dog eating grass

Help! My Dog is Eating Grass: 4 Reasons Why This Can Happen

You’re out for a walk in the cool evening air minding your own business, your pooch is sniffing around the bushes and everything is as it should be…

When suddenly, you notice your dog grazing on tufts of grass like a cow in a pasture!

Understandably, you may be startled at this odd behaviour; even more so if your dog is eating grass and vomiting! This may be a sign of pica.

Pica is the technical term used to describe dogs eating things that aren’t food. It may indicate a deficiency in their diet or sometimes it arises from boredom.

With grass, however, you can breathe a sigh of relief as you have nothing to worry about.

There are a few reasons why dogs exhibit this strange eating habit, so let’s look for ourselves and find out why:

4 Reasons Why Dogs Eat Grass

1/ Evolution

wild dog surrounded by grass
Photo by Tahoe on Unsplash

There are some animal experts out there that claim the answer lies in the evolution of our pals.

Back in history, wild dogs were believed to be omnivores- meaning that their diet contained meat and plants.

The years passed by and those fierce wild dogs were tamed and domesticated into the lovable household pets we know today.

However, for some, the belief is held that they kept their taste for plant matter, with grass being the most commonly found and inoffensive in taste.

2/ Upset Stomach

dog unwell on grass
Photo by Aleksandra Saługa on Unsplash

The most popular theory out there is that dogs eat grass to alleviate their upset tummies.

There are two branches to this theory:

1. Eating Grass Induces Vomitting

By munching on an indigestible matter like grass, some believe this is to bring up the root of their upset tummies.

However, this claim has been refuted by leading experts.

Evidence suggests that most dogs that eat grass aren’t sick and that less than ¼ that do eat grass vomit after grazing.

2. Aiding Digestion

Others believe that by chowing down on some green goodness, dogs can boost their fibre level, treat worms, and aid their digestion.

And while there is scepticism surrounding dogs having the insight to treat themselves, some think it’s an intuitive reaction, and it does hold more clout than the previous theory.

In this instance, if you notice your dog eating grass regularly, try putting them on a higher fibre diet and see how their grass munching tendencies develop.

3/ Boredom

bored dog in the grass
Photo by Tamas Tuzes-Katai on Unsplash

If the new diet isn’t having an effect and they’re exhibiting no sign of illness, then boredom is an entirely plausible reason we must consider.

Dogs do weird things when they’re bored.

Weird to us humans perhaps, but to your canine eating grass out of the back garden may just be a sign that they’re looking for something to do.

A strange habit maybe, but it’s certainly one of the least destructive you’ll contend with around the house when boredom strikes!

If you catch them chomping grass for no reason, maybe it’s time for a W-A-L-K or at the very least, a chase around the garden.

4/ They Like The Way It Tastes

Finally, we come to the simplest reason on our list…

Our dogs eat grass because they like the way it tastes!

Dogs will try to eat just about anything and grass is something that’s in abundance, whether in the garden or down the park! If our doggies are slightly peckish on the walk? Then a mouthful of grass is a great bit of roughage to keep them going.

It may seem odd to us, but there are stranger things out there that will tickle our dog’s taste buds!

Final Bark

So, we come to the end of 4 reasons why dogs eat grass.

There are a few potential reasons, so our advice is to try and consider the other circumstances at play; are they hungry? Are they sick? Are they bored? Take that into account and you’ll be able to make your own appraisal.

Eating grass is harmless and shouldn’t be a cause for worry, however, it’s important to be mindful that your dog isn’t eating grass that’s been sprayed with pesticide or any other chemicals as this may have more adverse reactions.

That rounds up this week’s BusterBox blog. Keep your eyes peeled for more fun, informative posts and next weeks “Why BusterBox” guide, giving you an in-depth analysis into why we’re the best dog subscription box out there!

And as always, be sure to check out our BusterBox goodies and show your dog how much you care.