Eating grass and dirt

[Laura D]

I realize some of the reasons that dogs eat grass, but when my harlequins go outside, they all dig up clumps of grass and dirt and sit there chomping away. They remind me of a bunch of cows out in the pasture. It's quite a sight, and I don't even live in the country Does anyone know of something I can sprinkle in the grass that deters them from wanting to do this, maybe something out our kitchen cabinet.

[runlikethewind]

Two things... dog do things instinctively. They self medicate and eating grass can either just taste good and/or have a medicinal benefit... so you don't want to stop them from having access to grass. It's normal for dogs to eat a bit of grass every now and then. You should not stop this.

Secondly, but most importantly I think, you say they eat DIRT and A LOT of grass, that suggests something may be amiss with their diets or with their digestion.. Eating DIRT is not right. What food do they get?

[Laura D]

My great danes get Eagle Pack large breed puppy and my oldest gets Eagle Pack large breed adult. Do you think I should talk to the vet about this? They have always had good check ups. Their coats are shiny and they have a lot of energy, however, if you think there is a problem, I would really like to solve this. I do want to mention that they don't eat dry dirt. It is usually moist dirt/mud with grass, never just dirt alone.

[runlikethewind]

Are they sick afterwards?

[Nettle]

There's a great book called "Wild Health" by Cindy Engel, which goes into depth about earth eating by animals, and even people too! It is usually to settle digestive upsets but sometimes done for the minerals in areas where certain minerals are lacking.

It is highly unlikely that your dogs are lacking in any minerals, but stomach-ache is common. In your position I'd look at their food - what are you feeding?

You can add raw or lightly-cooked green vegetables, apples and/or pears, or pumpkin to your dogs' food, whatever else they eat, and it should help with this.

[runlikethewind]

Nettle - thanks I didnt know that. That book was recommended to me.. I didnt know dog ate soil so I stand corrected. The OP feeds Eagle Pack.

[Nettle]

Please would someone list the ingredients in the food? Thank you.

[Laura D]

The ingredients for Eagle Pack Giant and Large Breed Puppy food is:

Lamb Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Ground White Rice, Ground Yellow Corn, Chicken Meal, Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Fat (Preserved with Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Anchovy & Sardine Meal, Flaxseed, Brewers Dried Yeast, Menhaden Fish Oil, Dried Egg Product, Wheat Germ Meal, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Inulin, DL-Methionine, Beta-Carotene, Vitamins [Vitamin A Supplement, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Niacin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Folic Acid, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Biotin], Minerals [Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Cobalt Carbonate, Potassium Iodate, Sodium Selenite], Choline Chloride, Dried Kelp, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei, Enterococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilus, Bacillus licheniformis, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger Fermentation Products, Mixed Tocopherols (a natural preservative).

[Nettle]

Thank you

I see a lot of cereal (rice, maize, oatmeal) artfully split up so that it appears that the main ingredient is "lamb meal". It's not a bad list of ingredients - I've seen far worse - but there are some ingredients that can upset some dogs. Maize is a prime suspect, as is sugar beet pulp, and there are quite a few dubious chemical additives further down the list.

So - try feeding more veg and see what happens.