Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 For the longest while now Macy has the urge to always eat moist dirt / mud and I can't seem to keep her from doing it. I yank her away and say, "NO", but she always goes back doing it. It's crazy at the dog park. I spend 75% of the time running after her to stop the dirty deed. Even other dog owners have gotten into it when they see her do it. On top of that even Ally has begun to do the same. Is mud eating a Husky thing and if not what the heck can I do about it? Just to be clear, it's not only at the dog park. She'll scratch the grass until she hits the stuff and come up with mouth fulls of it. A miracle solution would be greatly appreciated!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
valkyries Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 sorry can't help here none of mine do it but i'm sure someone can help xxxx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leyka&Diva Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 same here none of mine do it either. but could it be do to with something missing from there diet may [MENTION=3404]SolitaryHowl[/MENTION] could help you ?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 We feed Macy TOTW and, IMO, one of the best foods on the market. Do you all think the food may be the problem? I try not to make a big deal out of it, but can't stand seeing her eat mouth fulls of the stuff. She doesn't even barf it back up. Weird!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjwrx Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Panda does the same although not constantly at the park, once hes had enough playing he will go dig and eat mud. Panda was on Acana before and now ToTW, had this behavior while on both. It`s not mud all the time, he digs and i see him eatting something but hard to tell in the dark lol. From what i read it could be a nutrient deficiency, boredom, hunger etc, haven't been able to pinpoint the which particular one, maybe someone else with more knowledge can chime in Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Panda does the same although not constantly at the park, once hes had enough playing he will go dig and eat mud. Panda was on Acana before and now ToTW, had this behavior while on both. It`s not mud all the time, he digs and i see him eatting something but hard to tell in the dark lol. From what i read it could be a nutrient deficiency, boredom, hunger etc, haven't been able to pinpoint the which particular one, maybe someone else with more knowledge can chime in I've read many reasons why they do it, but it's hard to pinpoint exactly what the reason is... I just thought someone may have a "Quick Fix" for this behavior. Good to know I'm not alone. I don't want her to catch anything bad especially at the dog park... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Povodny Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 My lot will have a scratch an a nibble, but not to the extent you're describing. Usually on the side of the rugby pitch. Some patch will pique their interest and they'll start digging.. This behaviour doesn't endear us to the real rugby enthusiasts. They usually stop if I keep standing on the scratch patch or move off. Until they find another patch. I did find this Taste Some dogs develop a taste for dirt because the dirt in their environment is especially tasty. If there are snails or other small critters in the dirt that the dog likes to munch on, the dirt that comes along with these little snacks may just be part of the meal. Dirt that contains compost or fish residue fertilizers can also be particularly appealing to dogs. it also mentioned behavioural, boredom and deficiencies but you've already considered those Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 My lot will have a scratch an a nibble, but not to the extent you're describing. Usually on the side of the rugby pitch. Some patch will pique their interest and they'll start digging.. This behaviour doesn't endear us to the real rugby enthusiasts. They usually stop if I keep standing on the scratch patch or move off. Until they find another patch. I did find this Taste Some dogs develop a taste for dirt because the dirt in their environment is especially tasty. If there are snails or other small critters in the dirt that the dog likes to munch on, the dirt that comes along with these little snacks may just be part of the meal. Dirt that contains compost or fish residue fertilizers can also be particularly appealing to dogs. it also mentioned behavioural, boredom and deficiencies but you've already considered those Thanks for your personal experience and other reasons why. She does seem to come up with worms when searching. maybe that's it, but then how to resolve that issue... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LittleLuka Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Luka does this occasionally. Not really sure why, but it is disgusting. He prefers massive clumps of mud. No idea, but he doesn't do it frequently so i don't worry too much about it. Interested to see if there is a cause though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Luka does this occasionally. Not really sure why, but it is disgusting. He prefers massive clumps of mud. No idea, but he doesn't do it frequently so i don't worry too much about it. Interested to see if there is a cause though. Many reasons, but hard to pinpoint. Maybe I should switch from TOTW to another brand of food, then again, all her nutritional needs should be covered with TOTW. Very confused!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyMom09 Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Dirt surfing and other forms of unsavory eating behavior does not always indicate a nutritional deficit. Some do it just because they find it enjoyable. This can be frustrating as owners to pin point and figure out how to 'fix'. I don't believe it's a food issue since I agree with you that TOTW is probably one of the best foods on the market today. What kind of structured exercise (mental and physical both) does your dog get? Sometimes dirt eating can be a boredom issue. Some of the other causes of dirt eating can include parasites, has your dog been wormed recently? It might be worth updating if not. Hypothyroidism, liver disease, anemia, pancreas issues, all can also cause dirt eating, it might be time to consult your vet to rule out any medical reason as well- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Dirt surfing and other forms of unsavory eating behavior does not always indicate a nutritional deficit. Some do it just because they find it enjoyable. This can be frustrating as owners to pin point and figure out how to 'fix'. I don't believe it's a food issue since I agree with you that TOTW is probably one of the best foods on the market today. What kind of structured exercise (mental and physical both) does your dog get? Sometimes dirt eating can be a boredom issue. Some of the other causes of dirt eating can include parasites, has your dog been wormed recently? It might be worth updating if not. Hypothyroidism, liver disease, anemia, pancreas issues, all can also cause dirt eating, it might be time to consult your vet to rule out any medical reason as well- Thanks for the response. Macy just had her annual vet visit last week and passed with flying colors. Even had her poo examined with no issues. I forgot to mention the problem to my vet so that's why I'm asking here on the forum. Macy receives no less than 3 hours + exercise per day in the combination of walks and trips to the dog park. So, again, don't know where to begin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuskyMom09 Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Thanks for the response. Macy just had her annual vet visit last week and passed with flying colors. Even had her poo examined with no issues. I forgot to mention the problem to my vet so that's why I'm asking here on the forum. Macy receives no less than 3 hours + exercise per day in the combination of walks and trips to the dog park. So, again, don't know where to begin... Have you had any blood work done? I know one of my friends took one of her her dogs in for a pre-race physical, they did blood work even though he was happy healthy himself and discovered he had cancer. He died 2 weeks after that....I'd almost want to see actual blood work to rule things we can't see out. Beyond that start thinking behavioral/mental. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kech Posted October 19, 2012 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 Now you have me on the scared side with the talk of cancer, but I do see the point about the blood test. Can't rule anything out at this point... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BingBlaze n Skyla Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 I know you said you forgot to mention it to your vet but could u give them a call to ask for some advice? If blaze is on our back garden n gets bored he tries picking up the dirt with his mouth but I'm not seen him actually eat it just pick it up Sent from my ST18i using Forum Runner Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elyse Posted October 19, 2012 Report Share Posted October 19, 2012 I agree with HuskyMom, with what she said about getting a full checkup at the vet (bloodwork, etc) (Sorry I couldn't respond sooner - just got discharged from the hospital!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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