I’m pretty sure my dogs would choose a steak or chicken over a salad. But from time to time, I’ll catch them “grazing” in the back yard.
I’ve heard the theory that dogs eat grass in order to make themselves throw up. But that is kind of oversimplified. A better message to spread around would be this: dogs eat grass (and other plants) in order to aid their digestion.
In the wild, canine cousins catch and eat their prey. That includes whatever plant material may be in the herbivores’ digestive systems. The partially digested plant material helps canines digest the flesh and bone. Some vets have suggested that because canine ancestors ate herbivores’ digestive systems full of grass, the dogs of today are genetically predisposed to like the taste!
Your domesticated dogs probably aren’t eating full herbivore stomachs as part of their daily diet. If the foods you offer don’t provide enough plant matter, your dogs are going to seek it out. Plus, some dogs may just like the taste of grass! I mean… some dogs like the taste of poop, how bad can grass be? And we humans eat some pretty weird stuff sometimes, too.
So if you catch your dogs chowing down on some lawn salad, don’t be alarmed. Dogs seem to instinctively know what plants to eat and how much to eat for the desired effect. Laxative, digestive aid, vomit inducer — plants are a natural part of your dogs’ diet and digestive health!
Don’t worry that grass eating is a sign of some serious digestive problem. Studies have not been able to link grass eating to ANY physical disorder. Some dogs do it because they like it; some dogs do it to induce vomiting; some dogs need a natural laxative; some dogs may have a vitamin deficiency. There is no one reason to eat grass, and no real cause for alarm.