Do you have a new puppy in the house? You want to care for him as much as possible. But, he is doing something weird. Puppies eating grass is a common thing. Most of them will do it at some point. It may look strange but there is usually no reason to worry about it. Below we will explain why they do this and what you should do about it. Yes, you should act and stop the problem.
Why Do Puppies Eat Grass?
According to vets, there are four answers that explain the issue of puppies eating grass. None of these is a huge problem or life-threatening but they are not something we like. The first reason is due to pica. This is a disorder in which a puppy or an adult dog will eat almost everything. Some eat grass, others rocks, and some feces. Usually, dogs do this due to boredom. As such, playing more with your puppy or taking him for a long walk will solve the issue.
The second cause is when a puppy needs a nutrient. He may need vitamins as well. He will eat grass in order to get that nutrient that is not present in his diet. Experts know that in this case scenario, switching to a diet with a high fiber count will resolve the problem.
The third situation is when a puppy has an upset stomach. He will eat grass in order to settle the stomach or even vomit so he can remove something that causes the problem. If a puppy does this once and he is fine after that, the problem is solved. If he does this all the time for weeks, it means that there is some major problem with the digestive tract and you need to react.
The fourth reason is actually the most common but it has been present since recently. Vets conducted a study in Australia and discovered that most puppies will eat grass when they are hungry. If your puppy does this due to this reason, you need to react. You need to make sure he is getting plenty of food that is suitable for his age, his breed, and his weight. All puppies need a specific diet and they need a specific amount of food per day. Always keep that in mind.
Here’s What You Need To Do
You will need to take some action in order to help your puppy. There are a lot of things you can actually do. The first thing is to try and understand why a puppy does this. If he needs a nutrient that is not present in the diet, change his diet plan. If he does this because he wants to settle an upset stomach, you need to take him to a vet and see what causes the problem.
In most cases, all you need to do is to help your puppy direct his attention to something else. For instance, you can play with him, give him a toy or a special treat. When a puppy has his focus on something else, he will be less likely to eat grass and he will act well.
Eating Grass Can Be Dangerous
We know that most dog owners claim that a puppy who eats grass will be perfectly fine. Dogs have been doing this for centuries. This is not 100% true! Yes, dogs have been eating grass for centuries but that grass wasn’t coated with herbicides and pesticides as it is today! This is a huge problem. All these chemicals are dangerous for dogs and they can cause all sorts of issues. They can upset his stomach, cause cancer, diseases, and poisoning for the lack of a better word.
Keep in mind that there is another type of risk. Some puppies will eat plants inside the house. These can be toxic as well. If you have a dog of this kind, you need to do one thing. Make access to the plants impossible or go for plants that are not toxic for puppies. Even if he eats a plant, he will be fine.
The bottom line here is simple. You need to stop this behavior as soon as you can. In many situations, there won’t be severe issues but they can occur at any given moment. All of the conditions, diseases, and health problems in this case scenario can be extremely complicated to deal with and some are life-threatening.
Don’t be extremely worried though. If a puppy does this once per month, you don’t have to take him to a vet immediately. But, if he does this all the time and he vomits afterward, you will have to take him to a vet as soon as possible. It can mean that he has parasites or some chronic condition. In rare cases, it is possible that a puppy or an adult dog has kidney disease. This is a huge problem!
Puppies Need Chlorophyll
You may have heard that puppies and adult dogs need chlorophyll. This is a compound found in plants and gives them a green color. Dogs will use it to replenish their red blood cells. These transport oxygen to all the cells in the body. Now you may believe that dogs must eat grass due to this ingredient. In reality, they don’t.
They are unable to digest chlorophyll from grass hence there is no need to consume it. Most high-quality food will have ingredients that already contain chlorophyll a dog can digest. One of the examples is broccoli. As such, there are no benefits when a puppy or a dog eats grass. This is a problem you should solve.
The Final Word
Dogs like to eat almost anything. Puppies eating grass is very common and it is not a huge issue for most of us. Yes, you will need to react and stop this behavior. It can end up badly and it can cause all sorts of other problems. There are no benefits of a puppy eating grass so you can see that your puppy doesn’t need to do this.
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