Eating Grass?

[Guest SuperiorItaly]

The last couple of days when Italy and I have gone out to the park, she's been eating grass a little bit. Not chowing down but just kind of sniffing and taking a few bites. Is this a sign that she has an upset stomach? Something worse? Nothing to be worried about? She's acting normally otherwise--happy and perfect.

[Guest isntitgreyt]

I have one who does the same thing. I was told once a long time ago that it may be due to a nutrition deficiency but not sure how true that is... would also like to read what others have to say.

[Guest mcsheltie]

Nothing to worry about. Dogs like to eat a little grass. Especially new spring shoots.

[Guest SuperiorItaly]

Nothing to worry about. Dogs like to eat a little grass. Especially new spring shoots.

 

Great, thanks. She gets a steady diet of Pro Plan, pumpkin, and a daily vitamin so I'd hope it wouldn't be nutrition-related.

[Guest Energy11]

Dh had to weedwack "the back forty" ... (big pen) the other day. ALL they want to do is eat the grass! Oh ... did I also mention they love dirt??? UGH!

 

Nothing to worry about with the grass ... lots of them do it. I don't let mine eat much, though.

[brandimom]

I think mine likes the taste as she never vomits after eating it. I do monitor the amount I let her eat.

[Robin1017]

Robin loves his salad, especially the new baby grass. He will go out of his way to eat the one special piece of grass that he sees across a patch of dirt in the yard....

[oldrunners]

My Oliver eats grass constantly for about 2 weeks each spring. Sometimes he throws it up, sometimes not. I've given up trying to get him to stop. He's been doing it for years, and I know once those tender shoots have matured, he'll stop. A vet I used many years ago felt that the grass eating was an ancient behavior that dogs used to rid themselves of intestinal parasites.

[Guest 4greytful]

Mine graze like cows. They love it. It doesn't always mean they have upset stomach, as mine very rarely throw it up. It just makes the poop a little strange.

[SarahsBlackPack]

My female Angel eats grass like she's a cow not a greyhound. She even did that at Emerald when I would let her run in the yard before i adopted her.

[Guest longdoglady]

Anna also loves grazing on the soft, sweet, spring grass, she only seeks out coarse grass if she has a yucky tummy. Anna also loves the sticky goosegrass, how that feels going down I cannot imagine, but it never makes her sick.

[Guest MyBoys]

My boys are loving the back yard now because they can graze like cows

[Guest Lacy]

The last couple of days when Italy and I have gone out to the park, she's been eating grass a little bit. Not chowing down but just kind of sniffing and taking a few bites. Is this a sign that she has an upset stomach? Something worse? Nothing to be worried about? She's acting normally otherwise--happy and perfect.

 

 

there used to be a term on here.. eons ago ..we've got "groats". (greyhound goats)

Our boy has been enjoying grass for the better part of 7 years. A steady walk is near impossible

after the first long blades come up, and i don't deny him his search for the perfect blades of grass

... he's quite picky. I think it's perfectly normal for greys from everything I've read over the years.

 

Grass for beagles (only other breed I can speak too) seems to indicate tummy troubles.

[Guest greytmiles]

Thanks for mentioning this! Miles started doing it a couple of days ago. I expected him to throw it up, but he hasn't so far.

[Guest FastDogsOwnMe]

Mine are performance dogs in top form, and they all like to eat grass.

[Guest happygrey]

Mine graze like cows. They love it. It doesn't always mean they have upset stomach, as mine very rarely throw it up. It just makes the poop a little strange.

 

Ditto. Tatam recently spent 45 mins grazing in our yard like a horse. But I have to say it gave him an excellent poop.

 

I read somewhere that as long as they don't vomit afterwards, it's fine to let them eat grass that hasn't been treated with chemicals.

Edited April 8, 2010 by happygrey

[Guest IrskasMom]

My Morty does eat Grass to, he is very picky about it.Sometimes he vomits after eating it.

[CaliforniaGreys]

My boys are loving the back yard now because they can graze like cows

 

Same here, but Ekko is my grazer, but then she is a goat

[Guest Drumhellergrey]

As long as they are not making a meal out of if,(eating constantly for long periods) it is nothing to worry about. Mine does it, and actually longs for it in the long winters we have up here in Canada. Come spring, he looks for the greenest stems and nibbles for a bit.

 

If they eat it and vomit afterward, that is an indication that their tummies might have been upset. It is only when they repeatedly vomit that you have to worry about something seriously being wrong.

[Guest larock]

I have a couple of cows greyhounds who have always been grazers. Nothing seems to come of it really - it's almost like a little game we play...

[Guest Sunset123]

Arrisa LOVES the grass. I was concerned at first, but she doesn't seem to have an upset stomach and she doesn't vomit. I figure a little bit of extra roughage in her diet can't hurt. We don't spray anything on our grass, so I think she's safe.

 

This weekend she was tethered to me in the front yard while I helped my husband who was mowing the lawn (I was picking up all the sticks that had fallen from the trees during the winter) and Arrisa happily did a little bit of her own mowing! We made a great team.

[Guest Tokolos]

Sprinkles has been nibbling grass the past 2 weeks off and on. Not much, but he has been out there munching.

[kronckew]

blue and millie both eat wheat grass, blue prefers goose grass* but will eat wheat grass, or lawn grass as a distant third.

 

they occasionally will throw it all up to clean their stomachs, but usually they just eat it..

 

the main problem is the next day when they go poopies and get dingleberries.

 

i've read that the basic conclusion after considering all the options is that they eat grass because they like it.

 

 

*- (Galium Aparine, also known as sticky weed, sticky willy, cleavers, catchweed, everlasting friendship, grip grass, loveman, and sweethearts). gallium aparine is also a medicinal herb sold as a spring tonic and is supposedly good for the kidneys and urinary tract and is a mild diuretic. seeds are roasted and used as a caffeine free coffee substitute - the plant is related to the coffee plant so the result really is coffee-like. we get tons of it around here on the farms and blue is in heaven until it dissapears in early summer.

Edited April 13, 2010 by kronckew