Why does a dog eat grass outside? The dog eats grass. What does it mean? The dog vomited grass and leftover food

Almost all owners of four-legged friends have repeatedly wondered why the dog eats grass? Many are surprised when a healthy-looking animal greedily pounces on young bushes of vegetation. This fact is especially striking in the spring, when there is still little vegetation and it is clearly visible what the dog does while walking.

In most cases, the owners make a simple conclusion - the dog receives various vitamins from the grass eaten. However, reliable data from the study of animals, completely refute the assumption. Due to the lack of necessary enzymes, the dog's gastrointestinal tract is not able to digest the grass. Accordingly, the animal does not receive any vitamins and nutrients when eating grass.

Reasons Why Dogs Eat Grass

1. After eating grass, the dog is able to independently provoke a gag reflex. Many animals are not distinguished by high legibility, and during the game they are able to swallow various objects, parts of toys. Which are subsequently not digested, remain in the stomach, and together with food, cause decay processes. Also, while washing the skin with the tongue, a large amount of wool settles in the stomach of the animal. Cats can vomit to get rid of hairballs, but dogs cannot. Therefore, the dog eats grass to cleanse the stomach.

If you carefully monitor the behavior of the dog during a walk, you will notice that pets prefer one type of vegetation. This is a wild-growing cereal plant with rough long leaves - wheatgrass. This plant helps to drive away excess bile, and improves digestion. What is successfully used by many predators, including dogs.

When the herb enters the esophagus and stomach, the sharp and rough leaves of the plant act as an irritant. As a result, a gag reflex develops, and the animal frees the stomach from undigested rotting masses. Thus, the animal independently cleanses the body with the help of grass. According to numerous studies by scientists, after the use of vegetation by dogs, in about 20% of cases, the stomach is cleared by vomiting.

2. The animal absorbs greens to improve intestinal motility. With an improper, unbalanced diet and an inactive lifestyle, the dog may have difficulty emptying the intestines. The eaten grass contains a large amount of moisture and fiber, as a result of which liquefaction of feces occurs. Grass contributes to a more complete and rapid emptying of the large intestine. At the same time, the grass comes out almost unprocessed.

3. The dog uses grass for personal taste preferences. Dogs are very smart and unique animals. Some individuals adore raw vegetables, fruits, and for some it is a pleasure to gnaw on the juicy tops of carrots, cabbage, young nettle leaves and other shrubs. In the absence of alarming symptoms indicating some kind of disease in the dog, eating greens should not cause panic.

When should you sound the alarm?

This unpleasant situation can easily happen on your own personal plot. When fertilizing plants, spraying with poisonous substances against pests, there is a possibility of their subsequent consumption by the dog. It is recommended to carefully monitor what kind of grass the dog eats. The best option is not to allow the dog to the flower beds and beds. So the pet will remain healthy and your beds will not suffer.

If you notice regular cases of vomiting after eating grass, while the dog looks lethargic and inactive, then this is a serious reason to contact the veterinary clinic. The pet needs immediate help in the presence of blood in the vomit or the presence of helminths, with concomitant refusal to feed. This may be a signal of a serious disruption of the digestive tract.

How to keep an animal safe

No matter what the reason why a dog eats grass, the fact remains the same. In order for your pet to enjoy fresh, safe vegetation, it makes sense to grow a small amount of greens at home. For the animal, various cereals are optimally suited: oats, wheat, barley.

Already 2-3 weeks after planting, you can offer your pet absolutely safe greens. It is possible to feed the dog already picked greens, or provide the animal with the laurels of the getter. However, the process of eating homemade grass should be relentlessly controlled, the animal can play out and turn over the container with

The dog belongs to predators, and the most natural food for it is meat and animal products. But almost all dog owners have encountered such a phenomenon as a pet eating grass. Moreover, the dog can be of any breed, from a giant wolfhound to.

Some dogs behave like natural maniacs on a walk: quickly doing their dog business and running a little, they find a clearing with grass and start chewing it. Either a cow on a grazing, or a lawn mower, and not at all a representative of a noble canine tribe.

Not infrequently, after such a vegetarian meal, the animal regurgitates grass along with some yellowish-green frothy mucus. Moreover, this process obviously does not cause any particular inconvenience to the pet: the dog eats some kind of grass and vomits it, and then it runs and plays again, without showing no warning signs.

How can grass be useful for dogs?

As already mentioned, dogs are carnivores. This means not only a certain way of eating, but also a special structure of the body. The digestive system of predators is different from that of herbivores. In the intestines of predators some beneficial bacteria are missing that help digest food.

Despite the predatory lifestyle, even wild dogs receive a certain amount of plant food. Having caught the prey, predators first of all eat out not the fleshy parts of the carcass, not the fillet and not the ham - they first eat out the entrails and intestines with all the contents. Thus, wild canids receive a set of necessary intestinal bacteria, enzymes, as well as plants in a semi-digested form. And together with plants - fiber, vitamins, minerals, vegetable protein and other useful components.

And everything superfluous, including the mucus accumulated in the anterior sections of the digestive tract, inedible residues and other garbage, the dog regurgitates. There is nothing pathological in this process. Feathers or wool of eaten animals and birds are used to induce vomiting in the wild.

A domestic dog does not hunt anyone. The balance of her diet directly dependent on the owner. And the balance is not always maintained. As a result, situations are quite possible when an animal receives less of some food components, but it gets an excess of others. More mucus forms in the stomach and the dog eats grass and then vomits to get rid of this mucus.

It happens that the owners, wishing the dog well, but not properly understanding the physiology of their pet, feed it incorrectly. An acute illness may not occur, but the animal begins to feel discomfort, which it gets rid of by available methods by eating herbs and thereby causing vomiting. And the owner begins to worry: “Why does the dog eat grass and then spit up? She got sick?"

And the cause may not be a disease, but malnutrition:

• food that is too fatty or too bland;
• lack of vegetables and herbs in the diet;
• feeding only boiled meat;
• feeding raw minced meat to an adult dog;
• inclusion in the diet of boiled bones or bones of birds.

Fatty foods can lead to increased secretion of bile, which irritates the stomach lining. Feeding raw minced meat leads to an increase in the acidity of the gastric juice and can even cause ulcers. Raw meat is needed, but in the form of pieces, not minced meat.

Excessive amounts of boiled meat can cause putrefactive processes in the digestive system, which also causes discomfort. In general, it is better not to give bones to a dog, and even more so boiled ones. They only clog the stomach and cause malfunctions in the digestive system, which is why the dog then eats grass, causing vomiting and stomach cleansing.

And sometimes the answer to the question why dogs eat grass is simple to the limit: they love it! Just as humans enjoy eating greens and fresh lettuce, dogs enjoy chewing on blades of grass. No pathology, just a matter of taste and food preferences.

Is it always okay for dogs to eat grass?

No not always. You need to look at the behavior and well-being of the pet. If the dog eats grass, burps it up, and then continues to run happily and enjoy life, then everything is fine with her. Especially if this does not happen too often: once or twice a week.

If grass eating and subsequent vomiting occurs more frequently and predominantly in the morning, you may need to consult a veterinarian. It is possible that in this way the animal is trying to restore balance in its body, disturbed by malnutrition. Perhaps you should give her more raw vegetables and herbs, reduce the fat content of foods, or introduce more raw meat into her diet.

There is cause for concern when your pet not only eats grass and regurgitates it, but also shows the following signs:

• looks lethargic and drooping;
• he has a high or low temperature;
• Have you noticed that your dog has loose stools?
• there is blood in the vomit;
• the nose became dry, and the mucous membranes of the mouth and eyes became pale or yellow.

If you notice at least one of these symptoms, do not waste time wondering why the dog eats grass, but quickly take your pet to the vet. Probably an infectious disease, gastritis and other troubles.

What grass do dogs eat? Usually these are cereals with rather hard and rough long leaves: wheatgrass, sow thistle, hedgehog, bluegrass and other meadow grasses. Dogs can nibble on both oat stalks and wheat. And some adherents of vegetarian products extend their interests not only to cereals, but also to other types of plants. For example, they can gnaw carrot or beet leaves in your garden, chew lettuce, cut off the heads of calendula and cornflowers. Main, to keep the grass clean not treated with pesticides.

Phytotherapy for dogs

As for humans, some medicinal plants are also used in veterinary medicine. Treatment of dogs with herbs is practiced by many experienced doctors. With inflammation of the stomach, poisoning, diarrhea, it is quite possible to give the pet decoctions of medicinal plants - chamomile, sage, mint, valerian, oak bark. There is a whole branch of veterinary medicine that studies the possibility of using herbal preparations in the treatment of dogs.

Myths and reality

Many people believe that dogs only eat grass when they are sick or in discomfort. This is wrong. The belief that after eating grass must be followed by vomiting is also not true.

Western scientists conducted a study that allowed to collect interesting statistics. More than 1500 owners of dogs of different breeds were interviewed. It turned out that almost 80% of dogs eat grass from time to time, and only 9% of all are prone to this in case of health problems. Rest eat just like that. Vomiting occurs after eating grass in no more than one in five dogs. In other animals, the eaten grass leaves the body from the other side, passing through the entire intestine.

In another study, doctors tried to find out if dietary imbalances and mild indigestion affect the desire to eat grass. It turned out that it does not affect: the dogs ate the grass in the same way and being on a normal balanced diet, and with a slight indigestion.

So do not rush to be scared if your dog eats grass and then vomits. If there are no other symptoms of ill health, the pet is energetic and cheerful - let yourself eat pure grass for health.

Video. Why do dogs eat grass?

An inexperienced owner can be amused, surprised or disturbed by a beloved pet, which, on a walk, is likened to a chewing herbivorous goat. To find an explanation for unnatural, at first glance, behavior, the owner begins to study scientific articles, look for answers from other dog breeders. The opinions that can be heard on the question of why a dog eats grass on the street are often erroneous.

Why do dogs eat grass and should they be allowed to? After all, they are predators, they are supposed to eat meat.

The most common opinion is that the domestic dog eaten greens makes up for the deficiency of vitamins in the body. But why, then, does a dog that receives a nutritious, balanced diet also sometimes enjoy eating grass? In fact, even young spring greens are not able to bring any benefit to the dog with their composition of vitamins. The digestive system of predators is designed so that their stomach cannot digest grass. They simply do not produce the enzymes necessary to break down such food.

Another assumption is that the dog brushes his teeth in this way and destroys the smell from his mouth. The jaw of predators is designed so that thin blades of grass will simply slip between the teeth. Dog teeth are well suited for chewing and tearing pieces of meat, but not for chewing grass. Therefore, this process also does not affect the cleanliness of the teeth.

Features of physiology

The answer to the question of why dogs eat grass lies in the way their bodies function. All kinds of foreign objects that are swallowed by negligence often get into the stomach of a dog: wool, feathers, pieces of bones, toys and other things. Some of them independently irritate the mucous membranes and provoke vomiting, cleansing the gastrointestinal tract.

Residues that could not be digested disrupt digestion, cause inflammation of the mucous membranes.

The main reason why the four-legged pet began to eat grass is the presence of objects in his stomach that need to be disposed of.

The gag reflex is a defensive reaction to quickly remove any dangerous or poisonous substances from the body. It is to stimulate the gag reflex that the pet eats grass. Rigid herbal leaves irritate the mucous membranes, cause contraction of the walls of the stomach, and vomiting occurs.

Therefore, do not be afraid if the dog eats grass, and after that she begins to vomit. To crunch on a green lawn plant is acceptable and natural for a pet. Maybe he does it for fun. Puppies are especially fond of this process.

Benefits for the body

Eating a bunch of grass is also useful for combating constipation. An inactive lifestyle, an unbalanced diet can cause difficulties with bowel movements. A large amount of fiber and moisture, which are contained in the eaten greens, help to cleanse the intestines.

From the stomach, unprocessed grass enters the intestines, swells and moves the feces to the exit.

When a pet eats grass and vomits, then, in addition to the dangerous contents of the stomach, it also gets rid of excess bile. In this way, its stagnation in the body is prevented.

Watching during a walk, you can notice which grass dogs eat most often and what they prefer. This:

• meadow grasses with hard leaves - wheatgrass, bluegrass, sow thistle;
• cereals - oats or wheat;
• leaves of vegetables - beets, carrots, lettuce, nettles;
• heads of some flowers - cornflower or calendula.

Some breeds - wolfhounds, samoyeds, malamutes - are able to find medicinal plants. They dig up Jerusalem artichoke, valerian roots, tear and eat clover heads.

However, it should be remembered that there are poisonous plants. They can get into the mouth of a dog at home, on the street or in a personal plot.

Precautionary measures

Indoor flowers such as dieffenbachia, monstera, oleander contain calcium oxalates, needle formations on the stems, and extremely poisonous juice. When it comes into contact with mucous membranes, it causes a burning sensation, pain, and vomiting. If poisonous oleander juice enters the dog's digestive tract, it may die.

Dangerous flowers should be kept out of the reach of a pet.

On the personal plot, the dog can also be in danger. Garden crops are fertilized, sprayed from pests.

In the country, you need to carefully monitor your pet, it is better to close his access to the beds in order to avoid poisoning.

Do not allow your pet to chew grass that grows near highways. There is a high concentration of toxic substances from exhaust gases.

When after eating grass, pets burp leftover food, but at the same time look healthy, their appetite and temperature are normal, then there is no cause for concern.

If anxiety arises from the fact that the dog regularly eats grass, burps, and then often vomits, this is an occasion to conduct an examination of its health.

Concerns should be caused by such signs as:

• increased or decreased body temperature;
• dry warm nose;
• loss of appetite;
• lethargy;
• hair loss;
• loose stools for a long time;
• streaks of blood in feces and vomit.

In the presence of these symptoms, it is worth suspecting the development of an ulcer, gastritis, or any infection.

Take care of your dog's health - become a gardener

Dogs are capable of trying to replace grass in ways available to them. They may eat plastic bags or string. These substitutes are dangerous because they can cause volvulus or other mechanical damage. It is necessary to give the pet the opportunity to find the necessary greens. At the same time, it is better to walk in clean grassy areas, away from highways and places for walking other pets.

If this is not possible, you can give the dogs home-grown weed. Pet stores carry a large selection of grass seeds for pets. Within two weeks after planting, sprouts will appear. It will be possible without any health concerns to supplement the pet's diet.

Owners feeding the dog with the wrong, poorly balanced food should reconsider the menu. If the diet contains a lot of carbohydrates, it is necessary to reduce their volume to 20% of the total daily diet. In this case, you need to increase the intake of proteins. They should be up to 50-70% and come mainly with meat.

You can often see dogs that, like cows, peacefully eat grass on the field. Seeing this behavior, which is not characteristic of predators, some owners do not allow their pets to do this and rush to the veterinarian. Let's understand why the dog eats grass.

Don't worry too much about your tailed friend's health if he likes to nibble grass occasionally. To study the likely dangers from this process, studies were conducted among one and a half thousand dog owners and 79% of them reported that their pet was sometimes caught eating greens. Veterinarians confirm the fact that this behavior is characteristic of most barking creatures. However, scientists are not able to explain the exact reason for this. A huge amount of research has been done on why a dog eats grass and there is not a single seriously confirmed theory yet.

Myths about grass.

A large number of people believe that dogs eat grass to replenish vitamins especially in spring. However, the gastrointestinal tract of these animals does not have special enzymes to digest greens, which means that it is not able to absorb all its valuable qualities.

Someone else thinks that the pet is trying to eat grass harmonize your not too rational diet from the side of the owner. And then a study was conducted, during which it turned out that dogs eat greens regardless of their diet.

There is a theory that dogs eat greens, to get rid of worms . However, a large number of healthy pets with great pleasure indulge in eating greens.

But the question remains open:

Why does a dog eat grass

1. In the case when the dog feels discomfort in the stomach and by eating hard grass (wheatgrass, thistle, bluegrass and other wild cereal plants), the bristles of which irritate the walls of the stomach, causes itself to vomit. Usually they try to spew out of themselves a lump of food rotting in the stomach, excess bile. But research

(Sueda et al. 2008. Characterization of plant eating in dogs. Applied Animal Behavior Science 111: 120-132)

and a survey of dog owners showed that only 22% of pets end up vomiting greens. And the rest continue to happily chew blades of grass without consequences for themselves. The greens contain fiber and moisture, which, when they enter the intestines (if they get to it), thin the feces and help with possible constipation. Research has been done on this topic, but the theory is different: dogs eat grass to strengthen their stools.

(McKenzie et al. 2010. Reduction in grass eating behaviors in the domestic dog, Canis familiaris, in response to mild gastrointestinal disturbance. Applied Animal Behavior Science 123: 51-55).

One group of dogs was fed a diet that mimicked mild indigestion and loose stools as a consequence, while the other group was fed a standard diet. And dogs in the standard diet group ate grass more frequently.

2. The second theory of researchers says that the animal just love the taste of weed. Many posts on dog forums on this topic have been studied and dog owners write that pets do not always indulge themselves in harsh grass to induce vomiting. Some of them are happy to pinch young nettles, calendula and cornflower flowers, lettuce and carrots, and other various green shoots unknown to the owners.

What grass can be given to dogs?

If the pet is a fan of grazing on the field, then find out about the places where this can be done. It is desirable that these places are away from roads where cars pass. After all, heavy metals that settle on the grass cause serious harm to the health of a tailed friend. It is necessary to ensure that the greens are not treated with pesticides. And this happens in public parks and gardens. Do not forget that helminth eggs are always present in grass. If you doubt its environmental friendliness, then buy special greens for cats at the pet store and plant them on the windowsill. Or grow wheat, oats or wheatgrass at home. If necessary, the pet will not refuse treats.

The owner needs to be careful if the pet began to eat shoots too often. In this case, there are also accompanying signs of the presence of the disease:

• dull eyes and fur
• tired look and unwillingness to move
• there is blood in the vomit.

In this case, immediately go to the veterinarian and do an examination. Seek veterinary advice if your dog tries to eat greens every day. It's about liver problems.

Another study was conducted, which concluded that dogs can be vegetarians, that is, live without animal protein. Unlike cats.

If your dog likes grass, let him do it, but after eating, walk a little more, in case he vomits the contents of his stomach. It will be better if this happens on the street, and not in your house. Keep the grass as clean as possible. Pay attention to how often you eat it.

In this very short video, watch two of the most beautiful dogs graze like two cows. Which supports the theory that they just like it.

Walking with a dog breeder often had to notice the strange behavior of the pet. The dog eats grass with pleasure, although after such a “dinner” it will certainly vomit. Why does the dog eat grass, what are his reasons or needs, maybe the dog eats grass to improve bowel function or is it a personal taste preference. Which signals a possible illness and the need to consult a veterinarian. Sometimes the reason for this behavior can be attributed to a lack of vitamins in the diet, but it is unlikely that the dog gets the necessary vitamins by eating grass. In addition, the body of the animal does not digest it. If the dog does not vomit, the grass will definitely come out with feces.

Breeders have noticed that long-haired breeds or pets with an unbalanced diet are more prone to this behavior than others. And eating grass by a puppy, the owners do take it for a game. The leaves are moving, and the future hunter is trying to catch them. But is this hobby so harmless, especially in the city. The grass in the parks is regularly treated with pesticides from ticks, which means that such plants are not at all suitable for eating by a dog. Another thing is to chew grass outside the city, or in the country, away from exhaust gases and heavy metals. Most importantly, if your dog eats grass and vomits after it, don't confuse a routine cleansing of the body with serious poisoning.

Reasons why dogs eat grass

1. To improve digestion. The dog eats grass, which affects the mucous membranes, improves intestinal motility, which allows food masses to pass faster.
2. The dog eats grass to induce vomiting. Like any living being, she knows and understands her body better than the owner. Feeling discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, the dog eats grass, its bristles irritate the walls of the stomach, which actually causes vomiting. Thus, the animal gets rid of excess food or excess bile. This behavior can be observed in pets with an unbalanced, improper, abundant and rare diet. Sometimes the dog greedily swallows food along with the air, the food does not have time to be digested. It moves along the gastrointestinal tract for a long time, fermentation and decay occur. In this state, the pet experiences discomfort, heaviness, bloating, nausea, increased gas formation, and even pain. In this case, in order to get rid of discomfort, the dog eats long, tough grass.

Translate your pet to a proper and balanced diet, feed more often and in small portions.



So, if a dog wants to eat grass, let him eat for health. It should not be restricted or punished. Having discussed the possible reasons for this behavior of the pet, now it is necessary to make out where the dog should not eat grass, as this is dangerous for its health.

1. In the city on the flower beds or in the park. Such grass is often treated with chemicals in the fight against mites and weeds. Eating processed plants threatens with serious poisoning.
2. Dog walking areas. Since in our country, unfortunately, it is not customary to clean up after pets, eating such grass threatens to infect with worms or other viral infections that remain even after the feces have dried.
3. Near the roadway. Such grass absorbs exhaust gases and heavy metals, which will adversely affect health.
4. Not pastures where livestock graze. The reason is worms.
5. Near reservoirs. Many cycles of the birth of worms occur precisely near water bodies.

When to take your dog to the vet



If you notice any changes in your pet's behavior or health after eating grass, be sure to pay attention to it and take it to the veterinarian. Behind such seemingly minor symptoms, a serious illness can be hidden that will not go away without medical intervention.

• Dog eats more grass
• Increased vomiting
• Previously, there was no vomiting after eating grass, now there is.
• Increased body temperature
• Bloating, profuse gas
• Changed feces (color or texture)
• There was salivation

Summing up the results



• The dog eats grass regardless of the state of health, sick or healthy.
• Vomiting after eating grass can occur in both healthy and sick dogs. At one point, only 15-20% of dogs regurgitate grass after eating.
• The presence or absence of fiber in the diet does not in any way affect the needs of the pet to eat grass.

Based on the above, we can safely say that eating grass for a dog is normal.