Dogs Eating Grass

Dogs eating grass?

Some dogs seem to only eat grass when they are feeling off colour, and then follow up their munching on greens with a good dollop of vomit either on the carpet, or in the back of the car as the lights change to green.

Other dogs eat grass at any time, in any quantity with no ill effects whatsoever. This, of course can be most frustrating late at night, when it’s very cold, and you’re waiting for him to do his last toilet stop before bed, and he’s out there having a dog picnic!

The simple fact is, that if your dog is eating grass and it’s not causing him any problems, it’s not really a problem. Dogs have been around almost as long as grass has, if it was a problem, the genetic intelligence would have figured out that dogs eating grass was a bad thing and programmed them not to do it.

The truth is, dogs eating grass seems to cause more of a problem to the owners than the dogs. Mind you, it’s probably the vomit on the carpet that is causing the problems!

For the dogs, when they vomit, unless it is the result of an upset stomach, they will often eat the vomit and carry on their way.

What is it with dogs eat grass?

The short answer is nobody really knows, so I can unearth no miracle insights for you on this page I’m afraid. There are however, various theories about the matter.

Dogs eating grass - Theory 1

This theory questions whether dogs are in fact true carnivores. They’re certainly not vegetarian, so they must be omnivores- that means they eat anything. It is believed by some that today’s dogs eat grass to varying degrees to provide the vegetation content that their body is calling for at the time to provide the necessary nutrients that they need. It is thought that today’s dogs are eating too much meat and the greenery content is rather lacking in what the dog needs to stay healthy.

However, there are holes in this argument, in that more and more people now feed their dogs on kibble, or a dried mix of dog food that contains the full range of readily absorbable vitamins and minerals that a dog needs. If this is the case, the dog's system wouldn’t feel the need to consume more greenery.

Of course, there are still dogs who eat nothing but tinned meat dog food, and whilst the good quality varieties may provide a balanced diet, a lower quality dog food may not; and this could lead to a deficit in mineral content that the dog is able to get from eating grass.

Even the good quality dog foods that are well balanced, they are still too soft and jelly like to offer the teeth and bowels anything to really get to grips with. Don’t forget that in the days of old when a pack of dogs would make a kill, the whole carcass would be consumed, bones crunched and all.

There is no denying that dogs fed primarily on tinned dog food are far more at risk from developing dental disease at an early age; not to mention an increase in the cases of constipation and bad wind due to a lack of roughage and fibre.

As far as dog food is concerned, unless advised by a vet to the contrary, a dried mix should form the main part of his diet. That’s not to say you can’t include a small amount of meat for variety and temptation if needed.

Dogs eating grass - Theory 2

Sometimes, like us, a dog feels a bit on the sick side; however unlike us, he can’t take himself off to the powder room and stick his finger down his throat when he’s fed up waiting for the inevitable to happen. Some people believe that dogs eating grass are simply using it as a natural emetic.

Whilst it is true that grass does sometimes make a dog vomit- those sharp edges and tickly stems can irritate the oesophagus and stomach as they go down, and quite often, I’ve seen a lump of something quite unpleasant re-surface in the pile of bile, together with the grass. Dogs are in fact able to vomit without external assistance if they need to, unlike cattle and horses.

Also, how is it that some dogs will eat mouths full of grass and not vomit? Can they choose to vomit or not, or do they eat a different type of grass?

It seems that the worst thing that can happen if a dog eats grass is that he may or may not vomit. Yes this causes a mess, and a second or two’s convulsing, but how often have you seen your dog be sick as a result of eating grass, and then come running over to you wagging his tail, none the worse for wear?

Are there any problems with dogs eating grass?

Whilst a dog is well within his rights to eat grass if he wants to, he may not possess the skills to know if the grass is free from things such as slug bait, herbicides or rat poison. For the most part, they will probably detect these things by smell, but for his sake as well as your own, please be aware of such potential risks.

It is also sensible for your dog to avoid clumps of cut grass. Apart from the risk of it being tainted by any fuel, grease or fumes from the lawnmower, it is possible for the grass to start to ferment when in the stomach, which can cause further upsets. Having said that, I’ve never yet seen a dog choose a pile of wilted grass cuttings over some nice fresh sward.

The long and short of the issue of dogs eating grass- is that nobody has any concrete, scientific proven answers. It doesn’t do him any harm, so my advice would be don’t worry about it. I know it’s not much fun when said dog has yakked up all over the rug, so next time you buy a rug, get one that goes in the washing machine! Yes, yes, I know that’s no help now! Sorry.

Anyway, if you want to have a look at a load more dog training, behaviour and health information written by experts, please feel free to have a look at Secrets of Dog Training. You can get a free report exposing some of the current dog training myths from here. You can also get a free 6 day mini course on dog training delivered straight to your email inbox from here. Enjoy!