Dog Salad

Does your dog eat grass?

Nearly every dog eats grass sometimes, and some dogs eat it all the time. You would think that veterinarians would have a pretty good idea by now of why they do it. But they do not, mainly because no one has figured out how to ask dogs two important questions: “Do you like the taste?” and “If it tastes so good, why do you throw it up?”

Dog's have very liberal tastes. Dogs survived by scavenging. When they could not catch live prey, which was a lot of the time, they would eat the ancient equivalent of roadkill. When meat was not available, they would root around for tender leafy stalks, or roots, or an old polished bone. They are predisposed to like just about everything.

In addition, there’s some evidence that dogs get cravings for certain foods. It is possible that dogs occasionally get a hankering for greens, just as people do. It is not as strange as it may sound. Grass was part of their ancestors’ regular diets.

Dogs are omnivores, which means they eat meat as well as plants. They do not need grassy nutrients any more because most commercial dog foods are nutritionally complete. But dogs are not nutritionists. They do not know or care that they have gotten their vitamin or mineral quotients from a bowl of kibble. Their instincts tell them that grass is good, so they eat it. For many dogs, a mouthful of grass clearly tastes great. It is like a salad – they eat some, then want more.

It is a myth that dogs eat grass when they are sick, but watch out what grass your dog is eating.

Dogs have been eating grass for thousands or tens of thousands of years, and there is no evidence at all that it is bad for them. That is not the case, however, when grass has been treated with insecticides, herbicides, or other chemicals. Most products say on the label whether they are dangerous for pets. In any event, you should certainly keep dogs away from grass soon after chemicals have been applied. Most products break down fairly quickly, but they can be quite dangerous if your dog eats them while they are fresh.

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?

Have you ever seen your dog eat grass and wonder, "What is he doing"? After all, dogs are carnivores (primarily meat eaters), right?

I found an article on petplace.com which enlightens us about this strange behavior.

"We are not sure why your dogs like grass, although there have been many theories offered. Primarily, dogs are descended from wild canids (wolves and foxes), which ate the entire "kill" when they hunted for food. Since they consumed many herbivores (plant-eating animals), they wound up eating a lot of plants and even berries found in the stomach and intestines of their prey.

Interestingly, carnivores tend to go for the stomach and its contents first, so it's likely that dogs may eat grass because they like it and it was once part of their normal diet.

Then there is the great mystery: Do dogs eat grass to make themselves vomit? Or do they vomit because they eat the grass? Most veterinarians believe that dogs eat grass simply because they like it, and vomiting just naturally follows. When dogs eat grass, the grass acts as an irritant and causes vomiting. However, they may not be smart enough to use grass as a medicine when they have an upset stomach.

Some veterinarians believe that dogs eat grass because their prepared diets are lacking in greens and so they eat grass. And as some support of this contention, dogs sometimes seek out a particular variety of grass to nibble.

No matter what the reason, your dog's "grass" habit is normal behavior and you need not be concerned about it. A note of caution, however: Take care that your pet does not eat grass that has been treated with fertilizer, pesticides or herbicides. This could cause stomach upset or even worse problems for your dog."