When an animal eats something that it knows is not food, then your dog is suffering from a condition known as pica. Classifying this behavior as a condition often makes dog owners worried as they are concerned that eating grass is bad for their dog’s health. Eating grass could be an indication that something else is wrong with your dog and it is using grass to fill in some sort of void it feels. If your dog shows signs of stress, you make an appointment for it at a Brooklyn doggy day care. But what should you do if your dog is eating grass?
Misconceptions
Only about one in every four dogs that eats grass vomits afterwards. Since dogs are not smart enough to understand the idea of eating grass to vomit if they feel sick, the idea that the dog eats grass to feel better is not accurate. Eating grass is also not terminally dangerous for your dog, but it is also not considered normal eating behavior. You should look a little closer at your dog’s overall behavior to see if you can pinpoint why your dog is eating grass.
Your Dog Needs a New Diet
Sometimes a dog will eat grass when it feels that it is not getting enough fiber in its daily diet, or the food you are feeding your dog does not agree with your dog’s digestive system. Talk to your vet about upgrading your dog’s food to a higher quality food with more fiber to see if that stops your dog from eating grass.
Your Dog is Bored
If you watch dogs of all ages, you will notice that younger dogs tend to eat grass more often than older dogs. This is because puppies and younger dogs will sometimes eat grass when they are bored. You should play more with your dog in your free time and set up a few appointments each week at a Brooklyn doggy day care to help cure your dog’s boredom. Any type of play or attention will work, but you have to be consistent with the amount of attention you give your dog each day.
Why is it Important to Stop Your Dog from Eating Grass?
You have complete control over any pesticides or chemicals you put in your lawn to keep it healthy. If you notice that your dog is eating your grass, you can stop putting dangerous chemicals into your lawn until you help your dog break this habit. But you do not have control over public parks, dog parks, and other areas where your dog might chew on grass. You will want to stop your dog from chewing on grass to do everything you can to prevent your dog from getting ill from lawn chemicals.
A good session at a Brooklyn doggy day care and an appointment with the vet can help you find ways to stop your dog from eating grass. The grass itself is not harmful, but eating grass could be an indication that something else is wrong with your dog and it needs your attention.
