Have you ever wondered why your dog eats grass in the garden or when out and about? You may find yourself standing around waiting for her to finish at nature’s buffet and bemused at why she seems to be sniffing out particular blades of grass? Here I hope to answer these questions…
Does your dog eat grass to induce vomiting?
The most common reason we hear for why dogs like to eat grass is that they need to vomit and eating grass induces this, potentially the dog is suffering with gastric or intestinal distress and wants to expel toxins thus they are looking for some quick relief.
A small survey performed by Benjamin L Hart for Veterinary Medicine seemed to suggest that this isn’t usually the most common reason for dogs eating grass and only 8% of the respondents reported that their dogs frequently show signs of illness before plant eating and only 22% reported that their dogs regularly vomited afterward.
Could your dog need more fibre?
The survey also showed there was no indication that dogs fed primarily table scraps or raw food were more prone to grass eating than those on a commercial kibble diet. However, it goes on to suggest there was no indication that dogs receiving less fibre in their diets tended to eat plants more than those getting more fibre.
However, more recently than this survey from 2008, it is suggested dogs need roughage in their diets and grass is a good source of fibre. A lack of roughage affects the dog’s ability to digest food and pass stool, so grass may help their bodily functions run more smoothly.
Could your dog need Chlorophyll?
But if our dogs aren’t predominantly wanting to induce vomiting, could it be that our dogs are seeking to supplement this green pigment which is found in plants and algae. Chlorophyll’s structure is a lot like our dog’s haemoglobin, an important part of the dog’s red blood cells. Haemoglobin carries oxygen throughout the body therefore when the dog eats chlorophyll, she will be helping to replenish the red blood cells. Chlorophyll also helps fight infections, heals the digestive tract, and builds the immune system amongst others.
Your dog cannot help herself to green veggies from the fridge when she feels she needs chlorophyll and grass is not the best source for her as it is hard to digest (they lack the enzymes necessary to break down the fibres) so maybe offer her some of the following, lightly steamed, to get a healthy dose and it also helps with bad breath:
- Kale
- Broccoli
- Spinach
- Green Beans
Steaming the vegetables helps your dog digest them better.
Maybe it is just innate behaviour inherited from wild ancestors?
A much simpler explanation could be that grass eating is normal dog behaviour and reflects an innate predisposition inherited from their wild ancestors. Wild canids in nature are known to eat grass and plants too and it likely serves a biological purpose. The usefulness of grass eating in these wild canids is that it can help to purge intestinal parasites. The plant material passes through the intestinal tract and the fibrous matter increases the intestinal contractions and wraps around the worms or nematodes which may be infecting the animal. In this way, the grass helps to purge the system of these potentially harmful parasites. Although most pet dogs are free of such worms, they nonetheless may still have that predisposition to eating grass which was helpful to their ancestors living in the wild.
With all this in mind, it would conclude that if you know your dog is getting enough fresh greens in her diet and is otherwise healthy, we should allow our dogs to eat grass when they feel the need and we don’t necessarily need to know exactly why if it makes them happy. Its far less likely to be illness related and more a trait inherited from their wild ancestors or maybe she just likes the taste.
Remember to ensure that you keep your dog from eating grass that has been chemically treated such as the lawn, maybe consider looking for natural lawn treatments and most certainly keep your dog away from anything containing Glyphosate.
If you treat your lawn with chemicals, you could consider growing some grass in a separate container that your dog can self-select should she wish, such as Couch or Barley grass.
Further Reading
The detail presented in this article was partially drawn from the following publications.
Why do dogs and cats eat grass
Why do dogs eat grass – Dogs Naturally Magazine