Eating Grass - Page 1

Can anyone tell me why my GSD likes to eat grass from time to time?  He really goes at it some days.

I have noticed this and I asked an old man who used to have sheep dogs, he says they do not eat all types of grass and they do not eat it because they are hungry, they need some types of grass to improve their intestine metabolism and to get red of gases and it helps clean their stomack.
This is something I heared from an old man. Some one else may shed brighter light on this and better than me for sure.

Ibrahim

I agree with the reply above, our Dogs only seem to go for Grass that has broad leaves & are dark green in colour, later in the day they bring this back up with a lot of thick foamy substance, presumes this aids digestion somehow

I have found this article on why dogs eat grass:

http://www.petlibrary.co.uk/1/why-do-dogs-eat-grass/

Ibrahim

Yep my dogs eat grass when I take them away from their normal environment... But they do not barf or appear sick..... Now while training with our tracking dogs and Det dogs at work they do not eat any....

Thanks to all for the information.  I've read that dogs are unable to digest grass but I also saw an ad for a canine dietary supplement that claimed dogs craved nutrients found in grass.

My own observations tend to support the idea that dogs eat grass to make themselves vomit.  However, as indicated in the responses, this does not always happen.

I guess the real reason remains a mystery.

http://www.petlibrary.co.uk/1/why-do-dogs-eat-grass/

Dogs May Have A Craving For Greens

Dogs are remarkably flexible in their tastes. They’ll polish off a bowl of dried dog food, then walk over to see if there’s anything good in the trash. If they’re still hungry, they’ll wander upstairs to see what’s in the cat’s box. Basically, they’ll eat, or at least sample, whatever they find in front of them.

There’s a good reason for their liberal tastes. Unlike cats, who evolved solely as hunters, dogs survived by scavenging. When they couldn’t catch live prey, which was a lot of the time, they’d eat the ancient equivalent of roadkill. They didn’t care too much if had been lying in the sun for a week or was half-buried under old leaves. It was food, and they weren’t going to pass it up. When meat wasn’t on the table, they’d root around for tender leafy stalks, or roots, or an old polished bone. They simply weren’t fussy, and dogs today haven’t gotten any fussier. They’re predisposed to like just about everything.

In addition, there’s some evidence that dogs get cravings for certain foods. It’s possible that dogs occasionally get a hankering for greens, just as people sometimes go to bed dreaming about mashed potatoes and meat loaf. It’s not as strange as it may sound. Grass was part of their ancestors’ regular diets.

Dogs are omnivores, which means they eat meat as well as plants. They don’t need grassy nutrients any more because most commercial dog foods are nutritionally complete. But dogs aren’t nutritionists. They don’t know or care that they’ve already gotten their vitamin or mineral quotients from a bowl of kibble. Their instincts tell them that grass is good, so they eat it. Besides, there’s a world of difference between satisfying the minimal nutritional requirements and having a great meal. And for many dogs, a mouthful of grass clearly tastes great. It’s like a salad – they eat some, then want more.

Even dogs who usually don’t eat grass will head straight for the nearest patch when they’re feeling sick. They’ll gobble a few mouthfuls, retch, and then throw up, or at least try to. Veterinarians still aren’t sure if dogs eat grass because their stomachs are upset or if their stomachs get upset after they eat grass. However, many vets suspect it’s the former, because dogs who are energetic and perky seem to be able to eat grass without getting sick afterward. It seems likely that there’s something in grass that does stimulate the urge to vomit.

The stomach has all kinds of neuro-receptors that respond to what dogs ingest. They react to acidity, chemical content, and textures. The texture of the grass has something like a tickle effect on the stomach, which may induce vomiting.

This tummy tickle may explain why healthy dogs can eat grass without getting sick. They take a mouthful, chew it thoroughly and swallow, then reach down for some more. Dogs who are sick, however, appear almost desperate for the grass. They don’t chew it carefully or savor the taste. They gobble it. Without the chewing, those prickly little stalks hit their stomachs all at once.

This may be what stimulates the urge to throw it all back up – along with whatever was irritating their stomachs in the first place. They can’t stick their fingers down their throats or ask for syrup of ipecac like people can, so eating grass is something that works. And once dogs find something that works, they tend to stick with it.
 

.....it is an internal cleansing method ..read julliete de baircli levys books..