Why Do Dogs Eat Grass? What Does It Mean When a Dog Eats Grass and Is It a Normal Behavior or Not?

Many dog owners are wondering why dogs consume grass, including me. Every time you see your dog eating grass, you can’t stop getting anxious because you don’t know if it’s normal behavior or not. It’s also difficult to find out if eating grass can make them ill. I’m going to shed some light on this canine conduct in this article and whether parents like me should be alarmed when we see our beloved dogs munching on some grass.

In fact, grass-eating in dogs is a natural occurrence based on my studies. It’s also called “pica.” This implies that anything a dog eats that does not fall within the food category is called pica. It was also known that wild dogs did this conduct. Some claim it may be because of boredom, particularly in the case of puppies.

Although veterinary doctors say grass-eating is normal behavior, there are some cases where nutrient deficiency is the reason behind this behavior. I’ll talk to you about why dogs consume grass and if it’s something you should be afraid of or not.

What Does It Mean When A Dog Eats Grass?

1. Dogs Eat Grass When They Have An Upset Stomach:

To throw up, dogs consume an enormous quantity of grass. If they feel something is wrong in their tummies, they tend to “spit out” their stomach contents to make them feel better. Sometimes you see your pooch asking you to bring it out. And once it’s carried out, it’s going to run around frantically and start to ingest enormous amounts of grass. Then your pooch begins to vomit in a matter of few.

Well, there is really nothing to be scared of once you see your dog does this purging behavior. Dogs know what is good for them, and if they begin to feel that something is not right in their digestive system, they will purge by eating grass.

Actually, after the dog vomits, it begins to feel well. Thus, one of the reasons why your dog eats grass is because it wants to remove something “toxic” from its stomach. And, yes, this is a perfectly normal canine behavior. It is their way of caring for themselves.

2. Dogs Eat Grass To Remove Intestinal Worms:

Dogs are smart animals. They know when they have to do something to make them feel good. One such behavior is eating grass to get rid of intestinal worms. Now you wonder how canine conduct that eats grass removes worms on earth. By doing so, intestinal worm motility is accelerated, resulting in the worms being eliminated much easier once the dog poops.

Thus, grass-eating is beneficial for your fur baby because it purges out the intestinal worms on its own.

3. Dogs Eat Grass As a Relief from Gas or Bloat:

A big meal is one of the causes of gas or bloat. Also, dogs may suffer from gas or bloat when they run and play around after eating. Signs are anxiety, stomach swelling, and restlessness. If it is not a serious situation of gas or bloating, by eating grass, your fur baby can solve the problem on its own. The great thing about it is that dogs consider their drugstore to be nature. Grass has certain digestive enzymes that cure dogs ‘ upset stomach. The enzymes help them process the food quicker by eating grass and soothing surplus gas in the stomach.

In case you see your fur baby eats grass all the time, then it is best to give it a high-fiber dog food to keep its tummy at ease. Try Rachel Ray Nutrish Real Beef, Pea & Brown Rice Recipe Dry Dog Food or Purina Pro Plan Savor Shredded Blend with Probiotics Adult Dry Food. This dog food supports the healthy digestive system of dogs. If the major cause of grass-eating behavior is due to gas or bloat, then by changing the diet of your pooch, you can see that it will stop the act of eating grass.

4. Dogs Eat Grass Because It Lacks Nutritional Requirements:

One reason your dog eats grass is because they are looking for more nutrients that can only be found in the grass. Although you may be offering your pooch the finest dog food, sadly, something your dog needs to be healthy may be lacking in the dog’s food. When your dog starts growing up and explores the environment, this is true. It is more active and more nutrients are needed.

In fact, research found that in order to provide dogs with suitable nutrients, a total of 50 or more ingredients are required. Dogs get the nutrients they don’t have in their dog food in the grass. Grass has dietary importance for the general health of your dog. Think of it as their fresh vegetables version.

Try moving to new dog food that includes more healthy ingredients to increase the nutritional demands of your dog. It’s also a good idea to rotate your protein source, say, every quarter you can alter meat. So if you feed it with chicken, after a couple of months attempt to give it lamb and then salmon again after a couple of months. Get the idea? That’s supplying your dog with all types of meat nutrition.

Try Crave Grain-Free Adult Dry Dog Food with Protein. It comes in different flavors- Lamb & Venison, Chicken, Salmon & Ocean Fish, Beef.

5. Dogs Eat Grass Out of Boredom:

Just like us, dogs get bored, too. And what do they do when they are bored? Well, apart from getting destructive, they eat grass to keep them busy. If you leave your dog all by itself in the yard, then it is possible that it will eat grass to make itself happy. In fact, this grass-eating behavior can become a habit. So as a fur parent, it is best that you give your pooch ample supplies of toys such as Nylabone Dura Chew Power Chew Dog Toy. For puppies, Idepet Dog Toy ball for pet dogs.

If the main reason is boredom, you will see that it will stop eating grass once it gets preoccupied playing with dog toys.

6. Dogs Eat Grass Because It is Food:

Dogs are greedy eaters. They’re not going to pass on anything they believe they’re edible, including grass. Maybe they like its freshness, they want the crunch, and perhaps the smell as well. That’s why they find grass-eating enjoyable.

If your pooch is hungry, it will also resort to eating grass. You can stop this behavior by giving it some treats, but with moderation, of course. One good and healthy example of dog treat is Milk-Bone Flavor Snacks Dog Biscuits.

What You Should Do If Your Dog Eats Grass?

  • One of the reasons for this canine conduct is purging, as I stated a while ago. When performed occasionally, it’s normal, but if your pooch eats grass to purge all the time, something may be wrong. You may need to reassess the type of food you give. It’s not a good indication to vomit grass several times in a week. I propose you switch to another brand of dog food packed with more nutrients. Try to switch flavors, say if you continue to give chicken, for example, why don’t you attempt to switch to Acana Fresh Water Fish. This is performed to ensure that your dog has distinct protein sources.
  • The other thing you can do is to supplement your diet with probiotics. If you’re wondering what this is, probiotics are healthy or good bacteria that benefit your pooch’s digestive system. By offering your dog probiotics, the impact is that in all digestive tract problems it will have less or none because probiotics will prevent the development of harmful bacteria like E Coli.

Probiotics will help solve the problem of upset stomach, bloating, and gas. I recommend Zesty Paws Probiotics for Dogs – with Natural Digestive Enzymes + Probiotics & Pumpkin.

By altering or adding what you feed to your dog will help resolve the behavior of eating grass.

Other Explanations as to Why Your Dog Eats Grass:

By now, you are already aware as to why your fido eats grass. This time I will let you know why your dog is doing this behavior of eating grass. This will help you decipher whether it is normal or is it something to be concerned about.

1. Selective Nibbling:

If you see your fido selecting some parts of the crops apart from grass, it’s because they’re searching for more plant-derived nutrients. Normally, only the soft sections of the crops will be eaten. It’s just hungry and it wants a snack. But nothing is wrong with its overall health. This conduct is quite normal and panic-free.

2.  Aggressive Feeding:

This conduct is the reverse of the first one. If you realize that your fido is willing to go out and eat large volumes of grass, then there may be something wrong. It wants something to vomit or purge out of its system. Although sometimes vomiting is quite normal, it is not normal if vomiting every week. This time, taking it to the Vet for assessment is a good idea.

What’s In a Grass?

We, humans, cannot tell if grass tastes good or not, but the reality is that grass is rich in fiber which is what your dog is after. Apart from fiber, it has phytonutrients, potassium, and digestive enzymes. Thus, it is healthy food, plus the fact it also relieves gastrointestinal discomforts.

Should You Stop Your Dog From Eating Grass?

Although eating grass falls within the normal category of conduct, it is best to prevent your dog from eating grass. You may not know, but on the grass there are some damaging chemicals that are poisonous to the health of your dog. Chemicals such as herbicides and fungicides can make your baby fur ill. There may also be something bad in there that it might ingest. I suggest using natural and chemical-free lawn fertilizer such as Espoma Lawn Food. For dogs, this product is completely safe.

Conclusion:

Eating grass or “pica” is natural canine conduct that should not worry parents like you. Dogs eat grass merely because it’s bored, hungry, or as a purging behavior. Another reason it eats grass is because it seeks to satisfy a deficiency in nutrition. Unless the grass is treated with chemicals, you don’t have to refrain your dog from eating grass.

The best recourse is to give them toys, so it stops from getting bored. Then not to forget to change its diet to a more nutritious with high fiber dog food.

When you see your dog eating grass, the only moment to worry is when it becomes habitual, and very often purging/vomiting happens. It’s time for the Vet to come in. Perhaps it’s time to deworm your dog, or your vet might find other reasons why he wishes to purge it all the time.

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