Why Do Some Dogs Eat Grass And Throw Up?

If there is one behavior which may come as a surprise to dog owners, especially the first-timers, it would be the question "Why does my dog eat grass and then throw up after?" This is a question which veterinarians often get asked and yet, the answer remains to be a mystery to all of them. Indeed, fiber is not a common thing for dogs and grass definitely does not go well with their digestive tract. Yet, this continues to be a habit for most dogs such as your beloved Fido.

Tummyache 

One very common answer when asked about this question is gastric problems. Many believe that eating grass is one way in which dogs get to relieve themselves from gastric problems as this helps them vomit. Vomiting thus helps them get relieved of any toxic substance or irritant which they may have ingested. However, as one vet has put it, is the vomiting induced by the grass or does the grass induce the vomit

Roughage 

One other possible reason why dogs feel the need to eat grass is the need for roughage which dog food and meats cannot normally provide. Even in the wild, dog relatives such as wolves and foxes normally get to ingest the roughage which their pray have induced. As this scenario is not possible in a normal household, your loyal little pet may therefore hunt for the source somewhere else-that somewhere being your lawn.

Checking out their territory 

It's a known fact that dogs do have the habit of marking their territory. In the same manner, some say that dogs eat grass in order to check out their territory for any signs of invasion. As gross as this may seem, dogs do like owning their own spot and they do mind an invasion of territorial space.

Worms 

This reason seems pretty similar to "dogs eating grass because of a tummy ache." However, this time, worms seem to be the culprit. This could be true except that there are still some pets which get worms despite their grass-eating habit. Other than that, dogs do need to get de-wormed on a regular basis so this reason ends up to be quite questionable.

A matter of taste 

While all these reasons seem to be quite scientific, we also have to be consider the fact that dogs do have their personal tastes. That's the reason why dog food comes in different flavors, right So maybe they should come out with grass-flavored dog food as grass-eating is a habit developed by your doggy's palate Maybe some dogs were meant to be vegetarian

Whatever plausible excuse or reason one can come up with, there are indeed some dogs who just like to eat grass for no apparent reason. While there is no immediate danger or threat to this behavior, it would be safe to make sure that the grass which he eats is free from any fertilizer or pesticide which he may ingest. With your dog eating grass from your lawn, at least you won't have to worry so much about mowing it.