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puppy eating weeds and dirt

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DAS
New User

Feb 1, 2006, 4:42 AM

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puppy eating weeds and dirt	Can't Post

Another problem I thought went away when the ground froze. but with the warm weather we have had it is back. I was just wondering if anyone knows if this could be some vitamin deficency. Every time he goes out it takes him forever to go. Not just the regular sniffing to find the right spot, but bitting at the ground and pulling up grass or weeds maybe with dirt and eating it. We say no, and pull him to a different spot. We can be out there forever until he goes. Its like hes on the hunt for something. We have made him wait a little when he first asks to go out thinking he might have to go really bad then. No luck there. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

supermutts
K9 Senior

Feb 7, 2006, 6:37 AM

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Re: [DAS] puppy eating weeds and dirt [In reply to]	Can't Post

i think this is normal pup behaviour, they are playfull and inquisitive, u just have to be patient n' train him/her all the time, whack him with a roll up news paper, always accompany him when u bring him out. dun let him play outside alone.

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leecy
Ultra ALPHA

Feb 7, 2006, 9:20 PM

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Re: [DAS] puppy eating weeds and dirt [In reply to]	Can't Post

dogs do eat grass sometimes when they are sick, this is their "traditional" way by eating grass & vomit it out. some says there might be a missing link for the food you provide thus they are looking for the "need". May I know what food you currently feeding?

Regards,

Yang

DAS
New User

Feb 8, 2006, 4:36 AM

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Re: [leecy] puppy eating weeds and dirt [In reply to]	Can't Post

Thank you for the responses. To me this doesn't seem like the regular dog eating grass because its stomach is upset. This is our third dog but and I have to say this little guy has raised more questions in my mind than ever before. This is only one of them. He sniffs out areas and then goes crazy pulling the area out. What ever he is attracted to he can't smell when the ground is frozen We always take him out on a leash. We did make him a fenced area but had to stop putting him in it because he would dig and bury his whole little white face in it like he was digging to China. We are feeding him Purina One Puppy Formula. Its a lamb and rice based food. Which we always fed our other dogs. We also thought this would be best because he has some skin thing going on where has chewed hair off areas. He is scheduled for allergy testing too. Thank you in advance for any responses.

PangurBan
Old Kaki

Feb 8, 2006, 6:29 AM

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Re: [DAS] puppy eating weeds and dirt [In reply to]	Can't Post

It would appear that the skin problems afflicting your Bichon Fris� is not at all uncommon. One website has this to say:

"Many Bichons scratch and chew themselves into horrendous skin disorders. They are often allergic to fleas, chemicals, grass, pollen, and so on."

I would suspect that the compulsive digging and eating of weeds and dirt is the dog's way of trying to compensate for some deficiency or imbalance in his diet. This is not to say that what you're feeding her is inherently imbalanced or deficient. But given that your dog suffers from a couple of health problems, he might have special requirements for nutrients which are not provided for by a normal diet. There might also be some underlying condition that's not presenting any symptoms yet that's giving rise to this putative imbalance/deficiency.

It is possible that the commercial dog food you are feeding him is aggravating an underlying allergic response or is itself the trigger for the allergy he suffers from. In many ways, commercial dog food might not be the best diet for your dog, particularly if he is inherently prone to allergies. There are any number of possible triggers in commercial kibble or canned food. There's a vast literature on the subject out there on the web. Your best bet would be to experiment with different brands of kibble, esp those that use none or a minimal amount of preservatives and artificial flavouring and those that are minimally processed, and above all, brands which guarantee you high quality ingredients. Some argue that the cereal content in most commercial kibble contributes to allergy problems. The argument is that the dog's digestive tract is not designed to handle cereals. Another thing you might consider is a barf diet. My schnauzer suffered from flaky skin, bumps, and bald patches and she scratched furiously. All that's gone away after a month on a barf diet, supplemented by the occasional cooked meal, and strictly no kibble.

I'm not trying to trash kibble here. Some dogs seem to do very well on high quality kibble. But for some dogs with a tendency to allergies and skin problems, kibble might not be ideal.

All best,

Pangur B�n