Couch Grass, an Irish Wolfhound but all dog's favorite!
This topic "Why Do Dogs Eat Grass?" was just highlighted by Dr. Jean Dodds in her Hemopet Newsletter, and essentially, gives substance to my long-held belief: that eating grass is a powerful, ancient urge which is very much alive in our carnivores today. More on this in a minute, but, first, let us address the popular myth that dogs eat grass because they have an upset stomach and need to vomit. This lore, for the most part, is not true, and is not logical. If this were the case, then that means your dog does not get nauseous during the cold months but just in spring and summer?
Dodds newsletter, which prompted me to add my two cents here, cited two different studies. The first by Researchers at the University of New England in Australia who performed tests on two separate sets of dogs in which their conclusion was that dogs do not eat grass to induce vomiting. The second research was performed by the University of California, Davis who conducted three separate reviews on the hypothesis that most plant eating in dogs is associated with illness or a dietary deficiency and that ingestion of plant material is usually followed by a few minutes of vomiting. Their research used 1,573 samples with only 22% who vomited somewhat afterwards, and their conclusion was "Grass eating is a common behavior in apparently normal dogs and is unrelated to illness or vomiting." As for those who did vomit afterwards, I want to point out that dogs will wretch to dislodge something caught in their throat, as blades of grass can do. So, in my opinion, it is more than likely that a number of these dogs who did vomit did so to force out the grass stuck in their throat and not because they needed to purge.
The results revealed that this was regardless if a dog was fed kibble or raw diet. More to the point, my hounds have been Naturally Reared for 20 or more years, and they eat grass every morning and afternoon and do not vomit except on rare occasions. Their menu covers nearly every base of high-quality nutrition, except for insects, and dispels the idea that diet deficiency is involved. But, I will be quick to point out that most commercial kibble usually is deficient in natural vitamins, quality protein & fat, and minerals.
Dogs eat grass because they not only love it, but it is an excellent source of minerals. Yes, some herbs and grass do possess medicinal qualities and carnivores, including, yes, your best friend, instinctively seek out Mother Nature's offerings. Eating herbs and grass is an ancient trait still very much prevalent today as in the studies carried out by wolf authorities and researchers who revealed that wolves eat grass and berries in addition to meat. In fact, wolf hunts are mostly unsuccessful, so they require alternate food sources to sustain them.
BBC Discover Wildlife reports that Wolves hunting are successful only 14 percent of the time and even then, this will vary depending open their terrain and prey. Involving Moose, the rate drops to a mere 6 percent, and if they are in Minnesota hunting White-Tailed deer, the kill rate rises to 20 percent. They will consume fish, beaver, squirrels, wild berries, and even grasshoppers. Yes, grasshoppers; just as bears seek out grubs, ants, termites -- wolves eat grasshoppers for an excellent protein source. Insects, by the way, have more protein than meat.
I have seen one or more websites claim that wolves do not eat stomach contents of their prey. On the contrary, researchers, and biologists, for example, with the Wolves & Moose of Isle Royale study scat but also fresh kills to gauge the percentage of a carcass eaten. They report that by and large, "Organ meat is the first to be eaten. Except in rare cases, all significant pieces of muscles are eaten. Ribs are typically eaten, bones are often partially consumed, and nearly all the hide is commonly eaten. Even the muscles that make up the lining of the stomach are eaten." Feast or famine mostly dispels the fiction that wolves do not consume nearly all of its prey.
For those seasoned dog fanciers, consider another favorite dog treat; the desirability of horse manure! Dogs love horse manure containing grass and grain fibers from pastured horses and those who eat rich green or alfalfa hay. Why? Because of hay's content and goes to the point that dogs are genetically predisposed to consuming manure because of the nutrients, high protein, vitamins and minerals in the plant material. Many holistic scientists recommend that people grow wheat grass for their dog(s) to satisfy this urge because the grass in many areas is unsafe for a dog to consume due to conventional pesticides and other chemicals on lawns or in the water runoff by culverts.
Consider growing wheat grass for your dogs. Alternatively, let your dog eat grass but only if you are confident that the area has not been sprayed with insecticides and fertilizers, which will cause serious health issues. Do not fret if your dog eats grass!