Being a dog owner often raises questions you probably never thought you’d have to ask. Why is my dog letting my cat beat it up? What does he eat that makes him smell like that? Dogs snack from the litter box? How can there be that much waste to pick up? Is he really looking at me like I’m stupid? And, of course, the question we’ll answer in this article: Should dogs eat grass?
It’s true that most dogs will, at one time or another, munch on the lawn. This probably seems a bit strange to you because you go to great lengths and expense to provide nutritious dog food on a daily basis. Yet, despite all that, grass sometimes appears to be an irresistible snack.
Some dogs eat grass every time they’re let outside, while others partake only occasionally. So, what is it about the lawn that makes dogs want to take a bite? The truth is, experts cannot agree on exactly why dogs eat grass. But a few theories are more popular than others.
One theory suggests that dogs may crave greens. Just as humans sometimes crave chocolate or steak, it’s possible that dogs occasionally get a hankering for something crunchy and green. After all, dogs are omnivores, which means they enjoy eating both plants and meat. If this theory is true, then when dogs feel the urge to eat some greens, grass is often the most available option.
Another thought is that some dogs eat grass simply because it’s there. Consider the things your dog has eaten—perhaps toilet paper, a nice sweaty sock, or anything they can find in the trash. Dogs aren’t particularly picky eaters.
Unlike some animals, such as cats, whose ancestors were hunters, early dogs were scavengers. They ate whatever was available, which could explain why they munch on grass, trash, or anything else that looks interesting.
Since most commercial dog foods provide all the nutrition your pet needs, it’s highly unlikely that Fido is eating grass due to a nutritional deficiency. For many dogs, the reason they eat grass is simply that they enjoy the taste.
Some pet owners notice that their dog doesn’t eat grass all the time, but occasionally, after eating it, the dog will vomit. The jury is still out on whether dogs eat grass when their stomach is upset or if the grass itself causes the upset stomach. Most experts believe it’s the grass that upsets the stomach. But that raises another question: if grass causes some dogs to vomit, why can so many dogs eat it with no ill effects?
The answer may lie in how dogs eat the grass. Dogs that eat grass for pleasure typically chew it thoroughly before swallowing. However, dogs that eat grass to relieve an upset stomach often don’t chew it well. The theory is that eating grass almost whole may trigger vomiting.
If this theory is correct, it suggests that when a dog feels sick, it may turn to the lawn to help rid its body of whatever is bothering it—even if it doesn’t particularly enjoy the taste of the grass.
Will Eating Grass Hurt My Dog?
Most experts agree that eating grass is not harmful to your dog. Dogs have been eating grass for centuries, and there is no reason to believe it’s dangerous. However, as with most things, there are exceptions.
While grass itself is not harmful, grass that has been treated with toxic chemicals, such as insecticides, can be dangerous to your pet. If you plan to treat your lawn, carefully read the label of any products you are applying. The label should prominently indicate whether the product is harmful to pets.
After applying such chemicals, keep your pets away from treated areas for a while. This is important even if your dog doesn’t eat grass, because the chemicals can get on their paws and be licked off, potentially causing illness.
Since eating grass is generally harmless, there’s no need to try to stop your pet from indulging in it. However, if it bothers you, there’s something you can try. Some veterinarians believe dogs that eat grass regularly might be craving fiber. While experts don’t completely agree on this, you could try offering your dog some raw veggies to see if that reduces their desire to munch on your backyard grass.
In fact, there is some evidence to suggest that eating grass might actually be beneficial for your dog. It may help rid the body of excess mucus and cleanse the bowel, which could even help eliminate intestinal worms. Some types of grass also contain enzymes and vitamins that are good for animals. But remember, grass treated with chemicals can be harmful to your dog.
If your dog is a regular grass eater, there’s no need to worry. Similarly, if they eat it only occasionally and then vomit, there’s still no cause for concern. It just seems to be part of being a dog.
No part of this article is meant to replace advice from your vet and should not be used in place of professional medical advice.
One Response
My dog does not conform to the descriptions herein. She only eats grass once in a great while after we already know her stomach has been bothering her (as she will hardly eat anything).
She is also VERY selective and won’t eat just any kind of grass (as most landscape grass is a mixture of various types). When she finds what she wants, she keeps us there for as long as necessary until she’s satiated, and she chews the grass rather than merely swallowing it whole. After few days of this she typically stops eating grass until she has another issue. People should study German New Medicine because a lot of these stomach problems are NOT food related. They can be, but an “undigested morsal” can be both literal and figurative (such as a problem one dog is having with another dog or human).
Moreover, there is virtually no such thing among mammals as herbivores and carnivores (or probably any animal or plant as even the latter absorbs the fruits of decayed animal matter through the root system).
Name a herbivore and you can probably find it on youtube eating meat and/or poultry (deer, elephants, giraffe etc.), and I suspect the truth is the same about carnivores regarding grass and other plant offerings nature provides.
Remember, the bulk of evidence suggests that dogs are descendants of domesticated wolves, and wolves are regarded even today as carnivores. As Graham Hancock and others have cited in recent years, North America appears to have been hit by a large comet about 11,600 years ago which affected the whole planet and wiped out virtually all the megafauna causing many animals, including humans, to eat much more plant matter than they were used to. Although many mammals recovered, the largest ones mostly did not, and some animals were forced to adopt changes to the diets faster than other depending on the competition.
Lastly, meat is the most nutrient-dense food on people’s menus for a reason, and this processed garbage many of us we feed our dogs is NOT all the nutrients the6 need in their proper form or amounts. In my opinion that is merelys a myth perpetrated by the dog food industry.