Grass is safe for dogs to eat as long as it doesn't have any toxic chemicals. It's a great source of fibre in our dog's diet and many dogs even enjoy eating it just for the taste. However, what does it mean when a dog keeps eating grass and throwing up afterwards?
In this AnimalWised article, we're going to explain the reasons behind this strange behaviour and what you should do as their companion. Keep reading to learn more!
Why dogs eat grass
It isn't uncommon to see a dog eating grass at a park. There are a couple of reasons as to why a dog may eat grass, the most common are the following:
- Bored, stressed or upset
- Canine instinct
- They like the taste
- Upset stomach
- They need more fibre
Many dog companions wonder if it's safe for dogs to eat grass. The answer is yes, as long as the grass doesn't have any parasites or pesticides. Many dogs will eat grass as a canine instinct to get more fibre into their diet. Others may use it as a coping mechanism when they're feeling bored, stressed or upset. Keep reading to learn why a dog may keep eating grass and then throw up.
In our article, why dogs eat grass, we further elaborate on these reasons. However, you can also watch our Youtube video below on this topic.
Why dogs throw up after eating grass
Many dogs will eat grass for a variety of reasons. However, if a dog keeps eating grass and throwing up, it's normal to worry as their caretaker. The reason why your dog may be eating grass and throwing up is because they have an upset stomach or they're experiencing nausea. They may then resort to eating grass to help them throw up and hopefully, feel better.
If your dog only does this once, it probably isn't an issue. However if they do this various times, we should take action as their caretaker to ensure ourselves that they are not ill or that the grass didn't have any toxic chemicals, such as parasites or pesticides. So, what should you do if your dog keeps eating grass and throwing up?
You may also be interested in our article about why dogs throw up after eating.
What you should do
There are a couple of things you can do as their caregiver to ensure that they are not ill or that the grass hasn't made them sick. Here's a couple of measures you can take if your dog keeps eating grass and throwing up:
Check for parasites
The first thing you want to do is to check if they have any external parasites. By eating grass and being outside, our dog is exposed to many different types of canine parasites. Therefore, in order to make sure this isn't going to be a health issue, we need to make sure that they're up to date with their vaccination and deworming schedule.
Learn more in our article about external parasites in dogs.
Check the grass they ate
Secondly, you can check the grass they have been eating. Grass in parks don't usually have any chemicals. However, grass from a neighbour's garden may have certain pesticides or other toxic elements. This may have made your dog throw up after consuming it.
Learn more in our article where we talk about which plants are toxic to dogs.
Take them to the veterinarian for a check-up
Lastly, it's very important to take your dog to their veterinarian for a check-up to make sure everything is okay. Whether it was nausea, an upset stomach or toxic chemicals in the grass, the veterinarian will be able to run some examinations to find what the issue was and how to best prevent it in the future.
If you have any other questions, your veterinarian will also be able to answer them as a canine health professional. Therefore, if this behaviour was repeated more than once, it's best to contact your vet as soon as possible.
If you want to read similar articles to My Dog Keeps Throwing up Grass, What Should I Do?, we recommend you visit our Basic care category.