dogs eating grass

[watchman 256]

could someone give me a definitive answer as to why dogs eat grass ,other than they do it to settle their stomach then throw up,or not as the case may be cheers

[stubby 175]

I'd be inclined to think they get some goodness from it, my dog will eat grass, carrots,cabbage,

[Foxgun Tom 75]

As you say a lot of the time it used as a purgative (throwing up) sometimes wilddogs eat grass and greenstuffs due to the fact that the dog may be deficient in certain trace elements/minerals or essential vitamins in its diet? it has been suggested its a method of binding loose stools? if this was the case cows would have shits like lumps of concrete

 

Tom

 

could someone give me a definitive answer as to why dogs eat grass ,other than they do it to settle their stomach then throw up,or not as the case may be cheers

Edited April 26, 2009 by Foxgun Tom

[Malt 379]

As you say a lot of the time it used as a purgative (throwing up) sometimes wilddogs eat grass and greenstuffs due to the fact that the dog may be deficient in certain trace elements/minerals or essential vitamins in its diet? it has been suggested its a method of binding loose stools? if this was the case cows would have shits like lumps of concrete

 

Tom

 

Aye, but cows have got 4 stomachs to digest the grass fully.

[foxfan 479]

Dogs get no nutritional value from eating grass, their digestive systems are far too ineficient.

 

The benifit they get is that the grass acts as a purge, with bile binding to the grass and being ejected from the body by means of vomiting, or excreta.

 

Not my words, i read it some where ages ago, but its the most believable explanation i've come across.

[riohog 5,751]

yep grass acts as a purge and laxative

[Mars 42]

So why then does my bitch very rarely eat grass during the winter months, but you`d think she`s a fecking cow during the spring, LOL....

 

Mars...

[skycat 6,174]

So why then does my bitch very rarely eat grass during the winter months, but you`d think she`s a fecking cow during the spring, LOL....

 

Mars...

 

 

Surely you must have heard of having a spring clean? LOL

 

Seriously though, mine are all guzzling cleavers (goosegrass) and young shoots of couch grass at the moment: do it every spring: some gets vomited back up and some goes right through the dog.

 

I've been feeding mine stewed nettles recently and I've noticed they don't eat grass etc when I'm giving them stewed nettles, so although a dog's system can't utilise raw whole vegetation it must be doing them some good or they wouldn't be doing it.

 

Agree about binding the bile to vomit though>makes sense.

[oldblueeye 0]

So why then does my bitch very rarely eat grass during the winter months, but you`d think she`s a fecking cow during the spring, LOL....

 

Mars...

 

 

Surely you must have heard of having a spring clean? LOL

 

Seriously though, mine are all guzzling cleavers (goosegrass) and young shoots of couch grass at the moment: do it every spring: some gets vomited back up and some goes right through the dog.

 

I've been feeding mine stewed nettles recently and I've noticed they don't eat grass etc when I'm giving them stewed nettles, so although a dog's system can't utilise raw whole vegetation it must be doing them some good or they wouldn't be doing it.

 

Agree about binding the bile to vomit though>makes sense.

 

Excuse my ignorance Skycat, but is goosegrass the "wide bladed" one ?, if it is my dog seems to be able to smell it at a hundred yards at the moment...he seems very selective about which shoots of it he eats though, he always seems to eat the younger shoots.

 

Totally agree with you that they misy get something out of it because as you rightly say they wouldn't do it otherwise.

 

Cheers

OBE

[mad al 146]

Every dog I've own has eaten grass at some time. One of our Rotties just grazed like a cow and lived to a ripe old age. I wouldn't worry one bit about the why's and wherefor's, just let 'em do their thing

[JoeD 24]

Dogs are not carnivores they are omnivores so sometimes they eat small amounts of grass to substitute for any plant matter that they are missing from there diets.

My dogs will graze like cows and nothing is wrong with them.

They do eat grass when they have an upset stomach but I wouldn't worry about it unless your dog becomes lathargic, goes of its food and/or is drinking much more water than normal.

 

Hope this helps.

 

JoeD

[skycat 6,174]

OBE: goosegrass is that sticks to everything stuff that climbs: not actually a grass though; when its mature it has those tiny little brown ball type seed heads that also stick to everything! I'm sure if you google either name you'll find some photos of it.

[blacktabs 3]

The common name for goose grass is cleavers isnt it ?

Also thought dogs ate grass to stop em smelling doggy as much as they eat it to vomit mine eat most days and are never sick as theres no bile to get rid of as there always fit.

Anyone remember Amplex years ago was a concoction of stuff full of clorophyl to stop bitches smelling on heat ATB

[ferretess 230]

My Lab eats grass all the time i put it down to her being a greedy bitch as she is very rarely sick ,,,

the other 2 eat it from time to time and there not sick with it either ,,

 

was once told it's like a medicine for dogs but think that just old wives tale like many other thing i'm told

Edited April 27, 2009 by ferretess

[foxfan 479]

So i think the answer to the original question, is; No you cannot get a definative answer to why dogs eat grass ! !

 

 

Dogs, Omnivores, news to me.