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Discussion » Questions » Food and Drink » My Dogs are constantly eating grass. Does that mean they taste "Gamey"? What does that mean?!

My Dogs are constantly eating grass. Does that mean they taste "Gamey"? What does that mean?!

Posted - January 6, 2020

Responses


  • 14795
    That's all they can do with it as they can't use matches to blaze up their doobies ...:( 
    You need to weed them the Riot....and keep them of the Grass Man in future....:)D 
      January 6, 2020 10:13 PM MST
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  • 2836
    They're French, Jugs. I can't keep those punks off off the grass
      January 6, 2020 10:22 PM MST
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  • 14795
    Give them some Coke then......that will keep them sweet..lol
      January 6, 2020 10:25 PM MST
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  • 2836
    I'm wondering abou7t the wisdom of providing cocaine to a brachycephalic dog. Maybe a little oxycontin would help them chill.
    Who knows...
      January 7, 2020 1:32 PM MST
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  • 14795
    No one wants a Dopey dog in their house...and certainly not one take just weed itself on theit kitchen floor....:( 
      January 7, 2020 4:52 PM MST
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  • 16197
    Probably means there isn't enough roughage in their diet. Grass is a source of fibre, keeps them "regular".
      January 7, 2020 1:21 AM MST
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  • 2836
    Good point. It also helps them when they have upset stomachs (or they are bulimic) because it induces vomiting. 

     
      January 7, 2020 9:47 AM MST
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  • 44173
    I asked a veterinarian why dogs eat grass. He said nobody really knows. My cat eats it, too.
      January 7, 2020 7:03 AM MST
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  • 2836
    The veterinarian I use in upstate NH not only cares for household pets, but they also tend to the needs of local farmers and care for livestock such as chickens, goats, horses, and cows. I spoke with them about this too. Their response was much the same. 

    My Dog ate my remote control. It didn't mean he had a  Lithium, Alkaline, Mercury, Silver-Oxide, Polyethylene, or Polyvinyl deficiency. lol 
    One of them ate the steering wheel in my car too! 

    Sometimes, Dogs are just spiteful A'holes. LOL
    This post was edited by Jon at January 7, 2020 2:22 PM MST
      January 7, 2020 12:04 PM MST
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  • 7280
     Love that list of deficiencies.

      January 7, 2020 12:18 PM MST
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  • 2836
    Ooops. I just noticed that I failed to include, leather, nylon, and glass
      January 7, 2020 1:29 PM MST
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  • 10026
    There are many different reasons we can speculate as to why dogs eat grass.
    I tend to think it is because they need a balanced diet and nerves.  Just because they are carnivores by nature doesn't mean they don't need their greens.
    There are vitamins in greenery you can't get from a prominent protein diet.
    They also could do it because they are thirsty. I have noticed dogs do this after they have been under stress or a lot of exercise. 
      January 7, 2020 10:11 AM MST
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  • 2836
    Good analysis, Merlin. 
    Who really knows what goes on in their canine heads sometimes. 
    My three French bulldogs pretty much have free reign on my property. They don't wander and I do keep an eye out on them, but they rarely go within an eyeshot from me. What I have noticed is when one decides it wants to graze, the other two run over because they think they are missing something, then join in on the feast-of-the-lawn. It's quite amusing. They also do that when they go snaking at the stone wall. It's always a team effort.
      January 7, 2020 12:14 PM MST
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  • 46117
    The grass has something they physically need  and therefore, crave.  What's with the "gamey" idea?  Where did that come from?

    THEORY #1

    It seems to be a commonly held belief that dogs eat grass when they feel nauseated. There was a study that looked into this and found that only 8% of plant eating dogs showed signs of illness prior to the grass eating and 22% vomited after eating grass. The dogs that seemed sick prior to the grass ingestion were the ones most likely to vomit after. Their study comprised more than 1500 client owned dogs.¹ So the numbers do not completely support that your dog eats grass because he feels ill, but many people would not agree with the findings and the dogs are not commenting.

     

    shutterstock_272044922

    THEORY #2

    Other people think that dogs eat grass as an indication of a dietary deficiency. The dogs in the study were fed a variety of different diets and there appeared to be no correlation between what the diet was comprised of and the likelihood of grass eating, so the explanation regarding dietary deficiency was not proven here either.Make sure that your dog eats a high-quality balanced diet so you do not have to worry about deficiency.

    THEORY #3

    The same study concluded that dogs eat grass as a normal tendency inherited from dogs’ wild ancestors. People have postulated that in the wild, dogs’ ancestors would have ingested prey that had plant matter in their bowels and this drives dogs to seek it. Since dogs have evolved to be omnivores like we are, it is not beyond the realm of possibility that they feel an appetite for plant matter evidenced by grass eating.²

    THEORY #4

    There have been studies in wild chimps that suggested they ingest plant material to increase intestinal motility and help rid them of intestinal parasites.³ Most of our pet dogs are controlled for parasites, but instincts may still drive their behavior.

    THEORY #5

    Maybe the most likely reason that dogs eat grass is because it is a rewarding and fun behavior. In a study of giant pandas (whose peculiar plant appetite has landed them on the endangered species list) scientists examined why they would choose to eat only bamboo. What they found is that eating and appetite are a very complex interaction of internal chemicals, including dopamine, which is thought to be associated with pleasure-reward in many species.

    Their findings seemed to suggest that the giant panda eats bamboo help stimulate dopamine metabolism. Eating bamboo allows the panda to experience “reward” (i.e. pleasure) and so the panda chooses to eat it.Maybe dogs eat grass because it causes a release of dopamine reward for them too.

    dog-435955_640

     

    No matter what the real reason is that dogs eat grass (and it may be different for different dogs or a combination of all the above), you can rest assured that grass eating is a common behavior of normal, healthy dogs. If your dog seems sick or vomits more than occasionally (whether associated with grass eating or not), you should see a veterinarian. All dogs should be on a regular parasite control program that is overseen by a veterinarian regardless of whether they eat grass or not.

    1. Characterisation of plant eating in dogs . Sueda KLC, Hart BL, Cliff KD.. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2008;111:120-132.

    2. The genomic signature of dog domestication reveals adaptation to a starch-rich diet. Nature. 2013 Mar 21;495(7441):360-4. doi: 10.1038/nature11837. Epub 2013 Jan 23. Axelsson E, Ratnakumar A, Arendt ML, Maqbool K, Webster MT, Perloski M, Liberg O, Arnemo JM, Hedhammar A,Lindblad-Toh K.

     

    3. Self-induced increase of gut motility and the control of parasitic infections in wild chimpanzees Huffman MA, Canton J.. Int J Primatol 2001;22:329–346.

    4. Why Does the Giant Panda Eat Bamboo? A Comparative Analysis of Appetite-Reward-Related Genes among Mammals.  Ke Jin et al.  PLoS One. 2011; 6(7): e22602.Published online 2011 Jul 27

    Do you want a healthier & happier dog? Join our email list & we'll donate 1 meal to a shelter dog in need!

    This post was edited by WM BARR . =ABSOLUTE TRASH at January 10, 2020 10:51 AM MST
      January 7, 2020 12:06 PM MST
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  • 2836
    Thanks for that inciteful comment, Sharona! 
    I am more inclined to agree with theory #5
      January 7, 2020 12:16 PM MST
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  • 7280
    most veterinarians consider it a normal dog behavior.

    https://pets.webmd.com/dogs/why-do-dogs-eat-grass#1
      January 7, 2020 12:20 PM MST
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  • 2836
    Yep! Sharona was kind enough to much of what I just saw on that link you provided.
    Appreciate the feedback, Tom
      January 7, 2020 1:17 PM MST
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  • 10450
    Your dog could eat grass until the cows come home but it doesn't mean that they will taste gamey (as long as you bleed and cure the meat properly). I try to discourage my dog from eating grass because there could be a lot of bad stuff hiding in the grass like baby slugs that could be carrying a lung worm parasite or poisonous mushrooms or scat from other animals. Cheers!
      January 7, 2020 12:56 PM MST
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  • 2836
    Oh Nanoose! You did hit on some very important points. 
    One of my girls has a penchant for a rather 'Special" weed that grows nearby (sometimes) *giggle*
    She hid behind the recliner for over 6 hours with googly eyes. 
    In the past, I saw every one of my dogs foaming from the mouth like they had rabies. This was a great epiphany for them in that toads are not tasty snacks. They never go after them anymore. Yet on a more serious note, My female was 30 days pregnant. There was a very large and ancient maple stump not from my house. Beneath it was a rather substantial chasm that a number of bats had made into their home. My girl discovered it and began to gobble down bat guano and unfortunately, she contracted giardia. She became very sick and I almost lost her. She miscarried 6 puppies and consequently, I also had to spend over $3K+ for an emergency vet bill on a Saturday evening. Ughhhhhhhhh
      January 7, 2020 1:27 PM MST
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  • 10450
    Ya there are way more un healthy things outdoors that out weigh the benefits a dog might get from grass plus dogs are now domesticated so they may have lost some of their instincts that told them what is or isn't good for them. As far as the special grass goes there are a few good reasons to keep a dog away from it. A dog has the intelligence level of a human 2 year old so dogs can't understand what's happening to them. Also dogs don't have the same type of primary neurons that humans do - our neurons have special shapes in them that easily excepts a TCH molecule in a neurotransmitter - dogs don't have that shape so maybe damage or blockage could happen if that neurotransmitter tries to get through. But most important  if a dog gets a taste of the special weed it will soon be visiting the patch every day - eating it and peeing on it. Cheers!     
      January 7, 2020 2:43 PM MST
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  • I love to graze on salads and various leafy greens. 
    Do I taste gamey, hun? 


    This post was edited by Benedict Arnold at January 7, 2020 2:25 PM MST
      January 7, 2020 1:30 PM MST
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  • 2836
    Baby, you taste like cheesecake, springtime, with a splash of the holy spirit


      January 7, 2020 1:35 PM MST
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