Dog eating lots of grass. Any thought please?

[FrenchieBoy]

My dog has always eaten loads of grass when outside, so much so that I have even thought about renaming him Flymo! He's a whippet cross Staff and is about 16 months old. He has a good diet (And appetite) and acts and looks very healthy and happy.
I feed him Waggs Working Dog Complete Mixer meal topped up with a bit of Butchers Tripe twice a day and he also has 2 Denta Sticks each day (His teeth were terrible when we got him but they are in perfect condition now) and he gets the occasional bone to chew on.
The little devil constantly walks with his nose to the ground and will kep pick off and eating the tips of the grass wherever he is walking.
I know that dogs will eat grass as a "medicine" if they are feeling a bit off colour occasionally but I'm a little puzzled as to why he constantly does this.
Has anyone any thoughts please?

 

[urx]

My previous collie grazed daily on only the succulent tips of grass
But would very occasionally eat more than normal

Our current one tends only to nibble grass when id expect him to be thirsty

 

[arron]

Mine also eats grass like a cow,, mostly when it feels pressured ,or excited , it's like a nervous reaction???

 

[paul o']

our labs would eat grass to the point it made them sick then be fine after they had ,

 

[Rob1562]

Mine is 9yrs old now and has done this since day one !
He eats it by the mouthful as he's running along and I have always thought it was to quench his thirst.......obviously he has clean fresh water at home but turns his nose up at that, preferring a muddy puddle.
Vet has reassured me it's not uncommon and shouldn't worry?
I'm as baffled as you are but just see it now as one of his many quirks.

Regards, Rob.

 

[Alantoo]

Our Springer frequently eats carefully selected broad coarse grass, and then pushes it largely undigested out the back end. Seems to act like a scouring pad. Seems to be an almost instant pass through, minutes rather than hours.

But I guess although fairly regular this would class as “medicinal use”.

Alan

 

[reloader54]

"dog has run out of rizlas"

 

[malmick]

My five year old ESS has done it daily since I got hi, he's on a varied raw food diet with the right amounts of meat, bones, offal, fish, veg, fruit etc. He's never been sick on it but I has had to pull swingers out of his @r$e on occasion. The 11 month old sprocker that I've had for five weeks does it too and has since I got him, he also loves apple, blueberries and carrot.

 

[bluesako]

i wouldnt worry all my dogs have done it

 

[Rod&Gun]

Mine also eats grass like a cow,, mostly when it feels pressured ,or excited , it's like a nervous reaction???

My Lab does it and now that you point it out yes it's when I'm pushing him in his training. Has no ill effect on him mind you, just annoying for me.

 

[VSS]

FrenchieBoy, that dog is too intelligent for it's own good! It's been reading all the vegan propaganda that's doing the rounds at the moment, and been won over! You'll have to convert it back. Just let it browse SD for a while, that would be a good start.

 

[ileso]

I sometimes think my dogs are sheep...

 

[NigelM]

The Vizsla has always eaten grass to different degrees. If he's feeling a bit sick he will go out and gulp it down, but he will graze just to wind me up sometimes, knowing it's a bit naughty. He's also a full on veggie, loving carrots, broccoli, broad beans etc. He's 7 now and has always done it, much more than the labs and cockers I have had before. Seems to be well on it anyway.

 

[potshotpat]

I think my Cockers smoke it.

 

[malmick]

I think my Cockers smoke it.

It's what most cockers could do with. The majority I've met seem to be on a concoction of caffeine and speed most of the time.

 

[Ade8mm]

My dog has always eaten loads of grass when outside, so much so that I have even thought about renaming him Flymo! He's a whippet cross Staff and is about 16 months old. He has a good diet (And appetite) and acts and looks very healthy and happy.
I feed him Waggs Working Dog Complete Mixer meal topped up with a bit of Butchers Tripe twice a day and he also has 2 Denta Sticks each day (His teeth were terrible when we got him but they are in perfect condition now) and he gets the occasional bone to chew on.
The little devil constantly walks with his nose to the ground and will kep pick off and eating the tips of the grass wherever he is walking.
I know that dogs will eat grass as a "medicine" if they are feeling a bit off colour occasionally but I'm a little puzzled as to why he constantly does this.
Has anyone any thoughts please?

A need for roughage maybe?

 

[kaman]

My cocker eats rough coarse grass when she has a dodgy tummy. It seems to act like a pull thru ball of steel wool to clear her stomach out. Doesn't look near it when she's fine tho.

 

[Howe1401]

My friends lab does it occasionally, seems to be when he's not feeling well and wants to make himself sick...…..it seems to do the trick!

 

[John Gryphon]

Its a system correction,and after ingestion is generally followed by spewing up a wad of grass often with yellowish mucous schitt.
It is a way of reducing excess bile I believe.
I see my three will trot a few K`s through fields then will hit a patch of the "right" grass and all will have a chew so it is selective grasses only.

 

[evetseel]

My lab and springer both eat grass. My good lady is a vet nurse so I have it on relatively good authority that dogs tend to do it for several reason, but most prevalent is to help reflux, dicky stomachs often relating to being backed up, hungry and/or nervousness/anxiety. They can also sometimes do it if they are thirsty.