Are you concerned about your dog eating grass, especially lawn?
At Watadog we want to send you a reassuring message: in most cases you have nothing to worry about, it is something completely normal and even healthy.
However, in certain cases, if it is accompanied by other symptoms, it can be a cause for alarm. We analyze the possible causes and solutions below:
Why does my dog eat grass?
In general, your dog eating grass should not be a problem or an indication of illness. In fact, it is a very common practice.
If your dog eats grass from time to time but does not vomit, you should not worry or criticize his behavior, although you should be vigilant to ensure that he does not eat plants that are potentially harmful to his health.
The most common reasons why your dog eats grass are:
- Incorporate fiber and other nutrients into your diet: Eating grass is a habit that dogs have inherited from wolves, their ancestors, as it provides them with fiber, essential for good digestion.
- Hunger: It has been proven that dogs eat more grass in the morning, which could be due to their stomach being emptier. In fact, it is when they have not yet eaten their food that dogs spend more time eating grass.
My dog eats grass and then vomits
If your dog eats grass and then vomits, these may be the reasons:
Bad digestion or stomach pain
If your dog has poor digestion, he may eat grass to make himself vomit and thus clean his stomach.
Has ingested harmful substances
Dogs also eat grass and then vomit it up to cleanse their stomachs of harmful substances. In these cases, you will notice that your dog eats grass but does not want to eat its regular food.
What do I give my dog if he eats grass?
If you notice that your dog is looking for grass and always vomiting it, day after day, it is very likely that he has some digestive difficulty or that his daily feed is inadequate or of poor quality.
In this case, do not hesitate to take your pet to the vet so that he can diagnose the problem and prescribe the appropriate treatment. He may suggest nutritional supplementation or perform some tests if necessary.
Can it be dangerous for my dog to eat grass?
If you look closely, you will notice that dogs do not eat just any grass, but rather they look for those shoots that they consider good for them by smell.
However, eating grass could be dangerous in the following cases:
- If it has been sprayed with insecticides to prevent pests, it could lead to poisoning.
- If you are in an unhygienic area.
- If they are plants that are toxic to dogs.
- If you are in an area where many dogs congregate, it could contain fecal waste and intestinal parasites.
- If it is located in an area exposed to high levels of pollutants: areas close to road traffic, in urban parks where chemical treatments with herbicides, pesticides and fertilizers are carried out, etc.
Why does my dog eat grass so desperately?
According to experts, the fact that your dog is desperately eating grass may be due to boredom, not eating properly some food from its usual feed, or another deeper behavior of its character that has gone unnoticed by its owner.
In any case, if you see that your dog is eating grass very frequently, it would be best to talk to your vet.
Why does my dog eat plants?
Dogs may want to eat your houseplants for a variety of reasons, including:
- Curiosity
- Boredom
- Anxiety
- Lack of physical activity
- Nutritional deficiencies
If you don't want this to happen, we give you some advice:
- The most obvious: place them out of your dog's reach.
- Create a protective barrier for the plant using items such as aluminum foil or plastic.
- Another idea is to plant grass so that your dog prefers to eat it rather than the rest of the plants in your home.
We hope we have helped you to resolve your doubts regarding your dog and herbs. If you want to continue learning about your dog's health, we recommend that you take a look at our article ' Why does my dog drink a lot of water '.