Q:  Hi. I have three dogs and they all eat grass. Then they come back inside and spit it up on the floor. Can you tell me what is going on? It is not so nice to have to clean up the mess which looks like clear liquid with some grass in it.

A:  I hear you!!! I am going through the same grass-eating problem with my Great Dane pup. In fact, I came home just today to grass and clear liquid on my bed!!! You are right…not a lot of fun. Unfortunately, however, we just aren’t all that clear on why many dogs are prone to eating grass. It may be that grass simply tastes good. It may be that eating grass is hardwired in dogs from their wolf ancestors who ate grass when they consumed the intestines and stomach contents of their grass-eating prey. And then there is the theory that dogs eat grass because they feel sick and they know that eating grass will make them vomit. In regards to this last theory, although grass is in fact both a stomach irritant and a binding agent meaning that it does bind to certain toxins that may be present in the stomach, there really is no concrete evidence that dogs make the connection that consuming grass leads to vomiting any more than they make the connection that scavenging through the garbage will make them sick later on. Finally, while I am on the topic of grass eating, although eating and spitting up a bit of grass is not overly harmful to your dog as long as it is not a constant thing, nibbling even on a bit of grass can be very dangerous if the grass has been treated with pesticides or fertilizers.   

Your question has been answered by the following veterinarian:
Daniel Lauridia, DVM

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