If you have had dogs for a while, you have almost certainly observed them eating grass at one time or another. Many of the popular reasons for this are essentially urban legend but there are tons of opinions out there, many from people that might actually know what they are talking about so they are difficult to ignore for most people. I’ve tried to list a few of the popular reasons people believe they do it and explained the thought behind it and end the article with actual science.
Dogs are NOT carnivores
Well… not completely. Unlike cats, dogs are omnivores meaning they eat meat AND plants but they tend to lean towards meat and protein. This is the reason that all properly formulated dog foods will contain carbs and plant material. It is also one of the reasons that custom made or boutique diets of nearly pure protein are a bad thing.
It is believed by some that our dog’s ancestors ate the ENTIRE carcass of their kills including the stomachs and the prey were mostly herbivores meaning those stomachs were full of grass and other greens. They posit that this practice rounded out the diet. Modern wild dogs have often been observed eating fruits, berries and grass.
It’s also been observed that when some dogs that eat a lot of grass and then have their diet changed to higher fiber mixes stop eating grass.
Some have suggested that dogs eat grass to settle their stomach or treat worms or improve digestion. Again, none of this is proven (well.. except maybe the worm thing – read on) and is most all educated speculation but some of it seems logical to some extent.
Given these observations, some think it is reasonable to believe your dog just wants to balance out their diet.
They eat to throw up or because they are sick
This idea seems very popular for some reason but has not been anything close to proven. WebMD says that less than 25% of dogs that eat grass ever throw up from it. They further say that owners report less than 10% of dogs who eat grass seem sick before they do it.
More likely, the dog throws up because the grass they are eating is not properly chewed and gets stuck in and/or tickles their throats and throwing up is just an instinctive reaction.
The dog is bored
This idea actually has a little merit in many cases. Dogs put things in their mouths, it’s what they do. If they get bored, they chew on things and eat. Some people have observed that if their dog is eat grass, then does a lot of exercise like chasing balls or Frisbee, they stop eating grass.
There actually was one scientific study done on the subject
Stanley Coren with Psychology Today found an actual study performed that included quite a lot of actual science.
The research was conducted at the University of California, Davis, by Karen Sueda, Benjamin Hart and Kelly Cliff and published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science
I’ve not read the actual study but Dr Coren summarized the study by saying that most all of the popular reasons I’ve listed above were completely “debunked”. In essence, domestic dogs do not eat grass because they are sick, or have an upset stomach or to balance out their diet. While the study did not find a provable reason for the behavior, their best guess is that it is done to help clean out parasites from the digestive track in wild dogs. They further speculate that domestic dogs do it out of instinct handed down from their ancestors even though domestic dogs are typically much less affected by parasites due to modern medical care and food sources.
While this explanation is the one I tend to believe, it is also possible that domestic dogs just like to eat grass.
Is eating grass harmful to dogs?
Usually not but WebMD has this to say on the subject:
Although most experts agree that grazing itself isn’t harmful, one thing to keep in mind is that certain herbicides and pesticides used on lawns can be quite toxic, especially if ingested. Additionally, a number of common house and garden plants are toxic, which could lead to problems if your dog munches on them along with the lawn.
Remember that while you may know what toxic chemicals may be on YOUR grass, how do you know about other places? Err on the side or caution and know what your dog is eating.
That last bit about toxic plants is important for you to know about.
Did you know that Aloe plants many flowers and Sago Palms are toxic to dogs? There are many different plants that are bad for them.
A good reference for toxic plants can be found on the ASPCA website.
Summary
While there are many theories and urban legends about why dogs eat grass, the only scientific study I could find referenced seemed to debunk most all of them and suggested domestic dogs just eat grass out of ancestral instinct. It is also possible that the dogs just like grass. Chemicals on the grass could be dangerous for your dog and some plants are just toxic so know what your dog is eating.
About the Author
Bryan Curry loves all dogs in general, especially Golden Retrievers. He has had dogs for all but 6 months of his long life and all have lived happy and much longer than average lives. Bryan and his wife Terri are co-owners of Texas TLC Goldens; a small responsible breeder producing high quality Golden Retriever puppies.
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