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Why do dogs eat grass2007-11-25 2:55:16Answers:

Eating grass is a normal behaviour for domestic and wild dogs. Dogs eat grass because:

1) It is a normal part of their diet. They are herbivores as well as carnivores (means they eat meat & vegetables) as a wild Dog or Wolf will eat grasses & berries and so do our Pet Dogs. They've been doing it for tens of thousands of years, and developed the behaviour as there wasn't always meat food to hunt, they adapted and learnt to eat grass, leaves and shoots to supplement their diet.

2) They eat grass sometimes and this makes them vomit. It is not known in this case if they ate grass to make them vomit, or if it was the eating of the grass upset their stomach and they vomited as a result of this. That one is a dilemma. It is suspected that dogs who chew the grass do not throw it up, but if they need to throw up, they don't chew it as much - the grassy leaves tickle their stomachs and it causes them to throw up - a canine version of ipepac syrup.

3) Dogs enjoy eating greens and certainly enjoy eating grass. It is not a problem unless your dog does this excessively, in which case there may be something missing from your dogs diet. Dogs that just eat meat only, are not getting a balanced diet and will supplement it. I've known of Dogs eating dirt, grass, leaves, plants or tree bark just to get the vitamin, mineral or fibre content from it.

4) Dogs can enjoy a variety of greens, vegetables & fruits. Most are good for them, some are toxic to them.