My dog eats dirt and sand. Is he lacking nutrients or is this normal?

Question

Hi Doc, Maximus has decided to eat sand. We have clay type soil. Should I be worried in that he is missing some sort of nutrient from his diet or is this “normal”? He doesn’t eat much. Scratches the ground, has a few bites and walks away. Please advise. Thank you kindly. Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | 8 years and 3 months old | 41 lbs

Ricardo Fernandez, DVM · Accepted Answer

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can sometimes point out the possibility of a gastrointestinal condition and just like you pointed out it can be some lack of a nutrient or something in the diet. I think a good place to start would be changing his diet to something else to see if that makes a difference. If no difference is noted, I recommend that you have him evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Otherwise, start by changing his diet to something like a Purina Pro Plan or Hill's Science Diet product that tend to be very complete diets. Also, try to avoid him eating the sand as that could result in gastrointestinal upset or obstruction. Good luck!

My dog eats dirt and sand. Is he lacking nutrients or is this normal?

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