08/05/2024
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/J3rurCUHXsgywp5d/?mibextid=WC7FNe
Does your dog eat grass?
Having a munch on grass is a completely normal behaviour that most dogs seem to enjoy. A recent survey of 1500 dogs found that nearly 70% consumed grass on a regular basis.
There are 3 main reasons for eating grass:
๐คฎ To relieve digestive upset
๐ฑ Seeking nutrients not provided in diet
๐บ Just because they want to!
Before diving in, something to consider is the grass your dog is eating. Most parks and public spaces are sprayed with heavy duty chemicals like Roundup. These chemicals are linked to cancer.
If your dog is eating a lot of public grass itโs worth trying to limit this behaviour to your own home. This way you can control the chemicals they are consuming.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ผ๐ฝ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ฝ๐๐ฒ๐
Dogs instinctively know that eating large amounts of grass will make them throw up. They use this to be able to clear out their belly if it isnโt feeling good. Kind of like the 2 fingers trick for humans (gross ๐คฎ).
Dogs looking to induce vomiting will seek grass with a high level of intensity. The type of grass does not seem to matter, itโs mostly about intensely seeking and eating lots of grass. Then you will probably see your dog throw up.
As disturbing as this is, itโs a normal behaviour for dogs. If eating grass to vomit isnโt occurring often there is likely nothing to worry about. Keep in mind that less than 25% of dogs that eat grass do so to throw up so there may be other factors at play.
๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฒ๐
Eating grass is common in wild dogs, so it follows that your dog may also consume grass as part of their diet. Dogs are unable to select what they eat for dinner (thatโs your job) so if there are nutrient gaps, foraging or scavenging is really the only option they have.
Why grass?
It can help to balance the colony of bacteria that lives in your dogs gut known as the microbiome. Grass also contains digestive enzymes which help to break down food.
The reason this is important is because most dogs eat a highly processed diet. The nutrition in processed food is not readily absorbed by the body because the high temperature and pressure destroys nutrients and enzymes. Dogs not getting enough of the nutrients they need can try to resolve it by consuming a fresh ingredient they have access to - grass.
If you are feeding a mostly processed diet (ie. kibble) then itโs a GREAT idea to add some fresh food into their diet. Sardines in spring water and blueberries are an excellent start.
And if you able to, feeding a properly formulated & high quality raw diet is the best way to be sure you are providing all of the nutrition your dog needs to live a long and healthy life.
๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐?
If your dog is regularly eating large amounts of grass and throwing up, thatโs not good. It would be a good idea to visit your vet for further investigation.
If your dog is selective about the grass they eat, donโt search it out intensely and arenโt throwing up regularly, itโs probably nothing to worry about. They might just like eating grass!