Why does my dog eat grass?

 

You are walking your dog and he or she simply seems to want to stop all the time to eat grass.

You see your dog occasionally eat grass on your walk or when he or she is out in your garden.

Your dog is out in your garden eating your grass and digging up your land and eating your flowers.

Eating grass sometimes according to many vets and other experts is quite normal ( if you are a dog). Dogs do it for a variety of reasons. Maybe they like the taste or the feel of it. Some say they do it when they have an upset stomach and eating grass is a way to alleviate the upset and the result will be they will vomit, and feel better. You won’t though if they vomit in the house or in the car. Some say they do it because they are bored. Others say they do it because they are lacking in their diet something the grass gives them. Fiber.

 

What to do.

Well, if your dog is eating grass on your walks occasionally or sometimes, and not every 5 minutes stopping to eat grass, then you likely do not need to do anything.  Your dog is just doing what dogs do, even though he or she is not a cow.

If your dog is more or a chronic grass eater, there are some things to be concerned about.

Diet.

Try changing his or her diet and adding something to it to replace what he is getting from the grass.

Exercise

If your dog is not getting enough exercise and he is let alone to graze in the garden, he may well be doing it from boredom. The simple answer is to give him a jig saw puzzle. No of course not- walk him more, play with him more, that is the answer. You could also get him a friend to play with- but if you do that, you still need to walk them both or they will both be bored and chew the garden.

Another and much more serious issue about eating grass is that sometimes you don’t know what is on the grass. Everyone loves their green lawn it seems, and how did it get so green. What is on it? Pesticides? We always hope not, and that no one uses them any more, but how do we know. Also if the dog is left to graze unattended in an outdoor area that you do not know, there could be other plants and danger there that it could eat. Some plants are very poisonous to dogs.

Please be aware of your dog’s behavior. They are usually telling us something with what they do.

Here are some links to check out

 

http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-nutrition/Why-Dogs-Eat-Grass-and-How-to-Prevent-It

http://www.caninejournal.com/why-dogs-eat-grass/

http://dogcare.dailypuppy.com/dog-stop-eating-grass-leaves-1675.html

http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/vet-s-take-why-dogs-eat-grass/297

 

 

 

If your dog is constantly eating grass, or eating any other non dog food items ( this is called pica) this may be cause for concern and it is always best to check with a veterinarian.

 

Please note: I am a dog owner and am not a veterinarian. I have owned and cared for dogs for over 30 years, but that does not make me an expert in anything other than picking up dog poop. ( and I am a pretty good artist as one of my favourite subject is the dog- no not while they are …)

check me out at KRachelart on www.petartisan.com

This article has been provided for informational purposes only. If your pet is showing any signs of illness, please consult a veterinarian as quickly as possible.