Why does my dog eat dirt, and is it a sign of a mineral deficiency?

Question

Why do my dogs eat dirt? What mineral are they missing? They take a multivitamin.

Joy Fuhrman, DVM, MBA, CPA · Accepted Answer

This behavior does not necessarily suggest that your dogs are deficient in any mineral. Some dogs eat dirt (or even rocks!) for no particular reason. First make sure that there is nothing on the dirt such as barbecue grease or other foods. Second, you can try spraying a deterrent such as bitter apple onto the dirt. If neither of these techniques work, you may need to fence off the dirt area and only allow them on grass or concrete surfaces.

Why does my dog eat dirt, and is it a sign of a mineral deficiency?

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