Why Do Dogs Eat Roots And Dirt. Of particular concern is iron deficiency which is one of the most common reasons why dogs eat dirt for nutrition. This tendency to eat plants shows up in your dogs behavior too. If a dog is only compulsively consuming dirt or soil its known as geophagia. While the plasma levels of minerals fluctuate these minerals are sealed in the hair of your dog and can be measured with extremely high accuracy.
Dogs do all manner of things that seem nonsensical and strange to us and weve covered quite a few of these in our blog over the years. This behavior is not normal and requires veterinary attention. The main causes for a dog eating dirt include. Soil otherwise known as mud and earth is the brown stuff underneath the grass and pretty much everywhere there isnt concrete or rock. Others eat it to self medicate when feeling GI upset. Are air diffusers bad for dogs.
In fact many wild canines also eat roots grasses and berries in addition to the meat they kill or scavenge.
A dog that eats anything other than meat pica may actually have some low red blood cell count. Its possible dogs eat dirt because they are bored and some physical exertion can help. Some say its because they know their stomach is upset or that they need to vomit. Others eat it to self medicate when feeling GI upset. If a dog is only compulsively consuming dirt or soil its known as geophagia. Dogs in other words.