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› articles by michael goldberg, dvm
Why does my dog eat grass? Ah... this is the 64,000-dollar question. Grass eating among our canine friends has a number of theories as to its origin. I get this question many times a year and as of yet, cannot come up with a meaningful single reason. I can say this: I have seen grass chewers on occasion get a good nasal cleanse as the thick blade of grass often gets on the wrong track and scurries out an unsuspecting nasal passage. Highly unlikely is the intent to cleanse that orifice! Dogs do not have the means to digest grass (they lack the digestive enzymes that break down the fibers). Thus, there is very little nutritional value in grass for them. On occasion, I have seen dogs begin to lick at the air, often showing swallowing behavior, then rush out to the great outdoors only to find a thick patch of the green stuff and furiously chomp and chomp until the urge abates. They will promptly throw up. On following these dogs endoscopically, they often have an inflammatory condition in their stomachs, or redness around their lower esophagus, which indicates perhaps gastric reflux, or inflammatory bowel disease. One reason they may eat grass is due to a feeling of nausea. I can only assume that the learned behavior of eating grass may somehow settle the irritation they have shown physically. This is very troubling for the owner as the dog is quite restless before they get out to munch grass. I can advise you that if your dog looks as if he/she is irritated and extends the neck and begins repeated swallowing motions, this may be an indication to visit your veterinarian to have a discussion as to what may be happening. This is a treatable condition with either homeopathic medical intervention or conventional therapies, whatever you wish. Diet may also play a role in this condition, thus a thorough review is in order. There may be as well a component to some canines that may not be immune to stereotypy behavior (obsessive compulsive disorder) and may actually focus on grass chewing as a result. Then, there are the select few who search and search for that luscious thick juicy blade and gently and selectively gnaw on them. Only the tall thick and juicy blades for me thank you. These guys seem to enjoy it and do not suffer any of the previously reported repercussions such as vomiting. Grass does not seem to hurt them as long as it does not contain any herbicides. For those with a scientific theoretical bent, one other theory as to the grass eating behavior of our four legged companions has to do with evolution and species survival. In order for ancestral dogs to have survived the harsh wilds of centuries gone by, they had to have good hunting abilities in order to feed and nourish the young and survive as a pack. Grass eating may have evolved, to mask the scent of the hunter in order for the prey to be unable to identify them by smell. Thus, before a hunt, the dogs would eat grass in order to have a potentially successful hunt. Another common theory is that dogs will eat indigestible matter if they are excessively hungry or if their nutrition is lacking, so this must always be a consideration. If you are preparing homemade food, be sure to consult a professional who may be helpful in regards to nutrition. Dogs, unlike cats are more omnivorous and some may just simply have stumbled across some good tasty clean crab grass and enjoy an afternoon snack in the sun! Read more Articles by Michael Goldberg, DVM... |
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vancouver animal wellness hospital Michael Goldberg, DVM; Sue Hughson, DVM 105 e. broadway, vancouver, bc v5t 1w1 / phone: 604.738.4664 / fax: 604.738.4694 Hours of Operation: Monday, Thursday & Friday: 9am - 6pm, Tuesday & Wednesday: 9am - 7pm, Saturday: 9am - 5pm © Copyright 2004-2006. vancouver animal wellness hospital. All rights reserved. › Contact Us › Privacy Policy › Sitemap › Home |
