Our two have occasionally eaten soil but in the last month since changing to a raw diet with added veg it has increased to a couple of times a week, normally after their evening meal.
Is it something I'm missing in their diet or an indication of other health issues. Any experience or thoughts, many thanks.

I would be interested in the answer as some of mine do it too. they are also raw fed, They seem to prefer a particular area with very clayey soil but will eat from other areas. one dog was digging up a mole hill while another was munching the soil.

Soil eating is not that unusual in dogs but it could well be something lacking in the diet, mind you in my experience of scent hounds they will eat anything whether it is edible of not.

Mine are always eating soil..it is natural & has minerals that they may require. Calves lick the soil for a similar reason.

> but it could well be something lacking in the diet,

Often heard that eating soil or grass could be that something missing in their diet, even the vet has said as much but no one has indicated what.
Yes your right, scent hound's eating habits are not for the squeamish.

Oh my 2 pups are just stone eating mad ive cover up as much as i can but they try and dig them up even out of the crumbling concrete  they hasve been douing it  or TRYING now to do it for the past 5 weeks they are 12 weeks now so desperatley hoping they will grow out of it

Now stone eating is rather a worry as they can cause a blockage or remain in the stomach.

I have a dog who eats soil - you have to be careful if they do.  He developed an odd intermittent hind leg lameness which rest and pain killer sorted but then it returned... and this was repeated... eventually he became lethargic and despite full x rays, blood tests, urine tests nothing was found.  He was put into hydro therapy and was fine until he collapsed and the lameness briefly returned.  Physio could find nothing wrong, it was suggested it may be neurological.  Vet could find nothing wrong and further tests were made.  Nothing was found - specialist felt it couldn't be neurological as he wasn't lame all the time so we held off MRI for the additional tests - addisons etc all ruled out.  In desperation I sent his hair for analysis and it came back 'bacterial infection' and he had treatment for 3 months at the end of which he was practically fully fit & signed off by the vet, who said his muscle tone was now equal and he was clearly much better, however, bacterial infections can get anywhere (worryingly muscle tissue including the heart).  Shortly after at a show I saw the rep from GWF and got some digestion supplement which he's been on ever since to reduce the risk of further infection since I can't stop him eating soil.

I wonder if it's selenium that soil eaters are after ?
I think ( could be wrong, wouldn't be the first time lol ) that selenium is present in soil and is ingested by farm animals when they eat grass/soil it is then present in their meat, could be some meat doesn't contain enough...just a thought.

My Belle is obsessed with compost,she tries to eat it when I am potting up,

Sheila