Why do dogs eat grass?

In fact, many people think that dogs can get sick from eating grass or even eat grass after being sick. This stems from the fact that pet owners often notice their dogs vomiting after a grassy snack, although it’s never been clear whether eating grass causes illness, or if it does. vomiting afterwards or not. However, the answer from a scientific perspective is probably “no”.

In a self-reported study of dogs’ plant-eating habits, researchers found that 79% of dogs had eaten grass at some point in the past. Despite such a high number, only 9% of these dogs showed signs of illness before, and only 22% of them vomited after eating grass. That leaves most dogs looking healthy, eating a haystack and still having a good day and not getting sick.

While there haven’t been too many further studies on the subject, the large sample size certainly suggests that man’s best friend is doing an odd routine for a different reason.

We may never fully understand this behavior, but the current leading explanation is that dogs may actually just want… to enjoy the fresh taste of grass.

Owners often note an increase in dogs grazing in springtime, so it’s possible that new grass is just a mere delicacy to them.

Many people think of dogs or cats as obligate carnivores, which means that they are purely carnivores. However, research has shown that dogs and wolves are actually omnivores, and they get a healthy portion of their daily nutrients from plants.

read more: Are grass-fed dogs dangerous?

Many studies have found evidence of greenery and berries in the diet of wild wolves, showing it to make up a small but significant portion of their food intake.

In addition, grass is an excellent source of fiber, something that can be easily lacking in the average dog’s diet.

So, it can be said that grass is almost certainly not a matter of dogs eating to vomit, but rather something that dogs intentionally eat to enjoy or supplement their bodies with nutrients.