I came home today to find the dog had an oddly alien looking parcel of puke waiting, and no one else home but me to clean up the mucilaginous mixture. I took the puppy outside and he started eating grass... What the hell is this, I asks myself, a dog that loves eating grass.
I've seen many dogs eat grass before after being ill, so I consulted my local pet specialist. I discovered there are several explanations that have been made for this behavior.
- Wild canids (e.g., wolves and fox) eat all of an animal when they catch it. Since they eat many herbivores (plant-eating animals), they end up eating a lot of grasses and plants that were in the intestines of these animals. In addition, they have been known to eat certain berries and other plant material. Dogs then, may eat grass because, in reality, it's a normal part of their diet.
- Many times dogs will vomit after eating grass. Did they eat grass to make them vomit? Or did they vomit because they ate grass? It's a mystery, but it seems that some dogs may eat vegetation when they have an upset stomach.
- They just like it! Some dogs have certain species of grass or plant material that they will search out and eat. There are beagles who can pick raspberries faster than their owners!
In any case, grass eating is basically a normal behavior, and is not of concern unless your dog does it excessively. Expect the messy pool of random regurgitative, it comes with the joys of owning a cute puppy.