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My dog eats dirt and licks her mouth. Is it safe? What about wildlife?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Husky | Female | spayed | 4 years old | 73 lbs

My Gurl dog plays in the dirt and always is licking her mouth after why and should I worry we have squirrels along the fence were she goes to so should I worry are is she just playing

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

Veterinarian

Published on March 1st, 2022

Based on the possible consequences of eating substances in the dirt, I would say that it's bad if Alpine dirt. Lip licking alone can be a sign of nausea in dogs, but with what you've described, it's most likely that she's eating something she shouldn't. So yes, you should be concerned about this and try to stop her from doing it.

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    Answered By Lauren Jones VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It's most likely that Alpine is finding something to eat in your yard if she's licking her lips afterwards. It may not be pleasant to think about, but many dogs eat the feces of other animals or other debris (sticks, leaves, etc.) outside. Parasites can be transmitted if she's eating stool from infected animals, so I'd recommend taking one of her stool samples to your vet so that they can send it to the lab to check for microscopic evidence of parasites. Additionally, leptospirosis is a bacterial disease that can be transmitted through the urine of infected animals - particularly wildlife, including squirrels. Be sure to keep Alpine's leptospirosis vaccine up to date to minimize the likelihood of her acquiring this disease.

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