What is the Number 1 Reason dogs eat grass?
Imagine you go for a walk with your dogs, and you stop at the park, you meet your friend and you have a chat with your friend and her dog. Last month I meet my friend at the dog park and I could see on her face that something is worrying her.
I saw her several times talking to her dog Ceasar, bad dog Ceasar no grass eating. A bit surprised I look at her and ask her what is wrong with her dog eating grass. I can tell you if she could have shot me with her eyes she would have.
Then she tells me that Ceasar her dog eating grass again. She asks me if I think that her dog is sick because of eating grass again. I answered her no nothing wrong with it. I laugh and talk to my friend that this is normal. But she thinks something is wrong with Ceasar.
Sometimes dogs need that. I could not convince her, the next day she went to the veterinarian they tested Cesar and little Cesar is totally healthy. ( Ceasar is a Beatle)
Dogs, Nature and the Environment.
All my life I have had dogs and I have never seen any dog who is not eating grass. My grandmother used to say when dogs eat grass it means it is going to storm and rain. I found that always funny and could never understand what is the meaning of that saying.
I believe that dogs eat grass because of the chlorophyll that is plenty in the grass. Chlorophyll absorbs all the toxins in the body. So I guess it is like a detox for them.
Went on the World Wide Web and the only thing I could find is this about “dog eating grass.”
Farmers Almanac about a dog eating grass.
It states when dogs eat grass you can expect a severe storm. It is the Almanac Farmers Calendar. It also says…
Dogs will eat at some point some grass and some dog they love the greens in the diet. Maybe it is fibre they need or the taste but I guess some goes back into the evolution of a dog.
I know a lot of experts will now shake their head, but I believe an animal follows an instinct and takes that what feels good. It is different for us human. Most of us have lost our gut feeling or so-called Instinct.
Dogs have been domesticated in the early centuries. Well, nothing of this has something to do with this old wife’s tale. But if any of you can shed light on it please feel free to let us know.
Is there any harm in my dog eating grass?
I honestly can tell you no. From my experience, all my dogs ate grass and most of our dogs lived a long life. Our Dachshund loved grass and he was 22 when he died. ( as long as it is not poison grass or it is sprayed with pesticides.) It is up to if you should let your dog eat grass.
Sometimes a multivitamin helps your dog if he is lacking in nutrition.
A Healthy Diet will not prevent your dog from eating grass.
Dogs eat all meat, grass, fruits and veggies. According to History dogs eat their food whenever they could get it. In the wild dogs will eat grass on a regular base just to supplement their nutrition.
It is also a fact that most grass types are not poison and a dog will not throw up if the dog is healthy. The funny thing is what I can see on my dogs they have different preferences on which grass they eat or prefer.
I guess grass does taste good to dogs otherwise they would not eat it. Maybe it tastes like a fresh green salad to us it tastes to dogs.
Is it true that when a dog has an upset stomach, that is the “why” dogs eat grass?
Sometimes dogs eat grass when they have an upset stomach. It is a natural reaction or calls it instinct. It helps them obviously to vomit easier.
Healthy dogs when they eat grass they do not throw up. Veterinarians believe that sometimes dogs eat grass when they want to induce vomiting.
There is nothing wrong with a healthy dog eating grass.
Even if your dog has a well-balanced diet, it will still go for the green grass on a regular basis. There is nothing wrong with it, as long there is no pesticide on the grass.
Dog Nutrition has nothing to do with it that dogs eat grass, this is my opinion, and I believe a dog knows for whatever reason it wants to eat grass it will eat grass.
Dogs are so highly domesticated and pure breeds are so manipulated that some dogs don’t even know they are a dog anymore.
No one can say for sure why dogs eat grass but I believe it is a kind of nutrient they need and get from the grass, what we cannot provide in their daily nutrition.
Can you answer the question why is it then that dog eat grass?
I honestly have to say no. Dogs enjoy the taste of grass differently than other dogs.
Some dogs take a mouthful and some just nibble on a few blades of grass. Keep in mind that dogs eat things that disgust the human owner.
Like dirty socks and gristle from the trash can. Some dogs can eat constantly, and some dogs don’t eat much. The evolution of dogs is as omnivores and scavengers.
If you think about when a dog has to hunt in the wild most of the animals eat animals that plant eater like rabbits, squirrels, birds etc. and maybe because of their prey they get used to the taste and adopted it.
What should I feed my Dog, shall I change the Diet…
I feed my dogs with home cooked dog food that includes meat and veggies they do have a balanced diet but all of our dogs eat grass. Each of our dogs has their preferences for grass.
I do not know about wolves if they eat grass but I know from living in Africa that lions eat grass when they can find it.
Even people believe a dog will eat grass to cure himself. In my opinion, think as long a dog is healthy and eats grass it is ok.
There is no solid evidence that eating grass is bad or good for your dog. If you feel your dog is missing some Vitamins and Minerals you can use supplements.
What I would watch out for is that if your dog is throwing up each time after eating grass, then have a look at his vomit what comes out with it. Please see then your veterinarian.
Why does my dog eat grass then throw up?
Bring your dog to a veterinarian if your dog is throwing up to many times when eating grass. Sometimes he might have some parasites and he is trying to get rid of this parasites by throwing up.
It is always good to keep an eye on you’re the dog when eating grass, you might also check which grass your dog prefers or which grass makes him vomit.
As different grass has a different effect on dogs. No, I am not kidding, I can see my dogs each of them choosing different grass varieties.
My German Shepard, for example, chooses the soft leave grass like the dandelion. My other Labrador loves the cat bamboo I bought for my cats.
When dogs vomit constantly each time they eat grass you should have a checkup with your dog at your veterinarian.
Only your veterinarian can check and knows if your dog might have a gastrointestinal disease that will be done through a physical exam of your dog. He will properly also takes blood to check his blood count.
Blood counts will tell if your dog has inflammation or indicates a blood loss into the GI tract.
For the chemistry panel, it will assess the health checks, the body stems that include pancreas and liver.
Liver and pancreas are associated with the gastrointestinal tract.
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In case there is something wrong with your dog, proper treatment can be done and if nothing is wrong then your dog is just doing what a dogs instinct is telling him to do.
Is there any health risk for my dog eating grass.
When dogs eat grass to make sure they are in a place they do not use pesticide. As pesticide on grass can actually poison your dog.
If you can and have the place for it you might want to plant a small tray of grass just for your dog or start a small herbal garden.
This might be a great idea for people who have pets in apartments. On the other hand, it will give your dog an alternative to eating outdoor grass and landscaping as you never know how it has been treated.
Indigestion of pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers and or chemicals can be devastating and harmful for your dog.
I go with my dogs always to places I know there will be no pesticides or any other harmful substances used.
The same goes when you fertilize your grass in the springtime, make sure you use organic fertilizer and not chemical one that can poison pets.
If you should allow your Dog eating grass that is up to you. There is nothing wrong with a dog eating grass.
In many ways when dogs eat grass, this is normal and you don’t need to be alarmed. Unless you see a rapid increase like your dog is eating grass frantically and you notice a change in your dog’s behaviour. When you have the feeling your dog is eating more grass than before. See your Veterinarian better safe than sorry.
It is also confirmed by most experts that when dog eat grass it does not poses any risk to the dog.
Be cautious that when your dog eats grass the grass is clean and no one has used chemical substances of any kind. There is grass for dogs available. If you live in an apartment or have no outside space that is a good solution. If you cannot find it, just plant some grass in a bigger bucket on your balcony.
When you have a puppy watch out how much grass it takes in as too much grass and leaves can cause blockages and gastritis. Especially a teething puppy tends to chew more. It is like a baby.
My dogs and cats have their own area in our home garden with herbs and different kind of grass varieties. Our pets have a well-balanced diet but they still munch away on different types of grass.
Our cats have the cat bamboo and our dogs love them too. Even the cat grass our dogs love and munch away. Our cats are not so happy about it but lucky we have a big garden.
Is your dog eating grass and how comfortable are you with that? Please share your experience and your tricks on how do you grow the grass for your dog living in an apartment.
All Yours
Melanie
A general Guideline on how often should your dog go to the Vet?