Why does my dog eat grass?
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Grass has been in pretty short supply this summer, but the recent rain means lawns are looking green again. It might also mean you'll notice your dog eating grass, something Rufus does on occasion too. He might be the size of a small horse, but he shouldn’t eat like one. So, what’s going on?
Is eating grass normal for dogs?
For most dogs, an occasional mouthful of grass is perfectly normal. We don’t know exactly why they do it, and there probably isn’t a single explanation that applies to every dog. Some may simply like the taste or texture, particularly when grass is fresh and green, while instinctive scavenging behaviour or even boredom may also play a part.
Dogs are natural foragers and will investigate all sorts of things with their mouths, so eating a little grass from time to time isn’t necessarily a sign that anything is wrong. If your dog is otherwise healthy, eating normally and behaving as usual, occasional grazing is generally nothing to worry about.
Are they trying to make themselves sick?
This is probably the best-known explanation, but the evidence doesn’t really support it for most dogs. Studies have found that relatively few dogs appear unwell before eating grass and fewer than a quarter regularly vomit afterwards, suggesting that making themselves sick is unlikely to be the main reason dogs do it.
Some dogs may still reach for grass when their stomach is unsettled, so the circumstances matter. If your dog is suddenly eating large amounts of grass, doing it frantically, repeatedly vomiting, has diarrhoea, stops eating normally or seems unwell, that is different from an occasional graze and is worth discussing with your vet.
Could they be looking for fibre?
Possibly. Grass is a source of roughage, and fibre plays an important role in a dog’s digestive system, helping support healthy bowel function, stool quality and the community of beneficial bacteria living in the gut.
There is some evidence linking grass eating with fibre intake. One published case followed a dog that had eaten plants and vomited afterwards every day for years. After switching to a higher-fibre diet, the behaviour stopped within days and had still not returned more than a year later. It was only one dog, so it doesn’t prove that low fibre explains grass eating generally, but it does suggest that fibre may be part of the picture for some dogs.
If your dog only eats grass occasionally, has healthy stools, a good appetite and seems perfectly well, there is no reason to assume they have a fibre deficiency. It does, however, make sense to ensure their normal diet provides appropriate sources of fibre to support healthy digestion.
Supporting a healthy gut
Our Veggie One contains pumpkin and broccoli, both whole-food sources of fibre that can help support normal digestive function and a healthy gut. They sit alongside reishi and lion’s mane as part of a blend designed to provide broad everyday support.
The Veggie One isn’t intended to stop a dog who simply enjoys grazing from eating grass. The more useful point is that supporting digestive health through their everyday diet gives their gut what it needs without relying on whatever happens to be growing at the edge of the pavement.
Is grass safe for dogs to eat?
Small amounts of untreated grass are generally unlikely to cause a problem, but what is on the grass matters. Weedkillers, pesticides and other lawn treatments can be harmful, while grass contaminated by other animals can expose dogs to parasites, so it’s sensible to be cautious about where they graze.
It is also important to distinguish grass from other plants they might encounter in gardens or on walks. Plenty of common plants are toxic to dogs, so something being green and growing outdoors certainly doesn’t make it safe to eat.
For Rufus, the occasional bit of grazing isn’t something we worry about, particularly when everything else about him seems completely normal. We’ll just continue to keep an eye on what he’s eating and remind him that, whatever his dimensions might suggest, he is definitely still a dog.
