DOGS EATING GRASS
QUESTION: My dog eats
grass, then vomits. I was told
the dog is doing this on purpose
to make itself throw up. Is
this true? And why?
ANSWER: First lets
understand the domesticated dogs
wild relatives. When a wolf
pack makes a kill such as a deer
for instance. One of the first
and choicest delicacies from the
deer is the contents of the
stomach. The deer eats grass
and other vegetation. Mother
Nature tells the wolf that he
needs such grass and vegetation
in his own diet too, thus they
eat all of the stomach contents.
Dogs
or their wild relatives need
more than just meat and that is
why dog food contains anything
from rice to other cereal by
products. People who place
their dogs on a meat only diet
are doing them a great
disservice. Unless they then
supplement the dogs with
vitamins, etc. that dog will
never be as healthy as one
recieivng a more balanced diet.
So...................
(1)
Dogs eat grass because their
bodies may be telling them they
need it due to an inadeqaute
diet for that particular dog or
dogs.
(2) Dogs eat grass when Bored
for something to do. Some dogs
lick or chew themselves
constantly because of Boredom.
It is something to do!
(3)
Dogs eat grass when they are in
a low lying level of pain,
either External or Internal pain
happening and eating grass takes
their minds off of it. Some
dogs lick or chew their paws or
bodies when in a continual low
lying level of pain. Others eat
grass! (such discomfort is
often unknown or undiagnosed by
their masters)
(4)
Dogs that are "Mentally
Stressed" may again eat
excessive amounts of grass to
take their minds off of their
problems. Or again, some dogs
lick or chew themselves. Find
out what is Stressing the dog
and stop excessive amounts of
grass eating at the same time!
(5) Dogs with a heavy
infestation of Internal
Parasites (worms) may eat large
quantities of grass in an
attempt to rid themselves of the
worms. In this case, it
always causes vomiting.
(6) AND some dogs eat grass
because they simply love the
taste. I have a dog who chooses
each blade with delicate care.
Nipping off only the tastiest
one. She actually sorts through
the grass until choosing just
the right, most tender blades.
In
the spring here on the farm,
when a big slough in my horse
pasture recedes each day, tender
shoots of grass are exposed. My
pack of dogs line up like
piggies at the food trough and
gobble it down while trying not
to get to wet. None vomit
afterwards.
Sometimes a dog simply eats to
much grass and vomits, sometimes
they don't. Grass in city
parks, along side walks, etc.
are often sprayed with
chemicals for weed control or
lawn maintenance that make a dog
vomit each time it eats that
grass. Same with people's back
yards, if you use fertilizers,
weed control, etc. that will all
add to the dog having to vomit
afterwards.
Certain types of grasses also
cause vomiting and it has been
noted that if the dog had
another choice of grass, it
would not chose these types.
Also
PLEASE NOTE, when no desirable
grass is handy, many dogs will
eat house plants, outside
flowers, etc that cause not only
vomiting but many are poisonous
to the dog, so keep such plants
out of the dogs reach.
