Why Does My Pet Eat Grass?

Wednesday, January 3rd, 2007 by Elle Woloszuk 0 Comments

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Does it concern you when your dog or cat eats grass then throws it up a few minutes later? You’ll be relieved to know that your dogs and cats eat grass because their bodies need it.

Pets have been doing this for such a long time that one species of grass is named after dogs — Dog Grass! It is also known as Couch Grass and Quackweed and it grows in all but the southern-most states.

As far as your dog or cat is concerned, grass acts similarly to an herbal medicine. It is an internal cleanser; getting rid of excess mucus, bile, and other impurities. It also cleanses the bowels and helps to rid their bodies of worms.

The chlorophyll in the grass has been used in the past for relieving pain, treating infections, ulcers, skin irritations, and anemia (before antibiotics).

So don’t worry, there is a good reason for this behavior. Some owners grow small patches of specific grasses for their pets to enjoy, so that they are not eating outside grass.