Introduction:
Every veterinarian receives this question daily. Pet owners are naturally curious as to why dogs eat grass for several reasons. Dogs typically eat grass during times of illness. However there are some dogs that are not perceived to become ill by their owners until after they consume grass. And finally, this behavior seems to be unique to dogs as our companion cats are rarely, if ever, reported to exhibit such behavior.
Gastrointestinal motility
Peristalsis, which is the scientific term for gastrointestinal motility, is increased when foods that are considered bulky enter the gastrointestinal track. Bulk foods can be defined as those items with poor or no digestibility. Grass, being a fibrous plant with no dramatic nutritional value to the carnivorous dog, would act as such an agent, moving the gastrointestinal tract along and accelerating its contents at a faster rate. This is desirable if gastrointestinal disease is present for a quicker recovery.
Induce vomiting
The same way ingesting grass can speed up the digestion process, it can also aid in inducing vomiting. This is another permutation of canine self-help. The induction of vomiting in this manner not only helps remove the possible cause(s) of the gastrointestinal disease, but also is a rather controlled measure of emesis (vomiting). Whereas administering a product to make a dog vomit can linger on beyond the desire to vomit further, ingesting grass allows the vomiting to occur during the actual ingestion and not cause prolonged self-induced vomiting.
Dietary deficiencies
Although the medical reasons why a dog may ingest grass during times of gastrointestinal diagnosis states are many, it may be an indication that your dog’s diet is deficient in fiber. This should be looked at in conjunction with a veterinarian as complications can occur if excessive fiber is added to a diet.
Behavioral reasons
We have to acknowledge that some dogs simply enjoy it or are just curious or bored. Eating grass is an activity they just elect to perform. A medical condition may not be the cause in such dogs as this is purely in your dog’s personality. Discouraging the behavior may be of benefit though as dogs can be, as we all know, rather indiscriminate consumers of foreign things, which can lead to actual illness.
Causes of canine gastrointestinal disease
If your dog is seen to consume grass, see your veterinarian or contact a real-time video telemedicine company such as VetTriage. There are many different types of gastrointestinal disease in dogs and ingesting grass is only a nonspecific indication that disease may be present. Professional advice should be sought during such circumstances prior to implementing your own self-devised treatment plan.
Conclusion
It is important to note that the aforementioned reasons why dogs eat grass is based on veterinary experience and medical reasoning and not on published medical literature. Grass ingestion in dogs should be evaluated in the context of what is occurring in your dog at the time it is occurring. If concerns of this behavior arise, always seek a veterinarian’s advice prior to taking any medical or treatment actions.
