28/07/2021
WHY IS MY DOG EATING GRASS?
Ever wondered why your dog is exhibiting behaviours of daisy the cow and chowing down on grass? And some will have seen their dogs eating grass and then vomiting (more on that later).
Well, your dog is in good company as this is actually pretty common and usually nothing to worry about, so long as there is nothing toxic on the grass. Here are the everyday reasons dogs eat grass...
They think it's delish! It's young, green and soft and has a delightful texture in comparison to their usual food if it’s dry or canned. They are also biologically programmed to scavenge for food so when they are out and about millions of grass blades are a superb target!
They’re bored! There are no squirrels to chase or humans to play with, so they turn to the garden to have a grass snack. I think we can all relate to boredom snacking…
They have a nutritional need! The act of eating odd, non-food items is technically known as pica—which may indicate nutritional deficiencies such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber or chlorophyll (both of which aid in digestion)
They have an upset tum! Theory has it, when ancient wild dogs felt nauseous, it triggered an instinct to eat grass, which led to them vomiting to get rid of whatever was causing the problem . Therefore, contemporary dogs come with the instinct to self-medicate with grass to relieve their upset tums.
If your dog eats grass and vomits, but then seems fine, they are probably fine and just doing what dogs do. However, if your dog is constantly eating grass and throwing up, do consult your vet!
