I Have a Lab/Newfounland mix that regularly grazes on grass. Tonight he has been earing grass for over an hour and vomited once. He has been with me all day and has not been exposed to anything new new no change in diet. Any suggestions?

When dogs eat grass they do it because their stomach is upset and they are trying to cause themselves to throw up. a good thing for whateever is ailing them.

So you ARE saying they do it to make them throw up because of their stomach?

No, they eat grass because they are tired of eating dry or caned food. Dogs eat veggies. Try giving your dog a carrot. Most, not all, love carrots. Give them alot and they get orange poop. Grass can have stuff on it that makes them vomit. Pestisides and fertilizer. Dog bowls that are dirty can give dog food poisoning and vomit. Wash your bowl and give dog a carrot or lettuce. They love it.

Anne, it doesn't necessarily mean the dogs is "tired" of eating canned or dry dog food. Like a human they could be feeling ill due to the preservatives or an ingredient(s) in the food. Pets can suffer from food allergies just like a human being. All living beings are susceptible to allergies or incapable of not being able to eat certain plants. For instance, many people know that chocolate is poisonous to pets, but are not aware that other foods like onions are just as dangerous! A knowledgeable veterinarian will tell you that even if you pick the onions off a hamburger and feed the hamburger to a dog, the minor trace amounts of onion juice left behind on the hamburger could cause a dog to feel sick or worse. People need to always remember that animals are always way more sensitive to smells and other things we humans take for granted. Most vets will also tell you that when a human does not give an animal a consistent diet, but instead gives the dog a wide variety of food items to eat, that too can cause a dog to have an upset stomach.

Dogs stomachs are a lot like a human babies stomachs. A good and well-knowledgeable parent does not give a baby the same greasy, spicy, or other harsh foods that we adults eat. Instead we give babies a consistent bland diet, because their stomach are too sensitive and are susceptible to developing food sensitivities and allergies. For the same sensitive reasons, a good responsible pet owner will not make the mistake of thinking their dog's body is exactly the same as a human body or equal to a garbage disposal.

I home cook for my lab because she had chronic diarrhea on just about every commercial dog food out there for the first two years of her life. She loves her salad and spinach most of the time. I notice that she doesn't eat grass when she gets her salad and spinach daily dose too. Also, she doesn't throw up when she eats the grass. I personally think its the same with people...when our body is lacking something we crave it. For instance....we get thirsty because our body is lacking water...On the other hand, I'm sure there is a soothing aspect to it when she has an upset stomach because salad does have probiotics, which reduces gas.

Cole, why is that so hard to believe? Remember our grandparents and farther relatives back used things like Caster Oil to cause vomiting when a child was sick. It was done in the hopes of riding the body of germs, so that the germs could not continue to multiply and therefore continue to reek havoc on a person's immune system. Also, take into account that human's are observers and followers. Since the time of our ancestors, the cave dwellers, we have watched and mimicked what other living creatures do for survival. How is a dog eating grass any different than a "health conscious" person that drinks or eats wheat grass, flax seed, wheat germ, barley, or other types of grains and grass varieties?

I once tried drinking wheat grass from a health food store and I wanted to vomit!! After that taste experience, I don't blame any living being from wanting to do the same!!! Think of it this way, a dog cannot up and drive their self to a Rite-Aide or CVS store to purchase ipecac or other stomach relief remedies, so the alternative is to eat something that they know will not digest well and hopefully cause them to expel the germs or item that is making them feel awful.

Not all dogs eat grass because the have upset stomaches. My German Shepherd at it ion a daily basis from spring through fall and also certain leaves. It has a sweet taste that they like. It didn't make my dog sick and my vet said it was not a problem and not to be concerned about it. She lived until she was almost 11 years old. My new Shepherd likes to root. Still trying to figure that one out.

My dog eats a lot of grass right after he dines on the turds i did not see when cleaning the yard.This has been a disturbing thing to me as i kiss that dog on the face.At least the grass cleans his teeth of the yummy treats he just scored.I read up on why they eat crap and have found that it is in their genes to eat scat or droppings of poop to keep other animals from tracking them.I think my dog just likes the taste of turds.He eats them when he has a perfectly good dish of purina there for him to eat at will.He does eat his regular food though.The cat crap is the worst.There are several feral cats in my area and when they dump my dog thinks it is a thanks giving feast.I am worried about disease from the cats that have never seen a vet.The dogs like cat poop more than dog poop because there is a lot of protein still in the cat poop and the dogs know this will sustain them.Instinct and survival are one and the same with dogs as one leads to the other in the wild.I really got to get my pooch to gargle or something after meals.lol

thanks for the great laugh this morning!!! I saw your post when trying to figure out why my dog eats grass. Good luck with the breath freshener for your dog!

"Hello David

I notice you give your dog purina and thought you might be interested to read some of the comments here:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/beneful.html

and

http://news.msn.com/us/nestl%C3%A9-purinas-beneful-accused-of-poisoning-dogs

Thanks for the education Amanda.I am switching to iams eukanuba dog food.I have had great results in the past and have found it hard to find lately.I will have to get assertive in my search for this product and just pay the price as nothing is too good for my dogs.Regards,Dave

Not always. I have a Rottweiler that eats grass on a regular basis and does not vomit. I asked my vet about this and she said it is perfectly fine for her to do this. Sometimes a dog will eat grass if they have an upset stomach, but not always.

I have a Rottweiler as well and we call her our Moo-Cow - she is constantly eating grass. Our vet has not found anything physically wrong with her and we have tried different things with her diet. She continues to eat grass and rarely vomits. Good to know that someone else has a Rottweiler with a similar habit!

Dogs eat plants. Try a carrot if you don't beleive me. Dogs also get food poisoning from dirty dishes, especially if the food is a higher grade and caked on the bowl to dry. Have you washed your dogs dish with soap and water, lately? Are you familiar with the 24 hour flu and slight case of food poisoning? My three chi's love salad. When they can't get it, they eat my plants. Some plants are toxic. Plants, especially grass, can have fertilizer or pestisides on them that cause the dog to vomit. The dog may already feel sick and need to vomit. My dog had a case of the 24 hour flu due to a dirty dog dish and food that did not have as many perservatives in it. I had switched to a good brand without persevatives. The cheap stuff has perservatives and that is not good for your dogs liver and kidneys. My little girl (dog) vomited all night. All three did after licking dirty bowls. I was about to run to the 24 hour vet, but decided to one last thing. I gave her milk the next morning. She wouldn't touch it but my boy, who vomited the night before than stopped, drank it all. I gave them lettece. She gobbled it all up and did not vomit. Later I tried cheese and she was ok. I washed all the bowls and threw away the unused portion. I opened a fresh can. My dogs are fine.

Our 12 year's Cairn terrier sometimes eager to eat soil.especially when he has gassy state or upset stomach.
What does that means?
He has liver failure,and remove gall bladder 2years ago.
and now he is under medication with choleretic drug.

"my dog its grass and then vomites it up next day. The last two days he has had blood in his stool. Straining to poop and it looks like water. My question is, is he constipated or should I be really worried about his health? Rosco is 5yrs old in human yrs."

As this is a real old post to reply to i am curious to see if you did take your dog into the vet for a check up.I hope so and i hope your dog is ok.

Anytime your dog is passing blood you should immediately get her treatment. My baby was doing the same thing as was diagnosed with pancreatitis & an irritated colon. She required iv fluids, antibiotics, and some other meds. This at midnite, but she is worth all the inconvenience. She is 11. I had another dog who had some similar symptoms and she had lymphoma, so you can never really know. You have to take her to the vet and talk to them about different concerns you have. You have to know your dog, like you know your own body and how it works normally. They can't tell us what is wrong so it is up to the owner to know what is wrong.

Our dog has just vomited some blood and has had dark black stool. We researched that if the stool is dark blood the problem is in the upper digestive system because the blood has been digested. If it is red it could be from the lower digestive system, colon, rectum. The causes we found are undetermined by vets and most likely dietary. we have decided to alkalize her diet, put silver colloid in her water and treat her with colour therapy.
here is a site with lots of articles but I find the pressure to see/pay for a vet is a little much.http://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/digestive/c_dg_melena#.UHLk7xhhg7A

Dogs eat grass to cure themselves. They would particularly eat dog grass (Agropyron repens) because of its curative properties.

They also eat it to induce vomiting. They are trying to get out of their system something they ate that is causing them pain.

You were almost there when you commented that, "The modern dog, partly because of evolution and domestication, is no longer like its ancestors, which frequently ate their prey entirely, including the stomach contents of plant-eating animals."

What's MOST important are that the partially-digested grasses found in the prey's stomach contain active enzymes! Not only do these natural, gastric juices and enzymes help the herbivore break their foods down, they also aid the wolf's digestive system to help him break down and utilitize the rest of his meal.

Kibbles and canned food is cooked, so the enzymes are lost. Sure, many spray pre and pro-biotics onto the food at the end of the process, but it's not nearly as beneficial as them consuming the natural real deal. Highly processed foods are very taxing on your dog's system, the ingredients being void of nearly all their natural moisture, so it's not uncommon for a dog to have some tummy upset. They have the right idea to seek out grass from the yard, but won't find the benefits of those enzymes.

This is why it's especially great to add Green Tripe to your dog's diet! You'll notice a big difference in their teeth and breath as well as their digestive system. Remember that it's the partially-digested contents of a cow's stomach so it's bound to be a little smelly. Perhaps this is why dogs love it so much! Guaranteed if you add tripe to their diet you'll see a large decrease in their yard-mowing!

Great input, but i may not agree with you on the evolution thing that you said in here. Dogs donot or lack the cellulases and hence they eat grass just to egest anything that might have got in to there body through food or something and they just eat and chew grass to egest the foreign substance from the body. Infact when they chew up grasses, they make the sensation to there tongue and nearby glands to make the puking action so as to egest the unwanted substance from there stomach. Adding tripe may be a good suggestion by you.

Is it possible that dogs eat grass as a form of pain relief ? I have a 10 yr old collie cross who unfortunately suffers with arthritis in his back leg joints. I have noticed that during long walks or too many throws of the ball he stops and nibbles on grass and never sick.

I typed a bit about green tripe in the comment above this one...it could be that he pushes himself a bit more than he should in his older age and has digestive upset. I'd try adding green tripe to his meals. It should get him more excited about dinner time and aid in his digestion. If you're already adding a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement then you're doing him a huge favor with those joints!

Our dogs just seem to lik grass. we also have a chive plant our Lab goes crazy pulling the little blades off We can always tell when she's been at the chives by her "chive" breath.

My dog likes grass to and not because she feels sick. However I don't letter eat yard grass because of the possibility of fertilizers and stuff.. Fortuantely i live where there are hillsides that get water/rain and there are some very green grass/weeds. I personally think that's better but then I'm no vet.

That's actually a way to get rid of their irritating bowel movement and to puke out. Actually there reverse peristalsis is not automated and needs arousal. So they try to chew the grass out and puke in turn.

My lab mix eats grass every morning and then throws up. He then comes in and eats his normal breakfast and is just fine. Why would he do this every morning?

People don't know how important healthy food are. You can easily avoid these kinds of diseases with healthy food. I have 12 years old Golden Terrier and I always prepare him homemade food. His trainer told me that dogs can live 27 years! Please don't give them commercial food. There are lots of healthy homemade food recipes which I prepare for my little Atom.Please prepare them healthy food.
http://www.makeusknow.com/categories/animals&pets/what-can-dogs-eat-vs-what-should-dogs-eat.html