Hercules and the Very Expensive Dirt Habit

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Hercules came to us when he was approximately three months old. Like most puppies, he was curious, busy, and perfectly capable of turning almost anything into entertainment.

Then he started eating dirt.

And I don’t mean an occasional lick after digging a hole. Hercules was taking actual mouthfuls of dirt and eating them as though I had somehow overlooked a perfectly good item on his menu.

At first, it was strange. Then it became concerning.

Off to the veterinarian we went.

When “puppies are weird” wasn’t a good enough answer

Hercules had multiple veterinary visits, blood draws, and tests as we tried to understand what was happening. After a considerable amount of investigation—and a considerable amount of money—his veterinarian diagnosed him with iron-deficiency anemia.

Of course, my puppy had to choose something complicated.

Anemia means the body does not have an adequate number of healthy red blood cells or enough hemoglobin to carry oxygen normally. It can have many different causes, so identifying that a dog is anemic is only the beginning. The underlying reason still needs to be investigated with appropriate veterinary testing.

In Hercules’s case, his veterinarian confirmed iron deficiency through his bloodwork and additional testing.

The dirt-eating behavior was what first told me something was not right. It led us to the veterinarian, and the testing gave us the information we needed to begin supporting him appropriately.

Starting where I was

At the time, I was still in school and beginning to learn how fresh food could be used as part of an animal’s overall nutrition and wellness support.

I did not make changes based on a guess or assume that a bowl of liver could replace veterinary care. Hercules had already been examined and tested, and his bloodwork gave us something objective to monitor.

I began adding fresh-food toppers to his meals and included an appropriate amount of liver as part of his food. I chose to begin with nutritional support rather than medication while continuing to monitor him through his veterinarian and follow-up bloodwork.

This was not a case of simply feeding a puppy a large quantity of liver and hoping for the best. Liver is nutrient-dense, and more is not automatically better. It was incorporated intentionally as one component of his diet.

Within the following months, Hercules’s repeat bloodwork showed that his levels had returned to the normal reference range.

And they have remained there ever since.

Goodbye, dirt buffet

As Hercules’s nutritional status improved, the enthusiastic dirt-eating stopped.

I’m fairly certain the yard appreciated that development almost as much as I did.

His story became one of my earliest firsthand lessons in the importance of paying attention to behavior that seems merely odd. Dogs cannot tell us that something feels wrong.

Sometimes they communicate through changes in appetite, energy, coat, digestion, or behavior.

And sometimes they start eating the backyard.

The answer is not to diagnose the dog based on that behavior. The answer is to notice it, take it seriously, involve the veterinarian, and keep asking questions until we understand what the dog may be trying to tell us.

From fresh toppers to a thoughtfully prepared bowl

Hercules’s first fresh-food toppers were only the beginning.

Today, he eats a gently cooked, fresh-food diet designed around his individual nutritional needs and his TCVM Fire constitution. His meals are portioned for his body, activity level, and maintenance needs rather than copied from a generic recipe intended for every dog.

He recently turned four years old. He maintains an appropriate weight, his follow-up bloodwork has continued to remain within the normal range, and he is a happy, energetic, thoroughly loved member of our family.

He is also an amazing dog.

Perfect, actually.

I may be slightly biased—but I’m still right.

The lesson Hercules placed in front of me

Hercules taught me that careful observation matters.

If I had dismissed his dirt-eating as nothing more than strange puppy behavior, we might not have discovered the iron-deficiency anemia when we did. Instead, his behavior prompted veterinary testing, the testing gave us answers, and those answers helped guide the nutritional support and continued monitoring that followed.

His story is not proof that liver or fresh food will resolve every case of anemia. Anemia has many potential causes, and some dogs require urgent medical treatment, medication, transfusions, or treatment for a serious underlying condition.

Hercules’s story is one individual example of what veterinary investigation, thoughtful nutrition, follow-up testing, and a very observant dog mom can look like when they work together.

Today, the dirt stays in the yard.

Mostly.

A note about Hercules’s story
Hercules was diagnosed with iron-deficiency anemia by his veterinarian following bloodwork and additional testing. His progress was monitored through repeat veterinary bloodwork.

His story reflects his individual diagnosis, nutritional plan, veterinary care, and experience. It does not mean that fresh food, liver, or supplements will correct anemia in another animal. Anemia can have several potentially serious causes and requires veterinary evaluation to identify and address the underlying problem.

Healthy Tails provides holistic pet nutrition and wellness education and does not diagnose, treat, or cure medical conditions.