If you are a dog lover, you surely know that dogs eat grass and that this behavior is not strange to them. For most dogs, this is recurrent but in some, grass eating is rarely observed. You probably have seen your dog eat grass and then throw up. But what exactly is the reason why dogs eat grass? As a dog owner, is this a behavior you should be concerned about Pearl Grass?
Grass eating as veterinary behaviorists suggest is a normal and common behavior mostly in domestic dogs but there are some scientific investigations into the reasons why dogs eat it. According to one study, healthy dogs were given grass three times during the day in addition to their regular kibble. These healthy dogs ate grass readily but were discovered to eat less lawn when they feel satisfied with their meal. Also, they tend to eat more grass during day time.
The result states the obvious that dogs do nibble on lawn when they feel hungry and eat more of it on an empty stomach. This has supported that notion that eating lawn is a normal behavior in healthy dogs despite the fact that they do not have the ability to digest any nutritional value in lawn.
But for dogs that eat lawn and then later on throw up, vets have assumed that lawn may have emetic properties. A possible mechanism by which eating it may induce vomiting is through the stomach lining’s mechanical irritation. The lawn blades may literally tickle the stomach which causes just enough irritation to make dogs throw up. Perfectly healthy dogs do not throw up each time they feed on grass. With that being said, dogs that throw up frequently after eating grass might have digestive problems and should be examined by a veterinarian. Throwing up can be a symptoms of various medical conditions causing nausea in most dogs.
If you are a new dog owner and discovered that your dog enjoyed staying outside your home to eat grass, the behavior may appear so alarming to you worried that it might be harmful to your dog. But the good news is that in most case, grass eating is harmless. You just have to make sure that before you take your dog in your lawn, there are no poisonous plants around. You should also prevent exposing them to fertilizers and pesticides that could be in grassy areas.
Do not allow your dog to feed on any grass because you never know what potential harm it may bring to them. Simply let them go out of your house and stay in your lawn for a while. Once your dog is satiated, he will stop eating grass. There is no need to be concerned about this behavior. It is their way of making themselves feel better.