Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2010 5:37 pm Post subject: Why does my dog eat grass? some answers
Sam has asked me to post this on her behalf, she is hoping you will find it informative and we will be adding useful topics to this section and updating information as we get it.
Natalie x
As we discussed digestion and grass eating I thought this information maybe of interest.
I'd point out to not let your dog eat grass mowings or grass that has been treated with any chemicals.
Grass also carries spittle and excrement from insects in the morning in deeper, thicker stemmed grass. Sometimes Rabbit fleas or a rogue Rabbit flea can hit on your dog but they are large, you can spot them and they are very slow so easy to catch. I've found this is obviously where there are a lot of wild Rabbits and usually just treated by your vet or whoever........
As I commented the dog will be trying to replace something lacking in the list below in the diet we feed so if they are grass grazers regularly they are letting you know they have a nutritional issue and you should check their diet. If they are just snatching a bit here and there that's relatively normal but again just a tiny signal to check the diet.
If you are really concerned your vet can check all the levels of the items below although most will tell you 'it's normal don't worry'
Hope this is of help.
All the grass species will have 98 % water and more carbohydrates, with low quantities of other nutrients like protein, amino acids, vitamins etc. You can go through studies showing relationships of grass nutrients and feeding.
Source(s):
http://www.springerlink.com/content/g657…
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It is a fresh, clear spring morning with the dew still on the unbelievably green grass as you let your dog out for their morning constitutional. Coffee in hand, you drink in the natural wonder of our world and survey your backyard with a sense of pride mixed with awe that all this yours. Then you hear the retching in the corner and the magical spell disappears faster then the rabbit your dog startled when you opened up the backdoor.
Why, on such a picturesque morning, does your dog feel the need to go outside, eat grass and then vomit not just once, but twice? Always twice. The first seemingly a warm-up for the main event when all that lovely fresh green grass comes back up for a revisit. Why do dogs eat grass? It does not make sense if it is only going to make them vomit!
One reason dogs eat grass is because it makes them sick! Dogs that use grass to binge and purge do so because of a build up of bile in their stomachs. The gallbladder produces bile and it is excreted into the stomach to aid in the digestion of fats. On an empty stomach, bile can cause an acidic or sick feeling that triggers the dog to eat grass in order to vomit up whatever is making them feel ill. Most often, the dog vomits up the bile and grass combo only to then dive into their breakfast a few minutes later as if nothing ever happened.
This is actually normal doggy behaviour although steps should be taken to limit the frequency of the binge/purge sessions. One way is to feed your dog smaller meals more frequently so their stomach never has that sick bile feeling or to give them a cookie before going to bed so their stomach has something to work on overnight. Another option is to mix their regular kibble with a fiber formula diet available through your veterinarian. Fiber stays in the stomach longer then normal food, alleviating the empty stomach problem. Switching brands of food can cause nausea as well so sticking to one brand that your dog enjoys and that keeps their weight at an optimal level will help.
When should you be worried? If the grass eating increases in frequency or if it occurs more then once a week, a visit to the vet is in order. The nausea or acid stomach could be caused by an unknown condition or they may prescribe antacids to help calm that hollow stomach.
Does your dog eat grass and not vomit? Eating grass is normal for dogs. When wolves and coyotes kill a deer or rabbit, they eat the contents of the stomach as well as all the juicy bits to garner the nutrients and enzymes of the grass within the digestive tract of their prey. Domestic dogs have developed their own way to get the nutrients from grass – they go straight to the unprocessed product! Many dogs can digest the grass, or at least it passes right through them without causing the dog to vomit. Although this can have significant effects on the opposite end of their digestive tract, it normally passes through without any ill effects on the overall health of the dog.
Why then does the dog eat the grass if all it is going to do is pass right through? Sometimes it is something deficient in their diet and the grass replaces the necessary nutrient. Your vet can give suggestions on what the missing nutrient(s) could be and suggestions on how to include it in their diet without resorting to the grass eating method.
Although normally the grass passes through the dog’s digestive tract, there can be a few things to be aware of in order to guarantee the health of your dog.
Thick stemmed or non-cultivated grass has tiny barbs that can slice the oesophagus on the way down. This usually results in it coming back up but with a bit of frothy blood as well. Although this not overly detrimental to the dog, discourage them from eating grass that is not the soft, green cultivated grass that we enjoy in our yards.
My Dog eats grass. Your Dog eats grass. A huge percentage of dogs eat grass. Dogs have been eating grass since the first dog walked the earth with few side effects, aside from the odd bout of vomiting.
Nobody really knows why dogs eat grass. There are a wide variety of theories as to why animals that are widely regarded as carnivores would willingly consume moderate quantities of grass. One of these theories is that dogs are not, actually, carnivores, or meat eaters. They’re omnivores, which means literally, “eat anything”. The theory is that the modern-day dog eats grass in a deliberate attempt to supplement his diet with nutrients that are missing from his daily meals. The main thrust of this argument centers around the idea that dogs, as omnivorous animals, are eating too much meat and need to balance this out with some greens on the side.
So dogs eat grass to satisfy their need for greens, just like you or I might crave a salad to go with our steak??
I'm not sure this is the case. First of all, most of us feed our dogs primarily dog food, which contains the full spectrum of fully-absorbable nutrients that dogs require. If you’re feeding your dog on meat alone, whether canned or fresh, there may be some substance to this theory – dogs need a wide range of vitamins and minerals for optimum health, most of which are not contained within fresh meat. It’s true that canned meat has some added nutrients; the main problem with canned food is that it’s too soft and jelly-like to maintain healthy teeth and bowels. Dogs fed primarily on canned food are far more prone to developing dental disease at a relatively early age (not to mention an increased incidence of constipation and flatulence, from the lack of fiber and roughage). As far as dog food goes, unless your dog’s on a specific, prescribed diet, dog food should constitute the main part of his diet – you can add a few spoonfuls of canned meat for variety and temptation, if you like.
Another popular theory is that dogs use grass as a sort of natural emetic: that, since a nauseous dog lacks the phalangeal structure necessary for the good old ‘finger down the throat’ move, he’ll resort to nature’s bounty as an alternative. It’s true that grass does sometimes make dogs vomit – those tickly stems can irritate the stomach lining, and there have been a few occasions when I’ve seen dogs vomit up a chunk of something that’s proved to be indigestible, and along with the offending article, there’s also been a clump of grass in the vomit too. However – and I’m sorry to pour cold water over this one too – I have to say that this is pure conjecture, and somewhat nonsensical conjecture at that. Dogs are perfectly capable of vomiting all by themselves, without the assistance of grass; I’ve seen too many dogs enjoying a post-prandial mouthful of mixed lawn greens, without any regurgitational side effects, to lend the theory any credence.
If you’re worried that eating grass is going to hurt your dog, you can lay that concern to rest right now. The one possible downside is that he’ll irritate his throat or stomach lining, but this issue will only cause him strife for a second or two at most: he’ll either cough the problem away, or will toss his cookies without further ado (which rarely bothers most dogs). Really, dog grass eating is nothing to worry about – it’s a life-long habit with many dogs, and if yours does decide that it’s no longer in his best interests, he’ll simply stop eating it all by himself.
You may need to keep an eye on him around recently treated lawns, or anywhere where nasties like pesticides, snail bait, and rat poison could be around, since most garden chemicals are highly toxic to dogs. Ideally, you’d be keeping an eye on him anyway if he’s around those substances, but grass-eaters are at higher risk than most since they’re more likely to ingest plant matter that herbicides and other toxic chemicals have been sprayed onto. In addition to this, it’s also best if he’s kept away from those clumps of dried-out grass that lie around on the lawn after it’s been freshly mowed. It shouldn’t be a problem if the grass is mowed by a push-mower; but if it’s been through a gas-operated machine, the grass will be tainted with petrol fumes and grease, which at best will taste horrible and at worst can make him pretty sick. (Fortunately for your peace of mind and your dog’s peace of digestive tract, all but the most food-obsessed dogs will usually spurn this smelly fare in favor of clean, fresh grass.)
If your dog’s grass eating is really bothering you, presumably this is out of concern for your lawn, rather than your dog, since there’s ample evidence that dogs suffer no adverse effects from frequent grassy snacks. There are a couple of things you can try doing to reduce his desire to supplement his diet with eatables from the backyard – but, because this is one area of dogdom that nobody really knows that much about (scientists are frankly mystified by the appetite of the average dog for verdure), the success rate is more hit-and-miss than guaranteed: * Try varying his diet slightly. Unlike humans, dogs do not need a widely varied diet to keep them “interested” in food; they’re creatures of routine, and diet is no exception to this rule. However, since one of the theories that attempts to explain why dogs eat grass is centered around a lack of nutritional variety, you can try introducing various tasty vegetables into his food: most dogs enjoy tomatoes, carrots (either steamed or raw) and chopped apples. Be sure to stay well away from grapes, raisins, and onions, since these are toxic to dogs. * Supervise him whenever he’s around grass. This may not be a particularly user-friendly option, especially for off-lead walks; you’ll have to keep a real eagle-eye on your canine walking buddy to make sure he’s not making a dash for the greenery.
Realistically, there’s not really a lot you can do about your dog’s grass eating habit (aside from deny him access to grass utterly, which wouldn’t be fair to your dog and would make your daily dog-walking expeditions more of an exercise in frustration than a relaxing stroll). The general consensus from the experts seems to be that grass-eating, although somewhat of an enigmatic pastime to us humans, is just ‘one of those things’ as far as your dog is concerned. It won’t do him any harm, and you can be sure that if he’s eating it, he’s enjoying it – so there’s really not a lot to be said for depriving him of that simple pleasure. Furthermore, and in addition to the logistics of permitting this penchant, I’ve got to say that watching your dog ripping up and chewing generous mouthfuls of turf with an expression of half-lidded bliss on his face can provide you (and passersby) with some unexpected entertainment when the two of you are out and about together!
Dogs, unlike their catty counterparts, are not carnivores. But they're not like your garden-variety omnivores, either. For tens of thousands of years, these opportunistic scavengers have devoured anything and everything, as long as it fulfilled their basic dietary requirements.
Last edited by Littlelab on Thu Nov 04, 2010 7:46 pm; edited 2 times in total
____________ Natalie x
LAB LINK RESCUE Co ordinator and Forum Administrator for my sins
Jack, Molly & Maia, watched over by Tara Banana from the Bridge
They never eat 'lawn' they like the variety of grass we find out on our field walks.
I think they do it partly because they're greedy labs, because they can, because they're waiting for me and because it's a good thirst quencher maybe.
They're never sick so it doesn't bother me
my,ahem, 'wild canines' also eat fruit and berries on walks too (thankfully only one's that are 'safe'
I would add another behavioural factor in grass eating - boredom, mine arn't massive grass eaters but if I stop to talk to someone and I'm stood talking for a while my two will both start having a munch but its rather random, grabbing bits off the top here and there rather than stolidly munching as I've seen other dogs do at times.
They also do it if we stop in one place on a walk for ages, once they've sniffed all the sniffs and explored unless they are engaged in some sort of game/activity then they will have a munch.
My friends dog is the same, although she will also dig if you stand still too long!
I would add another behavioural factor in grass eating - boredom, mine arn't massive grass eaters but if I stop to talk to someone and I'm stood talking for a while my two will both start having a munch but its rather random, grabbing bits off the top here and there rather than stolidly munching as I've seen other dogs do at times.
They also do it if we stop in one place on a walk for ages, once they've sniffed all the sniffs and explored unless they are engaged in some sort of game/activity then they will have a munch.
My friends dog is the same, although she will also dig if you stand still too long!
Yup ... my two do this too. As a behaviour it still falls under 'displacement', which has a number of emotional/social/situational triggers.
Yes Rach that's what mine do, they are bored of waiting for me or bored of me nattering
Basil can do it as a displacement behaviour / calming signal in a greet situation with other dogs, though more often than not he'll just head turn or turn his whole body sideways on and feign a sniff of a grass verge rather than actually nibble.
Luna will do it to show cows/sheep/horses on the other side of the fence that she's like them and that the grass is greener on the other side She definitely does it as a displacement behaviour when excited about training but being made to wait, when she needs a poop but I've forgotten to tell her she can do one and when she is generally unsure how to behave around other animals/dogs.
Luna won't eat garden grass, it has to be the longer field grass out on walks. She'll have at least a blade a day and it hasn't caused her to vomit for well over a year - it can cause grass danglies if she eats too much though
Eating grass is also a very common displacement behaviour, e.g. to displace anxiety, social pressure, etc. It's not always nutrition related.
It is considered to be a normal behaviour unless it is excessive.
Both of mine do it, Delphi especially so. She is a major grass-eater immediately after a retrieve when I have the dummy in my hand - it's pure excitement, albeit displaced. She doesn't look for praise after getting it right, she looks for grass .
I wasn't aware of replies but as there are thousands of dogs out there who do eat grass, there are reasons. Bordeom is not one I've heard much about but the point is, there is a reason and it's not a major concern. As this came under discussion and my 'job' is to educate, that's what I've done and will continue to do.
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