My dog eats grass...

[daengmei]

Got a nearly 1 yo Australian shepherd mixed/? that just grazes like she is a cow. Seems she is particular in picking what looks to me to be a green stick type weed. Is there a bad reason for this? I thought eating grass and such was sometimes related to stomach ailments, somehow I remember someone saying that. She seems healthy but did have some worms early in the spring and treated as directed by the vet. The other younger dog I have doesn't seem to enjoy the fibers. At least I've not witnessed it.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Dogs pretty well all eat grass sometimes. It seems to be in response to some sort of instinctive need. We all have odd dietary fads, so why shouldn't dogs? I am related to a Jack Russell terrier in Germany which is obsessed with cucumber slices. But taking it to excess might indicate some sort of imbalance or dietary deficiency. It is probably worth asking the vet if it continues.

[Geraldo]

Of the six Labs we have had, all have done it to some extent. I'll tell you this, if your dog is chowing grass and you start yelling and getting excited, you just trained it that eating grass is a good way to get your attention.

http://www.cesarsway.com/dog-care/dog-nutrition/Why-Dogs-Eat-Grass-and-How-to-Prevent-It

[starmac]

When I was a kid, old timers claimed that was a sign, it was time to worm your dog. I do not know how much truth to that there is though, as like mentioned above most dogs do to some extent.

[minmax]

Try giving her a can of green beans. No this is not a joke, she's going to like them. She may be lacking in vitamin A, or she may just enjoy eating grass. As long a she is not vomiting I would not be to concerned.

[Boz330]

My Rottweilers all grazed like cows and they were healthy. The mix I have now does it a little but nothing like the Rots. I wouldn't worry about it.

Bob

[smokeywolf]

I had been told the same thing, RE eating grass. That they do it to make themselves vomit. Have never done any genuine research to verify that.

Although canines can and will eat just about anything, that doesn't mean that they are eating it because their body needs it. A dog's digestive tract isn't set up to process and benefit from plant fibers, grains or most starches (sweet potato being an exception). Also, a dog's molars are shaped to scissor meat into chunks which can then be swallowed. They're not flat for grinding seeds, grains or fibers and a dog's lower jaw does not move from side to side to enable grinding of seeds, grains or fibers. Although not as pure a carnivore as a cat, dogs are carnivores. Because they are opportunistic feeders, many mistake them for omnivores. While some mistakenly believe that dogs (or wolves) eat the stomach contents of the herbavores that they kill. Because the contents of a prey animal's stomach is soaked with stomach acid, predators will usually avoid that. They will eat the stomach lining, but typically shake that first, to remove most of the stomach acid. Just like you don't care for the taste of your own stomach acid when you aspirate, few predators care for the taste of stomach acid either.

Timber (my avatar) gets a steady diet of mostly raw turkey, chicken, chicken necks and beef. We do give him a serving spoon full of yogurt a couple of times a week. Plus, when we mix up a batch of raw food for him, to the meat we add a little carrot, sweet potato, butternut squash, green bean, apple, blueberry, raw egg (including shell) and salmon oil; meat still comprises 90% of the mixture. This mixture is a rough duplication of what is fed to the wolves and wild dogs in many zoos.

Timber also gets a treat of 2 sticks of string cheese (low fat mozzarella) almost every day.

[Rufus Krile]

My Rottweilers all grazed like cows and they were healthy. The mix I have now does it a little but nothing like the Rots. I wouldn't worry about it.

Bob
Greyhounds run. Labs swim. Rotties eat. Grass, power cords, mesquite firewood, kleenex, paper towels..... they think it's a balanced diet.

[CastingFool]

My daughter's English bulldog ate a whole bowl of those small chocolate easter egss, foil and all! He's been known to eat other items and has had surgery a couple of times.

[dragon813gt]

My GSP will eat grass to an extent. If I don't stop him he can eat to much and next thing is green vomit piles all over the house. I swear my buddies Rottweiler is a cow. She grazes non stop. About the ones I haven't see eat grass all the small toy breeds.

[fecmech]

Seems she is particular in picking what looks to me to be a green stick type weed.
My Sheltie is the same way and also likes long bladed grass. I keep telling her she's a sheepdog not a sheep but she ignores me and continues to graze.

[gray wolf]

Grass is a digestive aid and a mild laxative for the dogs.

Plus all that SMOKEY WOLF had to say.

[RonT]

....and I thought GCEA was bad....
Cheers,
R

[bangerjim]

Dogs and cats eat grass as a digestive additive. They instinctively know that.

Mabe we should take a lesson from them and quit spending billions of $$ annually for OTC stomach remedies!!!!

banger

[Ballistics in Scotland]

I've even known a cat to eat grass, but only once. Come to think of it, the only dog I never knew to do so was a Labrador, which would eat everything on principle, because that is what Labradors do, like carrying a half-grown cat around the garden at full speed, unhurt. She would even dodge thorns and eat gooseberries from the bushes, grimacing because our gooseberries were so sour. I think it was a matter of principle. But never grass.

[knfmn]

I wouldn't worry about it, unless she starts throwing up. They all do it to a certain extent. Cats do it to make themselves throw up a lot of times. If you go into Petco or PetSmart, they even have little containers full of grass for cats and/or dogs to "graze" on. We get one occasionally for our cats and they absolutely love it.

[big bore 99]

I was told that most dogs will eat grass and sometimes vomit. Nothing to be worried about.

[daengmei]

I just thought it was excessive. I do at times give them carrots, and the pup steals cucumbers from the garden. Should see them fight for that cucumber! They will steal it from each other till one eventually breaks the skin, then they almost share the thing.
Thanks.

[Plate plinker]

I would only worry if your dog starts smoking the grass.

[daengmei]

Some of their actions make me think they have found it already. Add the tomcat and it's rather funny what they do. That little cat puts them both running.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

A few decades ago, I had a dog for a while, half Huskie, half Lab, and half German Shepherd. That crazy dog would chew thru 2" of packed snow and ice to get at a cat turd. I didn't have her very long, she liked to chase deer.

[NavyVet1959]

Back in the days before we had garbage disposals under our sinks, our "garbage disposals" were our dogs. I think a dog's mentality is something like, "eat it first and then decided whether it was food". I've *never* had a dog that was picky about what food I fed it. I buy the Wal-Mart dogfood in the 50-lb bags and they are healthy. If I have some food that needs to be thrown out (leftovers, moldy, whatever), the dogs gets first dibs on it. If they turn up their noses to it, then it goes in the trash, but I've never had that happen.

[skeet1]

My Heinz 57 likes grass, elm leaves and an unidentified weed that has purple flowers and leaves that are a dusty grey green in color, they are her favorite.

Ken

[tygar]

I've been training & breeding GSD, Rotts, St. Bernards for over 50yrs & most all the dogs I've had from the various breeds eat grass & other plant substances like berries & almost any veggie throw to them like they were part Hereford. One I have now, actually searches for his preferred type of grass, ignoring others to chow down on his favorite. They may be called carnivore but I swear they are part omnivore.

[1johnlb]

Be glad all it eats is grass.

My wifes dog keeps the cat litter box cleaned, at least she's good for something. And one of our outside dogs eats the other dogs poop. The vet said it was normal as long as he wasn't eating his own, 2 days later I found out he wasn't normal.

[tygar]

Try some "Forbid". It sometimes will stop the poop eating.

[funnyjim014]

My Bassett will eat grass (fresh or lawn clippings) untill she pukes... then eat that . But her favorite is poop. Started in the winter with frozen poop chew toys but her pallet is now more refined and will eat em fresh. We have tried it all. I just think its the realy expensive natural buffalo meat food. Its so good she eats it twice. Must be a basset thing

[tygar]

Ok a little dog info. A lot of dogs eat **** but females are most likely if they have had litters. Since they eat & lick all the pups excrement they get used to it. Males are less likely to do it but dogs learn by watching & imitating what they see other dogs do.

Breaking bad habits are 100 times harder than stopping it from the get go. So, if you use forbid when they are young & just starting to eat it, it works better. If your crate training to housebreak then you dam sure better put something in their food to stop it. There are other things but can't remember off hand, but it's like some kind of spice.

I teach mine to go where I want them & on command so it's easy to watch them & correct them if they were to start it, but most of the time just being there when they are just learning & having them go in a certain area & taking them off to do something after they go usually precludes the problem.

Sometimes some dogs just like the taste of sht & your SOL.

But if you have a S.E. try not to let them lick you in the face!

[duckey]

My labs do it only when they have some stomach issues going on. Might take a look at the dog turds and see if they look normal, if not slowly a with h over foods.

[Bullwolf]

I had a black lab that loved strawberries of all things. He would sneak up into the garden and "pick" the ripe ones tenderly with his mouth. Our strawberry yields were quite poor until we figured out what was really going on.

I've seen the coyotes eat wild blackberries, apples that have fallen on the ground, and ground plums too so I guess its not abnormal. The strawberry thing from the garden really surprised me though.



- Bullwolf

[Mytmousemalibu]

Our cats love fresh green grass, its like salad to them. They only get it so often and they eat it in moderation.

[Mk42gunner]

I had a Jack Russell Terrier that loved to eat plastic solo cups and bowls. Quite the eye opener when you spot ¼" wide strings of plastic cups holding dog turds together.

As to the grass, I wouldn't worry about it unless they start eating poison ivy or poison oak.

Robert

[MaryB]

My lab Misty ate grass, my tomatoes from the garden, he carrots from the garden, lettuce from the garden... all without me picking any of it. I thought I had a ground hog in the garden... no it was a lab!

[robg]

all my dogs like a bit of grass
.setter gsd cross loved strawberries & apples

[tygar]

We have to fence our garden since the dogs will eat everything but onions. They especially love to eat the centers out of melons, chow down on tomatoes, especially love cucumbers & peas, but eat most everything else. We had an apple orchard that they would eat every apple that hit the ground, & like I said eat berries, blueberries, blackberries & rasberries.

[NavyVet1959]

My dogs will eat the rinds of watermellons, but only the inner part. They will leave the outer darker colored paper thin layer, but everything inside of that is history.

[9w1911]

Ive had 4 malamutes, all related to a degree, one dad, mom, son and now great great granddaughter. Its just three now dad moved on in Mammoth Lks a few years back, never will get over that guy going.
They all eat a certain grass, weed in the yard, but it is especially found on or near a creek bed or right along the river. They will chomp it every time. I used to think it was a vitamin issue until I got the latest puppy and she chomps it too. it is rarely found in a yard.

[Russel Nash]

My 3 weimaraners eat some sort of grass or weed too. It is usally by this creek. The two males I have, father and son, are on electronic collars. When I see them eating the grass, I will first tell them "No" or "Ah-ah!"

If they don't stop, I give them a zap.

There must be something really tasty about that grass because the next time I walk them, they forget about the zap.

The female, the mamma dog, is such an agressive alpha bitch, I keep her on a leash.

[375supermag]

Hi...

I have owned a few dogs over the years...

Heinz 57, beagles, Doberman, Malamute, Labs and every one ate grass.
I have two 8 week old Lab puppies that were only weaned a few days when we took possession last Sunday...they have even ate grass already.

Just something dogs do...I had beagles that ate dirt. One beagle ate a chunk of some type of sheeting my neighbor used to frame a shed he built attached to his garage. Didn't hurt him a bit...vet said, "Yeah, they do that sometimes". Kept him overnight for observation

[rondog]

Our 10 y.o. fat Beagle got lucky the other day and caught a very young rabbit in our backyard. Yep, she ate it. All I found was a head, a gutpile, and barely enough fur to make a cotton ball.

But our Beagles are grass eaters too. Green beans are a regular part of their diet as well....French cut, no salt, chopped up and added to their dog food. They also go crazy over carrots.

[trapper9260]

My 2 coydogs eat grass.One more then the other.But they also eat watermelon and shell peanuts and also peanut butter and carrots,cabbage,butternet squars and one of them like others stated eat the others s''''' . But not here own and ask the vet about it he said it is a bad habit.They also like to eat pepermint candy also it seams to settle there gut.They also love apples and what ever else I might give them.if I care to.

[doc1876]

My border collie eats grass and I feed him broccoli and green beans, he loves them.

[NavyVet1959]

When we're having a crawfish boil, I'll sometimes toss the crawfish head, claws, or meatless tail to the dogs. They *love* them. Snap, crackle, gulp... I guess the like the saltiness... Probably increases their calcium intake...

[smokeywolf]

When we're having a crawfish boil, I'll sometimes toss the crawfish head, claws, or meatless tail to the dogs. They *love* them. Snap, crackle, gulp... I guess the like the saltiness... Probably increases their calcium intake...

Definitely helps with calcium levels. Our first wolfdog loved shrimp. That is until I gave him some king crab. Then he started turning his nose up at the shrimp.

Although many dogs like broccoli, green beans are a much better choice it you wish to include a green vegetable in your dogs diet.

[fryboy]

greens are umm much better for them than many things i have seen various pooches eat over the years .... my current umm heifer grazes a bit tho is kinda picky about what , i've noted at various times she has a different preference , an example is elm leaves ( preferably young tender ones tho i've seen her eat a few dried ones in the fall/winter ) i understand this more so than the few hackberry leaves she eats , elm has medicinal properties ( aspirin was originally derived from slippery elm bark and then later synthesized ) while perhaps they react differently to various stimuli than we do the only time that bothers me is when she eats enough to upchuck , most dogs will,given the chance, eat cat umm krispies ,cats usually have a higher protein intake than dogs , the stool will also reflect this ( even tho we want to give them an after snack breath mint it could be that to them that is "their" breath mint uggh ) kupi me current one seems to love bits of basketballs,baseball gloves are history in a matter of a day , the rope chews she really enjoys are verboten because i dont really care to umm help get the string out , she'll pull all the stuffing out of a stuffed critter and then she sleeps with the remains in her mouth like she was a pup nursing on it , to be fair she sometimes pulls off lil chunks and eats them too ( because i wont let her have that darn rope i suppose ) on the brite side at least kupi doesnt do what another i used to have did - walk up to a tire ( yes on a vehicle ) grab the corner of the tread and rip off chunks and eat that
i'm surprised more wood wasnt mentioned more , many dogs like the taste , in fact they even sell wood flavored treats that some dogs go ape over ( or was that beaver over ? lolz ) the pup before this one decided my desk chair needed to be a three legged stool