Why Does My Dog Eat Grass: Key Reasons

You thought dogs are carnivores, and your precious canine would be eating meat-based meals only. But you revealed that you were mistaken. Badly mistaken. Your dog is crazy about eating grass and seems to be enjoying its ‘special’ diet.

At this point you have a question, ‘My dog wants to eat grass, is it OK or is my pet broken?’ Calm down, dear reader, this baffles thousands of pet parents out there, which means that your pooch is not the only grass eater in the tail-wagging world.

Even though the feeling that you belong to the my-dog-eats-grass community might give you peace of mind, you still want to get to the core of such a dog's behavior. In this article, we’ll explain when it’s a norm and when you should take measures to prevent your pooch from eating undesired flora.

So, you set out for a walk, and your dog rushes to eat grass before you even close the doors of your house. It really looks odd, but let’s not be doing any guesswork. In this section, we’ll cover some of the reasons for your canine’s strange food preferences.

It Tastes Good

Believe it or not, but most dogs love the taste of grass. What’s more, dog’s ancestors used to eat grass as well, which is proven by the research. Just bear with the idea that your pet finds the texture and taste of your lawn yummy.

Lack of Vitamins

If your dog wants to eat grass, it’s time to reconsider its nutrition. Perhaps, the lack of vitamins and other nutrients is to blame. If your canine faces an insufficiency of essential minerals and vitamins daily, this diet deficiency might push your pet to compensate for the lack of fiber and other essentials through eating grass. In this case, you can get GNC dog supplements to enrich a dog's diet with the missing nutrients.

Boredom

If you live in a house, your dog has complete freedom in the backyard. You suppose that they are having fun out there, but in fact, they might be bored. If your pet doesn’t get proper physical exercises or mental stimulation, it might find a solution by eating grass. In this way, dogs kill their time when you are not with them.

Self-Treatment

In case you still haven’t found an answer to the ‘why does my dog eat grass’ question, here is a hint for you. Perhaps, your pooch is cleansing the digestive tract or stomach. As you notice that your pet eats grass and then vomits immediately, don’t make preliminary judgments that your dog is sick. Most likely, that’s the way they get rid of excess bile, mucus, and other stuff.

As you see from the previous section, it’s OK for a dog to eat grass. In fact, it’s built in their DNA. Wild canines used to eat grass to get the lacking minerals and essentials like fiber. It also helped them cleanse their stomachs and gastrointestinal system from parasites and other impurities.

Also, dogs are omnivores, which means that their stomachs can tolerate animal proteins and plants equally great. So, if grass fulfills their dietary requirements, why exclude it from a diet?

Sigh with relief, eating grass is normal dog behavior until they treat themselves to the dog-friendly greenery and you see no negative changes in the health condition. By dog-friendly grass we mean:

• no fertilizers and pesticides used to stimulate the growth of the lawn
• free from poops, which might carry hazardous parasites
• zero toxic plants like foxtails, daffodils, tomato plants, and more

So, should I let my dog eat grass? We see nothing wrong with that. Just make sure your pet has access to dog-safe grass.

However, if you notice that your pooch started eating grass more frequently or in greater amounts, that might be a sign that your pet is attempting to self-treat some of the health issues. Moreover, check for the overall health of your dog. As you spot frequent vomiting, diarrhea, blood in stool, weight loss, lethargy, and other disturbing symptoms, take your furry friend to a vet.

If you believe that your dog’s desire for gobbling grass has reached the point of abnormality, here’s what you can do.

1. Introduce treats as your dog trying to eat grass to distract their attention.
2. Engage your pet in interactive games like frisbee, tug-of-war, fetch, and others.
3. Train your canine using positive verbal or petting rewards.
4. Use grass-free routes for walking to reduce the risk of greenery seduction.

Switch to a balanced diet like senior dog food for sensitive stomach or any other specialized nutrition.