Many dog owners as the question: why do dogs eat grass? It doesn’t seem natural, and in many ways it is not, but the first thing we will say is it is nothing to be worried about. A lot of dogs do eat grass, and the reasons can be varied.
There is an oft-repeated tale that dogs eat grass to make themselves vomit. This has not been proven to be true. In fact, it may be as simple as a dog liking the taste of your lawn! So, if your dog is grazing, don’t worry; it’s not a big problem, but there are some things you need to be aware of.
Some Suggestions
In addition to the suggestion about making them vomit, some people surmise that dogs eat grass for nutritional value. There may be some merit in this, and it could be a sign that you need to look carefully at the nutritional contents of the food you currently give your pet.
There have also been reported cases where a dog that persistently ate grass had intestinal worms; this is something you should check if you see your dog eating grass when ordinarily it would not. It’s always worth playing it safe, after all. Another idea is that dogs that eat grass may be doing so through boredom – it’s there, and it’s something to do. Try giving your dog more exercise, or perhaps engaging it in games that keep it occupied.
Research has shown, however, that the reason is usually nothing to worry about, and the dog may just be casually munching on grass because he likes it!
Potential Dangers
We have deduced that there is in fact no actual harm caused by a dog eating grass – it’s a harmless plant after all – but if it becomes a habit, you may find the dog starts to eat other plants. This can be a problem, and may actually be dangerous depending on the plants you have in your garden.
There are many common garden plants, flowers and shrubs that can be toxic for dogs, and you should make sure you either don’t have them in your garden, or you keep them out of the way of the dogs. This applies to other pets, too, including such as cats and even horses.
Daffodils, for example, contain toxins that can cause very serious problems to dogs – including cardiac and respiratory conditions. This can happen if the dog eats the flowers, leaves or the bulbs. Tulips and hyacinths are also a danger to dogs and other pets, as they contain a very dangerous poison for which there is no known antidote. This is particularly prevalent when a dog eats the bulb, so make sure yours are not digging them up from the borders.
Many types of lily are also dangerous for dogs and cats, as are cyclamen, autumn crocus and azalea, and there are many more plants that are toxic for animals that you may have in the garden. This is a good reason to try and stop your dog from developing the habit of eating plants.
Grass, then, is not a danger when eaten, but some plants can be, and a final word is essential here: many pesticides are dangerous to dogs, so if you have used any on your lawn or other areas, make sure you keep the dog away from that area while the ingredients are active.
If your dog has ruined your garden then it might be worth calling out an expert to tidy it up. Or maybe you can fence off a certain area for the dogs? A company like Green Barrow Garden Services would be able to help with that.