Have you ever wondered why your dog eats the lawn?
Eating grass is a common behavior in pet dogs. Some surveys show that up to 80% of owners observe their dogs regularly eating grass.
Eating grass is not a new behavior either. Studies in Yellowstone National Park show that eating plant matter (mostly grass) may have been inherited from the dog’s wolf ancestors.
Many people think that our four-legged friends eat grass when they have a stomach ache, believing that grass makes dogs vomit. This is probably not the case; a study of 12 dogs that ate grass daily found that there were few episodes of vomiting.
Why does the dog eat grass?
If a dog has a mild gastrointestinal upset from something they were fed, they are actually less likely to eat grass.
Dogs eat grass because they want a laxative or because they feel the need to consume fiber, other studies say.
The scientists’ finding was that when the dog had not yet had its first meal, it was more likely to eat grass. In short, the hungrier the dog, the more likely it was to eat grass.
The answer to why your dog eats grass may simply be: because he likes it. Your dog can get bored and chewing grass is something to do.
Is there any reason why you shouldn’t let your dog eat grass? Well, yes, there are more. First, you may not want your dog to eat your lawn for aesthetic reasons.
More importantly, however, the grass is sometimes treated with herbicides. The grass in your yard or park may have been treated or sprayed with substances. Turf chemicals are frequently detected in turf for up to 48 hours after application and have also been detected in the urine of dogs with access to grass treated in this way.
Research has suggested that there may be a link between bladder cancer in dogs and herbicide exposure.
