It's pretty common to find a dog eating grass. But what does it mean, why are they eating it, and should you be letting them? 

The age-old question of 'why do dogs eat grass?'. Here's the simple answer... we don't completely know why dogs eat grass but... ⤵️

There are some theories and ideas as to why, which we will discuss in this episode.

And of course, the next question is, is it okay for my dog to eat grass?

Again, short answer... it's probably not a huge deal. BUT, we will look at some potential problems from eating grass and discuss how to reduce it.

Next time your pup eats grass, you just might know why 😉

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Another theory… their stomach hurts or they do it to make themselves feel better/throw up to get rid of bad gut stuff

A study was done to see if dogs with loose stools ate more grass, and actually, it was dogs with healthier stools that ate more grass.

That study also drew a conclusion that typically dogs aren’t eating grass to force vomiting!

It can be in their DNA, stretching back to ancient ancestors and foraging behaviors.

It could be about a lack of fiber? Study of 11-year-old dog

An 11-year-old, castrated male Miniature Poodle was referred due to daily plant eating followed by vomiting for 7 years. Each time the dog went out for a walk, he had been munching on grass, and then vomited. There were no abnormal findings on medical examinations. 

Through behavior examination and consultation, we diagnosed this dog as having a plant eating problem. Because we assumed that the dog had eaten plants to supply dietary deficiency or relieve digestive problems, advised the owner to discontinue supplying the previous diet and to feed a high-fiber diet. 

On the follow up, the owner said that the dog had not eaten plants and vomited for 3 days after initial dietary change. The dog has not shown any clinical signs for 13 months. This clinical finding shows a possibility that a deficient diet, especially in fiber, relates to the plant eating behavior of a dog.

One main finding is that younger dogs typically eat more grass than adults… so it can be just mischievous puppy behavior and exploration

SHOULD I LET MY DOG EAT GRASS, AND HOW CAN I STOP IT?

If they are vomiting and/or have changes in stool, it can be a problem and should be avoided

In most cases, try to limit the amount of grass your dog(s) eat

Especially avoid any treated grass with chemicals… and how can you always know? That’s the problem!

To stop grass-eating, work on behaviors like listening around distractions, leave it, and impulse control

In most cases, it’s normal and not something that should alarm you!

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17675815/

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240398429_Reduction_in_grass_eating_behaviours_in_the_domestic_dog_Canis_familiaris_in_response_to_a_mild_gastrointestinal_disturbance

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159107001827

http://barf-raw-feeding.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WhydogogsandcatseatgrassGrassVetMed2008-2.pdf

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<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">Please click <span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#ff0000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">here<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#000000;background-color:#ffffff;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">.

<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">impulse control

<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17675815/

<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240398429_Reduction_in_grass_eating_behaviours_in_the_domestic_dog_Canis_familiaris_in_response_to_a_mild_gastrointestinal_disturbance

<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159107001827

<span style="font-size:13pt;font-family:Arial;color:#1155cc;background-color:transparent;font-weight:400;font-style:normal;font-variant:normal;text-decoration:underline;-webkit-text-decoration-skip:none;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre;white-space:pre-wrap;">http://barf-raw-feeding.fr/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/WhydogogsandcatseatgrassGrassVetMed2008-2.pdf

Why Do Dogs Eat Grass? | Pupford