Do dogs really eat grass frantically? Yes, they do! Dog eating grass frantically looks like strange conduct. However, it is normal behavior for most dogs.
The dog’s owner may feel uncomfortable, worried, and alarming when they are out for a walk along with their dogs, and they find that their dog is eating grass frantically.
It’s usual conduct for dogs that sometimes happens due to various reasons. Is there a difference between grazing and eating frantically?
Difference Between Grazing & Eating Frantically
Yes, there is a difference between grazing and frantically eating. Grazing is a natural way of eating grass, but frantically eating is an unusual behavior of eating desperately without worrying about anything else.
In such a situation, the dogs stuff their mouth with grass, swallow it rapidly, and don’t bother whether it is digestible. It may cause a problem sometimes for health.
There are multiple reasons for such irrational behavior. The reasons along with their solutions are discussed in this article. These solutions will help you stop your dog, eating grass frantically again.
10 Reasons: Why Do The Dogs Eat Grass Frantically?
Dogs are the most faithful animal in the world. They love their owner more than their life. But sometimes, they drive the owner crazy.
These crazy habits make the owner feel happy, busy and loved.
However, the dog’s owners are aware of their dog’s activities and habits. Some unusual activities may lead to inconvenience for the dog and the owner.
One of those unusual activities involves the dog eating grass frantically. I am sure you must have faced this situation once or more in life.
The Dogs are meat eater animals-carnivores. It is not a big deal for the dogs to gulp large pieces of flesh, but it may force you to think and wonder why your dog is eating grass frantically?
Grass has some essential nutrients that are beneficial for animals as it often cleans toxins from the body, but some elements are not healthy. Diseased grass can be harmful to your dog.
As we discussed above, there are various reasons why do dogs eat grass frantically. Some of the reasons are related to health that compel dogs to eat grass. Some of the reasons are incomprehensible. Multiple reasons are:
1) Your Dog Gets Bored:
When the dogs feel that they are not getting proper attention from their owner, they get bore and become anxious. Their anxiety can lead to excessive consumption of grass. You can reduce their anxiety by playing with them or tickling them in their favorite spot.
2) Pacifying a Distressed Stomach:
A dog suppressing and consuming grass would indeed emphasize that they’re doing it because of a distressed stomach. Eating junk like cheez-its and sometimes too many plantains can cause stomach disturbance too.
However, dogs do eat grass because they are facing digestive problems. You might have faced an unusual behavior of your dog whining at the gate, pleading to get free.
When you release the dog, he runs towards a grassy area and stuffs his mouthful with grass as much they can satisfy their desire.
Sometimes, the dogs have stomach aches; to get some relief, they eat grass.
3) Your Dog Wants A Healthy Diet:
Another reason for frantically eating grass might be your dog is facing an imbalanced diet.
A healthy and balanced diet keeps living organisms healthy. Otherwise, an imbalanced diet may cause a disturbance in the body.
Though it happens with the dogs, they search for the essential nutrient from other sources when the dog food lacks any of the nutrients.
4) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder:
When the dogs increase grass consumption, it changes into Obsessive-compulsive-disorder.
The dogs may start eating frantically after consuming grass when they are facing any issue. The consumption leads to that stage of frantically eating.
If the condition is not under control or becomes worst, you need to visit a vet for a check-up.
5) A Disorder of Seizure:
The disorder of seizure may cause dogs to start eating grass frantically.
Some dogs eat as they won’t get it tomorrow. They treat them with plenty of grass as a feast and “seize the day”.
The dogs may eat grass voraciously when they know that their owner does not allow them to eat grass. Therefore, when they feel that the owner is out of sight, they start gulping grass quickly as if they would not get the chance again.
6) Any Sickness:
If your dog is not healthy, suffering from any disorder, he may start eating grass frantically to get rid of the sickness or to divert their mind.
7) Fighting Against a Parasite:
It is not a valid reason, but there are many discussions about it; dogs may eat grass frantically to fight against parasites. As carnivores eat grass to get rid of parasites, there are chances that dogs also eat for this reason.
Here a question may arise either is it in-born or not?
Some of the dogs may show the behavior of eating grass frantically as an instinct.
After eating excessive grass, if there is no protection from parasites, you must take your dog for a check-up.
8) Reverberations:
In a time of scarcity, the dogs try to get maximum food and keep their stomach full to avoid hunger.
There was a time when dogs lived on their struggle of hunting, searching for prey, and striving to be alive.
Two possibilities depended on their struggle: Either they had to get the prey or had to live on grass. The reason behind it was not to starve. They used to eat anything with a fear of predators.
The ancestors of dogs would eat everything, including the grass in the stomach of prey. This can be why they are involved in eating hay.
They adapted themselves according to their surroundings and environment. They sought food to live; otherwise, the hunger might have killed them.
9) Fulfilling Nutritional Deficiencies:
Carnivores mostly eat all parts of the prey that fill their nutritional requirements to survive.
A nutritional deficiency may cause an uncontrollable issue for your dog. If your dog is facing any dietary deficiencies, he may get attracted to grass eating. They prioritize grass over the dog’s food as maybe grass satisfies the quest to fill the deficiency.
10) Need For Fiber and Vitamins:
One of the reasons behind eating grass frantically can be a need for more fiber and vitamins not fulfilled by dogs’ food.
To satisfy that requirement of their body, they gulp grass frantically.
9 Solutions: Protecting Dogs From Eating Grass Frantically
The reasons why do dogs eat grass frantically have been discussed above. Most of the reasons are under control, but only a few reasons show that the dog needs to visit a vet.
Under the guidance of a vet, your dog may recover from the habit of eating excessive grass frantically. He may suggest proper medication, and diet changes to get your dog back into a healthy routine.
Here are the solutions for the problems as mentioned above:
Eating grass results in vomiting. When you notice that your dog is eating grass, he will vomit after eating excessive grass. It’s not a big issue. In this case, the vet will give a few pills that will help to resolve the issue.
But if your dog doesn’t vomit after eating grass then he might have to take some nutritional elements from the grass. There is a need for a healthy and balanced diet to fulfill nutritional deficiencies.
It depends on the owner either he wants a change in such conduct or not. Analyze the behavior of your dog to determine that required change. If something unusual happens, you need to take it into account and visit a veterinarian.
Try to bring a change in your dog’s diet if you really want to stop your dog from eating grass frantically.
Give them food full of vital nutrients, fibers, and probiotics if it is essential for their diet. These enriched nutrient foods can help to fill up the deficiencies.
The unusual behavior may cause a critical problem for you and your dogs. In this article, different reasons have been discussed with better solutions.
1) Avoid The Chemical Sprayed Grass:
Some dogs like greenery. If you notice any unusual behavior with the grass, protect your dog from the grass with chemicals or pesticides as it can be harmful to them.
2) Keep Your Lawn Clean:
When you know that green grass attracts your dog, you must keep your lawn and garden clean and mowed. So they don’t get much grass from the yard.
3) Give Him Your Proper Attention:
If you feel your dog is quiet and feeling anxious. There is a need for more attention. Dogs love to play and spend time with their owner.
Try to engage your dog in different activities, so they may forget about boredom and eating grass frantically.
4) Solution For OCD:
The best solution for OCD is to make a trip to the vet to avoid further health issues.
5) Get Rid Of Seizure:
In a circumstance, when your dog is suffering from a seizure disorder, you may contact your vet; he would suggest anti-epileptic medication.
6) Engaging In Other Activities:
If you want to protect your dog from eating grass frantically, you must engage them in other activities.
Never say “no” to them, as they will definitely try it out.
Instead, you should give them a substitute and admire their activities.
7) Provide Sufficient Encouragement:
As we have discussed above, dogs exhibit such behavior as they feel neglected by their owner.
Try to give them proper time, engage them in different stimulations, and make them feel like you care for them.
8) Grow Grass On Your Lawn:
If your dog does not restrain from eating grass frantically after a lot of struggle and attention, you should think of growing grass of your own. This will satisfy them and protect them from toxic chemicals and pesticides.
9) Modify Their Diet:
If grass eating, the habit of your dog disturbs you, try to change their dog’s food. Maybe this will help them find the required nutrient.
Add almond milk to the diet plan. After they get the right diet and nutrients, they will definitely neglect eating grass.
Do You Really Need To Worry About Your Dog Eating Grass Frantically?
Grass helps the dog to clean toxic materials from the stomach and improve the digestive system. The problem arises when your dog’s diet is only dependent on the grass. So, it may raise many issues that need proper medication, attention, and diet.
At times the frantically eating grass habit of your dog may be a concern for you.
If your dog is eating the grass most of the time then you should worry about it, and you need to visit a vet.
But, if your dog vomits merely, then it’s not much concerning, but you should make a trip to the veterinarian for your satisfaction.
If you have used chemicals in your garden, avoid taking your dog out in the garden as it may harm their health.
It is an alarming situation for you when your dog insists on going out and eating an excessive amount of grass without worrying whether he can digest it or not then; you must see a veterinarian for better guidance.
Conclusion:
Dogs eat grass frantically is a common issue that happens due to multiple reasons. There are two sides of grass eating; one is eating grass as a love for greenery, and the other is eating grass frantically without any other concern. Frantically eating grass is like eating desperately as there is no additional chance of eating.
The owner knows their pet very well, and they are alert to their pet’s habits. So, they may use instinct feelings to determine either their dog is behaving naturally or not.
If it is a concern for you, seek medical advice from a vet.