Why Does My Dog Eat Grass?

In this episode of the Pet Question of the Day, Stephanie discusses the reasons why your dog might be eating grass and what to do!

Have you ever wondered why your dog eats grass? We have too and we’ve certainly witnessed it ourselves! So we went looking for some answers to this. Vets say that there are several reasons why a dog might be eating grass. One, they may just like it! Some dogs have been noted to even prefer grass at different times of the year than others, like spring. Vets say that dogs may also be looking to fill a gap in their diet. Their ancestors hunted but they also ate grass and scavenged to fill their diet as needed. Dogs are somewhere in between carnivores and omnivores, meaning they eat both meat and plants. In the wild they would get everything they needed from their prey, such as meat, bones, organs and whatever was in the stomach which usually included a mixture of plants or grass. In the commercial era they may need more fiber or roughage and seek out grass as their wild ancestors did. Vets said that dogs do still like to scavenge, and eating grass may satisfy that craving for them.

Now, most of the time your dog will be fine if they eat grass. We do have to watch out for pesticides and herbicides that might be sprayed in the area and also watch out for parasites. When dogs pull up grass they can also pick up worms like roundworms or hookworms left behind from fecal matter. We definitely don’t want that so make sure to be up to date on parasite prevention for your dog.

Vets say that grazing may also stem from boredom, anxiety or a craving for more attention from their owner. If that’s the case, it’s usually remedied by spending more quality time with your furbaby. You can gift them a new toy or a piece of clothing that smells like you for comfort. You can take them out for more walks or physical activity. You can also take the time to train them from doing this, in a positive way. More time with your best friend is a win win across the board and they will appreciate the time together just as we do.

Has your dog ever been a voracious grass eater? What happened? Feel free to share in the comments! We love hearing about our furbabies!

So that's our question of the day. If its been of value, these kinds of questions and more are some of the topics we will be covering in the upcoming furbabies summit so, you can go to furbabiessummit.com to get signed up! We thank you for listening and for being the amazing furbaby parent you are! Sending purrs, wags, joy and love to all of you! Have a great rest of your day!

Watch the original video HERE!

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Got a question or suggestion for Stephanie and the show? Book a call with Steph at TalkWithStephanieGoodman.com