Just as some humans eat or lick non-food items, dogs tend to also attain this weird attribute. It’s technically called Pica and is defined simply as, ‘eating things that are not characterized as food.’

Some people may argue that grass is edible, as most plants are, but in the typical carnivorous world of dogs, grass is not a food. There are several reasons that your furbaby could be chewing on the greens, and most are harmless.

Why Some Dogs Eat Grass

Passive Grass Eating

The most common type of grass eating in dogs is passive and ends in undigested greens in his poop. Rarely will a dog throw up if he is passively eating the grass. There are two reasons that he could be drawn to this:

Boredom

Young dogs tend to eat and play with the grass out of boredom or as a game. It’s not hurting them and will generally be something they grow out of eventually.

Lacking a Nutrient

If your dog tends to eat grass daily, there may be a nutrient his body is lacking or not absorbing well through his food. Some vets have found that by adding in fiber or beginning a high fiber diet for the dog, this grass-eating behavior ends.

Frantic Grass Eating

When a dog tries to consume a large amount of grass at a frantic pace, there are health concerns that need to be addressed.  If it is new behavior and is not happening regularly, there are probably some tummy troubles happening. The frantic eating is taking place because the dog wants to induce vomiting. Just as humans contract a tummy bug, your dog can too. In cases such as this, one or two stomach clearing moments are okay. It is when this frantic grass-eating continues that you should seek help.

Parasites

Constant grass-eating could be feeding a parasite within the intestines of your furbaby. Your vet will be able to run some tests to rule this option out.

Gut Health

Dog food does not agree with every dog’s stomach. Gastrointestinal problems can send a dog toward the grass to try and deal with bloating and stomach aches. Ensuring a high-quality diet can end the grass eating.

When Grass Eating Is Dangerous

If you have a lawn that has been sprayed with fertilizer or pesticides, the grass can be dangerous for your dog to ingest. These are poisons and should be avoided at all costs. You also don’t know what is on your neighbor’s grass, so it’s advised to discourage this behavior in your dog.