Why Does My Dog Eat Grass?

At Paws to Consider taking care of your dog is our number one concern! While there is not a lot of grass in Boston, some of the areas we walk in, such as Jamaica Plain and West Roxbury happen to have a more rural feel with grass and vegetation as compared to much of Boston. While many of our dogs try to pick up whatever they can from the street during walks, when a dog starts to eat grass there may be an underlying reason, and here is a guide to why;

Alternative food source – unlike cat’s, dogs are not carnivores, but they’re also not the garden-variety omnivore either. In fact for tens of thousands of years, they were scavengers and devoured anything as long as it fulfilled their dietary needs. Modern dogs, may still seek out alternative food sources, most commonly the food source is grass, since this is what they have access to, but wild canines are known to eat fruits and veggiesCALSO!

Natural remedy – Grass it seems when ingested for dogs is a natural remedy for an upsert stomach. Grass blades are believed to tickle the throat and stomach lining, in turn causing the dog to vomit, especially if the grass is gulped rather than chewed.

They enjoy the texture – When dogs chew on grass for a while but do not throw it up, this is believed to be because they enjoy the texture of the grass, or they just want to add a little roughage to their diet.

Whatever the reason, most experts don’t believe there is danger in letting your dog chew on or eat grass, in fact grass is believed to contain essential nutrients that a dog might crave. However watch out for a sudden spike in grass consumption, as this could be a sign of an impending illness that may require a vet assistance!

PetMD