Mary Allen
Many theories roam the Internet when you search for “why does a dog eat grass”.
Grass-eating occurs regularly in more than 75 percent of all healthy dogs, sometimes daily or several times a week. Here it is likely that the herb just tastes good to them and contributes to the natural need for raw fiber – a vegetable side dish for meat food in a bowl, so to speak!
If you are concerned about waiting for your dog to finish eating while walking, you can try offering carrots at home. Then some dogs are much less fascinated by the tips of the green grass.
You should prevent your dog from eating particularly tough or pungent grass and corn leaves. This can irritate and injure the esophagus and stomach.
Nausea and Vomiting are Warning Signs
A small number of dogs seem to only ingest weed when they have gastrointestinal problems. They then often show signs of nausea, such as slapping, licking, and salivation, and will vomit again shortly after ingestion.
This phenomenon is thought to be related to inflammation of the stomach and mucous membranes, as some dogs stop eating grass after taking medications that reduce stomach acid production.
Another theory is that when a dog eats grass, it tries to get rid of a foreign object or another irritating irritant in its throat. However, this has not yet been confirmed by research.
It is known that cats actually eat grass specifically to pull out hairballs or bones. You should always have fresh grass.
Grass Can Act as a Foreign Body
However, like food, the herb is not as harmless as it sounds: in large quantities, it can clump in your dog’s stomach and act as a foreign body. This means that this lump of grass is clogging up the outlet of your stomach or intestines.
If your dog has eaten large amounts of grass and then behaves weakly, vomits, or tries to vomit, it is imperative that your veterinarian examines your dog’s stomach with an ultrasound. In the worst-case scenario, the grass will have to be surgically removed.