heifer hounds.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

Mine does the same thing, but every year in the spring, she comes down with some mysterious illness that at one point, she was thisclose to dying

I do not spray my yard / no chemicals..At one point, the "illness" was possibly diagnosed as getting some type of bacteria / fungus out of the soil in the spring when all the stuff is coming alive.

With that, I have had her on Nutramin, something suggested to me a few months ago. I have not seen her eating dirt again..It contains alot of essential minerals.


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## TigervTeMar (Jan 4, 2014)

my guy goes for this spot of reddish clay/soil. I was wondering if he's after minerals. he got diarrhea for no apparent reason on my carpet (on my birthday) so I usually stop him eating sticks or dirt


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## ScoutyScout (Mar 31, 2014)

I thought Scout was just eating dirt until I realized my neighbour's cat uses our front garden as a litter box ... now I keep her away from there! Any chance there are cats in your area doing the same?!


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

I think it might be grubs. That is the conclusion I came to with mine. I believe they can feel the vibration and know exactly where to get a snack.


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## Bridget (Apr 5, 2004)

Wow, lots of interesting ideas! Thanks everybody. Sounds like, with the exception of Diane's dog, none of them have suffered too much from it. Makes me feel better anyhow.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

llombardo, you could very well be right about the grubs,,I see Masi and Jag when he was here, go for the dead looking grass spots, not huge spots, and rip the grass/dirt whatever UP and eat it...


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Two of my girls are off their feed, but perfectly happy to ingest toys. I am ready to throw in the towel. If they had dirt available to them, they'd probably be eating that. 

Other people have had no problem with the new Diamond formulas, but they added a bunch of antioxidents, etc., supposedly to make the stuff better. But, they didn't raise the price, and, there isn't any Santa Claus. So, I have been sticking it out, hoping that they adjust to the new formula, but its like they just don't like it anymore. 

Ah well, maybe I should add some dirt. They'd probably eat it then.


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

mine are on the grain free diamonds, and love it, Masi is on the salmon based and Kizzy on the turkey..have you tried the salmon? It rather 'smells' so I'm sure that's why masi likes it, plus she does like fish


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

No, I haven't tried it. Fish smell makes me hurl. I think the grain free varieties are more expensive, but I will check them out.


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## KaiserandStella (Feb 27, 2014)

Bridget said:


> Several times, I have caught Heidi eating dirt in the backyard! It is in a particular spot where she lays, and unbeknownst to her (I hope) the ashes of two cats are buried under there. Any ideas on why she is doing this? Could she be needing iron in her diet or something? I tell her to stop it.


It could be a sign of a deficiency, out of boredom, or rarely, a symptom of an underlining health issue. Increase the nutritional value of the food she is eating or add some supplements and see if she stops. If not, look into the other possibilities. It's gross but most likely eating a little dirt is not going to cause her any harm.


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## charger (Jan 29, 2008)

Mine eats dirt occasionally, sometimes the clay like river mud. I had to take him to the emergency vet because he was blocked up with it.
Couldn't poop and was throwing up, if I had been at work that day he would have died.


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## Debanneball (Aug 28, 2014)

My vet told me dirt won't hurt him...but to watch the sticks and acorns. Bummer, Fritz thinks dirt, sticks, wood of any kind and acorns are better than his food!


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