In the magazine article, veterinarian Judy Morgan says that “…dogs with IBD could be eating dirt because they are trying to get more minerals to help deal with anemia.” Inflammation in the bowel can lead to bleeding. Known as IBD, this syndrome is caused by a specific reaction to chronic irritation of the intestinal tract. While it’s more common for puppies to have hookworms, dogs of any age can be exposed to these parasites in the environment or if they are not on a heartworm preventative.Īccording to an article in Dogs Naturally magazine, when dogs seek out minerals and vitamins found in the soil it could be a signal that they are suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. Anemia can be caused by a variety of things such as hookworms, flea infestations, tick disease, cancer, or bleeding disorders. And according to PetMD, any anemia, if severe enough, can cause a dog to eat dirt.
Behavioral issues can also cause dogs to eat dirtĭogs suffer from anemia when their bodies don’t produce enough red blood cells. In addition, make sure to visit your veterinarian for a check up every 6 months. Offer your dog adequate preventive medicine, always respecting its vaccination and periodic deworming schedule. Enrich your dog’s environment so that your dog can expel energy effectively and safely. Provide your dog with adequate mental stimulation, intelligence games and / or dog activities. Never tease or joke with your dog with the use of objects such as stones, as this will lead your dog to believe they are okay to ingest. Always use appropriate toys when playing with your dog. Offer your dog enough physical activity, always respecting the type and quantity of exercise most appropriate to your dog's age. Provide your dog with a complete and balanced diet, according to its nutritional requirements (per age, breed and size). We recommend paying attention to these following guidelines in order to prevent your dog from eating rocks, stones and foreign bodies: For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about deworming dogs. If you notice that your dog is showing symptoms of intestinal parasites such as scratching or dragging of its bum, as well as eating rocks, consult your veterinarian as soon as possible. Parasite infestation: several studies indicate that, in the wild, dogs eat plants or herbs to eliminate infestation of intestinal parasites. A dog prefers to be punished than not receive attention at all.This generally only occurs in extreme cases. Demand for attention: dogs that spend a lot hours alone or do not receive enough attention may consume stones or other inedible objects (as well as act inappropriately) to attract the attention of their guardians. Is your dog stressed? Find out by reading our list of 10 signs your dog is stressed. This type of behavior is incredibly common in shelter dogs. A stressed or anxious dog will try to release this pent up energy by chewing excessively or eating rocks. Stress and anxiety: stress in dogs can be caused by various things, such as lack of exercise, confinement, lack of mental stimulation, constant punishment, etc. Ideally, you should use this as an opportunity to teach your dog to release objects with positive reinforcement and without force. However, you should never remove a stone from your dog’s mouth with force, as this may cause it to swallow the rock quickly. 
While this is somewhat normal it is not acceptable behavior. Discovery in puppies: is your puppy eating gravel? It is totally normal that, in the puppy stage, that dogs nibble and accidentally ingest all kinds of different objects, including stones.For more, read why does my dog eat everything in sight? Pica in dogs: pica syndrome in dogs (obsessive behavior) is a pathology that causes the ingestion of all kinds of food, including dirt, rocks and stones.
There are many reasons why a dog eats stones, however, here we list the most common causes of a dog eating rocks:
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