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Why does my dog eat grass and dirt? Is it safe, or should I stop her?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Female | spayed | 36 lbs

Our dog grazes like a goat. She loves to eat grass and she also digs a hole and eats the dirt. She never vomits afterwards, so we're curious why she does that. Do we keep letting her eat grass and dirt, or make her stop?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

Licensed Veterinary Technician

Published on July 28th, 2017

It is fine to let her graze on grass as long as it isn't treated with fertilizers or insecticide. Try to prevent her from eating dirt though. This can happen if she is trying to correct a nutritional deficiency. Review her diet with your veterinarian and monitor her when she is outdoors.

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 12th, 2017

    Sometimes dogs eat grass because they simply like the taste, but it can also be a sign of intestinal worms or making up for a nutritional deficiency. Eating dirt can be a sign of intestinal worms or nutritional deficiency as well. Make sure your dogs are up to date on their deworming treatments, giving them one if they are not. Also feed them a high quality dog food. Brands I recommend including Royal Canin, Hill's Science diet, Purina ProPlan, and Iams. It would also be good to have them checked out by a vet for a health check. I hope this helps :-)

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