Why your dog/cat eats grass sometimes.
Our pets do the weirdest of things. Most of which give us a good laugh because they are as entertaining as they can get. There are some that raise an alarm that there might be an issue with your pet’s health and that you may need to consult an veterinarian for advice. Eating grass by dogs and cats isn’t necessarily considered a normal phenomenon, but it’s not out of the ordinary to find them doing this. Here are some of the reasons as to why carnivores, both wild and domesticated, eat grass.
1. To induce vomiting
Your fur babies may have come across some material that did not agree with their tummies. They may have ingested it by accident or because it was the only food provided to them, and the quality of the food was not that good. The food definitely will not sit right in the the gut. So you may notice that if there is grass nearby, your fur baby will nibble on some grass. Just a heads up, you may need to carry a mop around because your pet will most probably vomit after eating a few blades of grass.
2. Nutritional deficiencies.
Grass is a natural source of vitamin B or folic acid in nature. Your pet may be on a nutrition hunt if at all you find him/her chewing on some grass. Remember, this is not natural, so my advice is that you consult your local vet on what to do and how to supplement your fur baby’s dietary needs.
3. A natural form of Laxative.
Dogs and Cats may opt to eat grass as a way of adding bulk and fiber into their Gastrointestinal tract, This helps push the feed they had eaten, if unsavory, through their gut to the other end of the gut or, as discussed before, lead to vomiting of the unsettling ingesta.
4. To ease an intestinal problem.
Your pet may be developing an underlying gastrointestinal problem such as food allergies. The grass helps to rid of the allergens and clearing the intestinal tract to ease the distress.
These are the core reasons as to why dogs and cats as well as wild carnivores are seen to eat grass despite it being a known fact that they are natural carnivores. It, however does not necessarily mean that your pet is sick; some of them may be curious or happen to like the taste of grass. Therefore it is up to you as the owner to observe your pet for any abnormalities. Make sure to consult your vet if this phenomenon persists.