Dogs Like To Eat Grass To Rid Themselves Of Worms

Your beloved canine is obviously not a cow, but that doesn’t stop them from behaving like one sometimes. Many dog owners are baffled when they see a dog eat grass, perhaps because they’ve never imagined them as grazing animals. You shouldn’t fret, though. Dogs eating grass is a lot more common than you think, Tibi Puiu reported for ZME Science.

Photo Insert: Some believe that dogs eat grass simply because they like the taste and texture of it.

This behavior of eating things that technically aren’t food, known as pica, has been observed before in wild dogs and wolves (plant material has been found in 2% to 74% of stomach content samples of wolves and cougars), so it may be completely natural or could have been inherited. Whatever may be the case, veterinarians unanimously agree that this behavior is both common and safe.

A survey of 49 owners found that 79% of their dogs had eaten plants at least once, with grass being the most commonly eaten plant. In a 2008 study, 25 veterinary students who had pet dogs were asked about signs of sickness before grass consumption.

All participants reported that their dogs ate grass but none observed any signs of illness before their dogs ingested the plants. Only 8% said that their dogs regularly vomit afterward.

A survey of 47 dog owners came up with similar results, with only four dogs showing signs of illness before ingesting grass and only six dogs vomited afterward. The researchers then extended their study by making the same inquiries in an online survey, which this time included 1,571 participants, and 68% of the respondents said their dogs regularly ingest plants but only 8% said that their dogs showed some signs of illness before plant-eating.

Around 22% of the respondents said that their pets regularly vomit afterward. Younger dogs were more likely to eat plants more frequently than older dogs and were also less likely to appear ill beforehand or to vomit afterward.

Benjamin Hart, Professor Emeritus at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, said plant-eating likely played a role in the ongoing purging of intestinal parasites (nematodes) in wild canids.

When the plant material passes through the intestinal tract, it increases intestinal motility and wraps around worms, thereby purging the tract of nematodes. This behavior may have been preserved in domesticated dogs, the researcher said, as well as in felines who also engage in the same type of pica.

Then again, some believe that dogs eat grass simply because they like the taste and texture of it. That may be entirely so, but whether dogs eat grass purely out of enjoyment is challenging if not impossible to prove.

WEEKLY FEATURE : MVP Group Keeps Lights On During Pandemic