Why does my dog eat grass? If this is your concern, then be confident that you are in the right place.
Your dog is important to you more than anything, right? Therefore, watching your dog eating grass may be a bit confusing to you.
There would be questions arising in your mind such as:
Why does my dog eat grass? Is my dog bored, hungry or sick? Will eating grass hurt him in any way.
We will answer your question that why does my dog eat grass.
Firstly, I assure you that your dog is not only alone if he is eating grass. To understand your concern, you first need to understand what is meant by the disorder, Pica.
What is Pica?
Pica is a technical term that is used to elaborate on the disorder of eating things that are not food. Sometimes Pica refers to the fact that your dog has some kind of nutritional deficiency.
However, it is simply a sign of boredom when practised by younger dogs.
Your dog eating grass is not an exceptional case and this does not cause a lot of problems. In fact, veterinarians consider it a common behaviour exhibited by dogs and puppies.
A study has indicated that almost 79% of the dogs have eaten grass who had access to it and grass is the most eaten plant by dogs.
Why does my dog eat grass?
There are multiple reasons why your dog eats grass.
Firstly, some people propose that when dogs do not feel well, they eat grass and vomit to feel better. However, some people argue that dogs are not so clever to do such a thing.
Other studies prove that your dog eats grass as a source of fibre to improve digestion and fulfilling some nutritional need.
Some people also say that dogs simply like the taste of grass and therefore, they do not hesitate to eat it. Remember that dogs taste is different than humans and this makes it a real possibility that dogs eat grass to take its taste.
Although they claim that dogs eat grass to treat their stomach ache, the preposition is met with criticism.
Therefore, eating grass (in small quantities) is harmless for your dog if the grass is free from pesticides and insecticides.
The grass is also a source of other vitamins, calcium, sodium and potassium. This explains why some dogs only eat a specific type of grass.
How do I stop my Dog from Eating Grass?
1. Change your Dog’s diet:
You can stop your dog from eating grass by adjusting its diet, engaging your dog in playful activities and simply keeping it away from grass.
As we have discussed earlier that dogs eat grass to fulfil their nutritional deficiency therefore if you provide them with premium food (high in fibre), they may ignore eating grass.
Changing the food of your dog typically takes 5 days. Mix the old food by 20% for the first day (with the new one). Increase this amount by 20% every day.
2. Provide your Dog Steamed Vegetables:
If you provide your dog with steamed vegetable, then there are chances that your dog’s fibre intake will increase and it will avoid grass.
You can consider steaming the following for your dog:
- Celery
- Carrots
- Green beans
- Squash
- Sweet Potatoes
3. Engage your Dog in playful Activities:
If you provide your dog with a bone or a chew stick, then your dog may have no time to eat grass.
This technique is all about engaging your dog in some kind of activity to divert its attention from the grass.
However, if you play with your dog yourself, then it can be even better as your company will be better than a bone or a chew stick.
If your dog follows you instead of grass, then it can be said that progress is being made but a question can arise, “why does my dog follow me”?
The following activities may also help:
- Running
- Walking
- Fetching
- Hunting For Dinner
- Visiting a local dog park
4. Repel your Dog From Grass:
For this, you can attract your dog with a home scent. Some scents like coffee or spices may help in this regard.
- Sprinkle black or chile powder at the borders of your lawn but do not sprinkle too much as it may disturb your dog’s nose.
- Spray lemon juice and vinegar around the lawn in equal quantities. This will prevent your dog from eating grass. However, make sure than vinegar does not come in contact with grass in your lawn. This may damage your lawn.
- Train your dog to not eat grass. This may be a bit challenging and time-consuming but we are here to help you.
Whenever your dog tries to eat grass, say ‘NO’ and spray water on your dogs face with the help of a spray bottle. The outcome can be achieved with regular practice.
Is Eating Grass Harmful or Bad in any way?
No, eating grass by a dog is normal behaviour and it provides useful minerals and fibre to your dog.
However, the grass may stick in your dog’s paws, eyes or ears which can cause irritation. Similarly, dogs can also pick up ticks from the grass. You also need to keep an eye on your dog and prevent it from eating slugs or snails.
Conclusion:
We hope that your question is answered. Dog owners become worried when they encounter this problem but this is not a big issue.
We have mentioned some tricks to prevent your dog from eating grass. With this, your question, that “why does my dog eat grass?”, should have been answered.
Do you know some prominent facts about dogs such as your dog can detect diseases as cancer and dogs see in colours? Read the article below and find out some interesting facts about dogs.
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