dog eating soil

[encee]

my sister in laws dog keeps eating soil and this time collapsed by swallowing a stone.thank god the dog is ok because it was brought up again.he is not eating dog soil it is mainly compost or everyday dirt he finds outside he has also picked some up and carried it indoors.does anyone have any ideas as only advise as yet is vitamins because nobody knows what else to suggest.has anybody else had a similar problem.cheers and thanks in advance.by the way he is not poorly in any other way.healthy appettite but thinning hair which has been treated by vet.

[pmjblue]

How old is the dog? - one possibility is that the soil eating is due to a deficiency of a mineral substance in its diet. What is his usual food? If it is a complete diet it should contain all the nutrients required. Another possibility if his diet is not lacking any nutrients, is that he has a problem with his metabolism that is either preventing absorbtion, and preventing the use of or increasing the loss of minerals. I would suggest that you mention it to to your vet. Some useful things to note before you go are the amount that he drinks has it changed at all, does he drink more or less than before he had this habit and is his appetite normal? And also any other changes in behaviour.

[thugulike]

All my dogs have eaten the compost I make myself. It's purely vegetable matter and doesn't harm them. It seems to be irresistable to them. I do try to keep them away though. Hope your dog is OK