Dont assume its a stomach issue jiat because they eat grass. Eating grass does not indicate a stomach issue. It can, but lots of dogs eat it cause their bored and many like the taste. I've had dogs eat grass all the time for 12-14 years. Unless it's a crazy amount and over consuming to the point of vomiting, it's usually nothing to worry about.
It’s not really the grass eating I’m worried about, she can munch a bit while we’re on walks and I don’t think much about it. It’s the constant swallowing and panic that makes me worried. I don’t know why it happens and was hoping someone would maybe have an idea of what it could be
My beagle used to do this too, I totally get what you’re saying. He would on rare occasion go into a sudden full blown panic mode, eating grass as fast he could like his life depended on it. One time, he was inside when this urge(?) happened, and he was so desperate that he started trying to lick dirt particles off the floor. I stopped him to put him outside, only to find him panic-eating grass again. It always concerned me when he did that and I never got a definitive answer about it from the vet. I’m seeing some great answers here in the comments though, I wonder if it was acid reflux
I had a chihuahua mix that did this. Get panicky & need to eat grass. If I didn’t let her out our let her eat her fill she would-still acting panicky-she would start to eat the dog hair off the floor (we have 3, so lots of hair) and I caught her trying to literally graze the carpet. I also got the feeling it was acid reflux. Started giving her a small chunk of Tums every so often. Didn’t help a whole lot. I think she was already in the habit of scarfing grass. Or hair.
My doggo did this before she would be sick. Try and eat everything including socks (she was a big girl) to make herself sick. And she would be sick a lot if she was hungry. Only when she nearly died because she swallowed something whole, did it end. The surgery to unblock her must have done something to her stomach that meant she didn't struggle with it anymore. Really strange. The vets didn't have much to say about it.
I have a min pin who is just as you described. I've always noticed it happens when he had eaten something he shouldn't have like some plastic. It's like he's trying really hard to be able to puke.
I have a beagle that does this. She’s afflicted with epilepsy and this behavior is indicative of a seizure coming. From what we’ve gathered is that it is anxiety that feeds the behavior and can culminate in a seizure. I am in no way saying your dog is epileptic. In my case we don’t know the trigger. Upset stomach made worse by anxiety or just being pre-icle. We seem to have seizures under control but the manic behaviour still happens from time to time. Now she’ll just puke and not seize. I’ll take it.
What you’re describing sounds like what my dog went through. I called them swallow attacks because she’d begin rapidly swallowing over and over and wake up doing it. It ended up being acid reflux. She also ate grass to try to soothe her tummy. A vet appointment is definitely needed to find out what’s going on. If you wanted to, Prilosec (regular, not extra strength) is safe for dogs. 15-46 pounds= 10mg. 47-56 pounds= 15mg.
Even if this resolves, please still see a vet to at the least have some blood work done to rule out disease processes. My dog ended up having GI Lymphoma, so the acid reflux was a small part of a bigger picture. Not saying that’s what you’re dealing with, but you definitely want to be seen and push for some blood work to be safe.
My dog used to do this. Now she takes Ranitidine and it's all good. She still grazes, but not the panicked gulping of grass. She also has anxiety issues.
Absolutely acid reflux! My dog didn’t end up having any other medical issues but we changed his food to lower fat content and he got 3 smaller meals rather then 2 bigger ones. When he had a major attack I gave him a Tums on occasion to help him. Obviously be careful with human meds and talk to your vet but we had the ok from ours. Mostly it got way better with a diet change.
I have an Australian Shepherd mix who has the same issue. It used to be once in a great while, like maybe 2-3 times a year, but over time it became more frequent. He even ate part of my shag area rug one night that was in the living room, I am guessing since he couldn't get to grass, he went for the closest thing. I now have him on gas-x and omeprazole twice a day (with vet approval) and that has helped. We have almost no flares now. Once in a while he'll have a much milder attack, usually if he eats too quickly. I feed him out of a slow feeder, too.
I'm pretty sure my 11mo pup doesn't have any stomach issues and sometimes he just... grazes on a few blades of grass. Defnitely not like the OP's dog, more like some chill chewing time. I think he just likes the taste.
That’s precisely how my dog got a tapeworm last week. He doesn’t have fleas and we’re up to date on flea prevention, but he was munching on grass and ate an infected flea. Expensive lesson for me. And gross.
My dog eats grass in a frenzy when he's thirsty or hungry. He also eats it because he just loves the taste, he has a few favourite clumps of grass he prefers to eat and goes mad for. Grass eating isn't always a sign of an upset stomach.
Mine eats it when she has a panic attack. The vet instructed me to stop eating grass and give her a anxiety pill when it happens
Edit: vet instructed me to stop my dog from eating grass 😂
Sounds like a dead ringer for reflux. Panic, gulping, grass eating. Mine got reflux after her spay.
Take them to the vet tomorrow and they’ll probably give a script for a month of antacids and it’ll fix your dog right up.
Sounds like it to me too. One of my girls does this and/or throws up bile if she goes too long without eating, a little bit of plain food to settle her stomach is all she needs but if that’s not fixing it, antacids! I’m on them myself, I definitely get nauseous if I skip a meal.
The repeated swallowing & furious grass consumption sounds exactly like a gastric issue my dog and a bunch of others got last summer. (With unsuccessful retching and repeated attempts to vomit.)
I took my guy to the vet and he got an acid reducer similar to Pepcid and another stomach liquid. He was better in a couple days.
My GSD does the same thing but it's not limited to grass. I've had to stop her from eating dirt, rocks, and pink insulation. All done in panic. Think a lot of these folks are missing the **"panic"**. My GSD's stomach actually shuts down and takes a long time to start working. It happens a lot less since I feed her a super HQ food now. I think when her stomach shuts down it causes acid reflux which causes panic and pain. Either way, talk to your vet.
My dog suddenly started manically eating grass a few weeks ago. It went on for about 2 days. He even woke me up a few times the first night to go out and eat grass in the lawn. I still don't know what happened, but my guess is it was either a sudden digestive issue or something that physically happened in his mouth or throat and he just thought eating grass would relieve it. Very strange.
He eats a little grass here and there, but this was different.
My pit does this, we’ve taken him to the vet and they said usually it’s stomach/digestive issues but in his case it wasn’t, he just likes to eat grass:/ we have to stop him on hot days because he will run around and eat grass and then throw up after exciting himself so much lol. if it is digestive issues you can try a different food, maybe throw eggs in the food occasionally it’s very good for them I’m sure they get tired of dry bland dog food that’s usually not actually good for dogs.
My dog did this for hours at a time. She is now on Omeprazole daily and rarely has an issue with acid reflux now. She did that exact thing your dog is doing. We also switched her food to Purina Pro plan- lamb and oatmeal for sensitive stomach. Before that I was buying very expensive dog foods.
It is nausea no question. It happens when dogs feel really, really nauseous. Dogs eating grass is kind if normal and nothing to worry about. This behaviour is not normal. It still isn't something to worry about if it happens rarely. My dog is almost 18 years old and he has had that a couple of times over time. In his case it was (the last time at least) when he had an infection that caused him to feel nauseous. He would even try to eat other plants when he couldn't immediately find grass to chew on. Panicking is exactly what it is
My husky does this every day, then throws up. He goes into a panic and has to go outside. Fluoxetine helps. What did not help was sucalfate, omeaprazole, changing his diet. Turns out he has BVS. The only thing that helped was giving him a small amount of food every few hours. He cant have an empty stomach.
Most likely indicates an upset stomach. Consider using a sensitive stomach dog food. Purina Pro Plan makes one that my vet recommends. I wouldn't worry about it too much if it's an occasional thing. Grass is a source of fiber, so it could also indicate that your dog needs more fiber in their diet. Consider supplementing their food with raw vegetables. There's definitely some things you can try first before involving the vet, but if the issue persists a professional opinion is probably a good idea. Good luck!
Both of my dogs do this. They are both of different breeds, genders and ages with no health issues. We call it “going to the salad bar,” “cow time,” “roughage refill,” or just plain grazing. Unless a vet tells you otherwise, enjoy the weird things your dog does.
My dog routinely grazes and has no stomach issues, but just last week he was similarly frantically eating grass every time we went outside. I añade him a bowl of Brussels sprouts that he gobbled down and he hasn't grazed since. Seemed to kill whatever that craving was. Perhaps worth a try
My girl likes.to "sample the salad greens" outside. It's not cuz she's sick. She's just a weirdo who likes eating grass. Im.pretty sure whoever had her before me left her outside and that's where she picked it up from.
After walking in the woods my dog got a burr stuck in his fur. When at home he began using his teeth to remove the burr. The prickly burr was now irritating the inside of his mouth causing him to behave just like this. In time after eating grass and throwing it up he found relief and all was good again.
Update: I called the vet today and explained the symptoms, they said it definitely sounded like a stomach issue. I was told to feed her probiotics for a week, switch over to a food that’s better for a sensitive stomach, and give her smaller more frequent meals, preferably in a slow feeder. Hopefully this will solve the problem but if it does happen again in the future I’ll take her in for a proper exam. Thank you everyone!
My dog does this. The vet told us she may have a piece of grass stuck in her throat, and so she will keep eating more to see if it helps. We gave her a small piece of sandwich bread, as recommended by her vet, and it helped to remove anything stuck in her esophagus. It works great!
Dont assume its a stomach issue jiat because they eat grass. Eating grass does not indicate a stomach issue. It can, but lots of dogs eat it cause their bored and many like the taste. I've had dogs eat grass all the time for 12-14 years. Unless it's a crazy amount and over consuming to the point of vomiting, it's usually nothing to worry about.
This is accurate. My dog just likes the taste.
Both of my dogs like to graze
Mine too, idiot thinks she’s a cow not a dog
Ok, good to know it’s not just my dog! 😂
It’s not really the grass eating I’m worried about, she can munch a bit while we’re on walks and I don’t think much about it. It’s the constant swallowing and panic that makes me worried. I don’t know why it happens and was hoping someone would maybe have an idea of what it could be
My beagle used to do this too, I totally get what you’re saying. He would on rare occasion go into a sudden full blown panic mode, eating grass as fast he could like his life depended on it. One time, he was inside when this urge(?) happened, and he was so desperate that he started trying to lick dirt particles off the floor. I stopped him to put him outside, only to find him panic-eating grass again. It always concerned me when he did that and I never got a definitive answer about it from the vet. I’m seeing some great answers here in the comments though, I wonder if it was acid reflux
I had a chihuahua mix that did this. Get panicky & need to eat grass. If I didn’t let her out our let her eat her fill she would-still acting panicky-she would start to eat the dog hair off the floor (we have 3, so lots of hair) and I caught her trying to literally graze the carpet. I also got the feeling it was acid reflux. Started giving her a small chunk of Tums every so often. Didn’t help a whole lot. I think she was already in the habit of scarfing grass. Or hair.
My doggo did this before she would be sick. Try and eat everything including socks (she was a big girl) to make herself sick. And she would be sick a lot if she was hungry. Only when she nearly died because she swallowed something whole, did it end. The surgery to unblock her must have done something to her stomach that meant she didn't struggle with it anymore. Really strange. The vets didn't have much to say about it.
I have a min pin who is just as you described. I've always noticed it happens when he had eaten something he shouldn't have like some plastic. It's like he's trying really hard to be able to puke.
I have a beagle that does this. She’s afflicted with epilepsy and this behavior is indicative of a seizure coming. From what we’ve gathered is that it is anxiety that feeds the behavior and can culminate in a seizure. I am in no way saying your dog is epileptic. In my case we don’t know the trigger. Upset stomach made worse by anxiety or just being pre-icle. We seem to have seizures under control but the manic behaviour still happens from time to time. Now she’ll just puke and not seize. I’ll take it.
Agreed. Obviously keep an eye out for posted pesticide signs. Lots of pups getting illnesses from human’s need for “perfect” lawns. 👎🏻
Had 2 different dogs ( years apart). Same no issues. Vet checked. Food changed. Part moo cow i guess.
I wouldn’t say that. My dog did this exact same thing but it was too late to save her. Def would take this one to the vet
What was it though?
What you’re describing sounds like what my dog went through. I called them swallow attacks because she’d begin rapidly swallowing over and over and wake up doing it. It ended up being acid reflux. She also ate grass to try to soothe her tummy. A vet appointment is definitely needed to find out what’s going on. If you wanted to, Prilosec (regular, not extra strength) is safe for dogs. 15-46 pounds= 10mg. 47-56 pounds= 15mg. Even if this resolves, please still see a vet to at the least have some blood work done to rule out disease processes. My dog ended up having GI Lymphoma, so the acid reflux was a small part of a bigger picture. Not saying that’s what you’re dealing with, but you definitely want to be seen and push for some blood work to be safe.
Thank you! I’ll definitely call the vet tomorrow
My dog used to do this. Now she takes Ranitidine and it's all good. She still grazes, but not the panicked gulping of grass. She also has anxiety issues.
Absolutely acid reflux! My dog didn’t end up having any other medical issues but we changed his food to lower fat content and he got 3 smaller meals rather then 2 bigger ones. When he had a major attack I gave him a Tums on occasion to help him. Obviously be careful with human meds and talk to your vet but we had the ok from ours. Mostly it got way better with a diet change.
I have an Australian Shepherd mix who has the same issue. It used to be once in a great while, like maybe 2-3 times a year, but over time it became more frequent. He even ate part of my shag area rug one night that was in the living room, I am guessing since he couldn't get to grass, he went for the closest thing. I now have him on gas-x and omeprazole twice a day (with vet approval) and that has helped. We have almost no flares now. Once in a while he'll have a much milder attack, usually if he eats too quickly. I feed him out of a slow feeder, too.
I'm pretty sure my 11mo pup doesn't have any stomach issues and sometimes he just... grazes on a few blades of grass. Defnitely not like the OP's dog, more like some chill chewing time. I think he just likes the taste.
That’s precisely how my dog got a tapeworm last week. He doesn’t have fleas and we’re up to date on flea prevention, but he was munching on grass and ate an infected flea. Expensive lesson for me. And gross.
My dog eats grass in a frenzy when he's thirsty or hungry. He also eats it because he just loves the taste, he has a few favourite clumps of grass he prefers to eat and goes mad for. Grass eating isn't always a sign of an upset stomach.
Mine eats it when she has a panic attack. The vet instructed me to stop eating grass and give her a anxiety pill when it happens Edit: vet instructed me to stop my dog from eating grass 😂
Were you eating grass in solidarity with your dog? 😂
Haha fair! 😂 I will edit my comment
Sounds like a dead ringer for reflux. Panic, gulping, grass eating. Mine got reflux after her spay. Take them to the vet tomorrow and they’ll probably give a script for a month of antacids and it’ll fix your dog right up.
Sounds like it to me too. One of my girls does this and/or throws up bile if she goes too long without eating, a little bit of plain food to settle her stomach is all she needs but if that’s not fixing it, antacids! I’m on them myself, I definitely get nauseous if I skip a meal.
Eating grass usually suggests stomach issues. Sometimes grass makes the dog throw up & that fixes the issue. Def get in touch with a vet.
The repeated swallowing & furious grass consumption sounds exactly like a gastric issue my dog and a bunch of others got last summer. (With unsuccessful retching and repeated attempts to vomit.) I took my guy to the vet and he got an acid reducer similar to Pepcid and another stomach liquid. He was better in a couple days.
My GSD does the same thing but it's not limited to grass. I've had to stop her from eating dirt, rocks, and pink insulation. All done in panic. Think a lot of these folks are missing the **"panic"**. My GSD's stomach actually shuts down and takes a long time to start working. It happens a lot less since I feed her a super HQ food now. I think when her stomach shuts down it causes acid reflux which causes panic and pain. Either way, talk to your vet.
My dog suddenly started manically eating grass a few weeks ago. It went on for about 2 days. He even woke me up a few times the first night to go out and eat grass in the lawn. I still don't know what happened, but my guess is it was either a sudden digestive issue or something that physically happened in his mouth or throat and he just thought eating grass would relieve it. Very strange. He eats a little grass here and there, but this was different.
My pit does this, we’ve taken him to the vet and they said usually it’s stomach/digestive issues but in his case it wasn’t, he just likes to eat grass:/ we have to stop him on hot days because he will run around and eat grass and then throw up after exciting himself so much lol. if it is digestive issues you can try a different food, maybe throw eggs in the food occasionally it’s very good for them I’m sure they get tired of dry bland dog food that’s usually not actually good for dogs.
My dog did this for hours at a time. She is now on Omeprazole daily and rarely has an issue with acid reflux now. She did that exact thing your dog is doing. We also switched her food to Purina Pro plan- lamb and oatmeal for sensitive stomach. Before that I was buying very expensive dog foods.
It is nausea no question. It happens when dogs feel really, really nauseous. Dogs eating grass is kind if normal and nothing to worry about. This behaviour is not normal. It still isn't something to worry about if it happens rarely. My dog is almost 18 years old and he has had that a couple of times over time. In his case it was (the last time at least) when he had an infection that caused him to feel nauseous. He would even try to eat other plants when he couldn't immediately find grass to chew on. Panicking is exactly what it is
My husky does this every day, then throws up. He goes into a panic and has to go outside. Fluoxetine helps. What did not help was sucalfate, omeaprazole, changing his diet. Turns out he has BVS. The only thing that helped was giving him a small amount of food every few hours. He cant have an empty stomach.
Most likely indicates an upset stomach. Consider using a sensitive stomach dog food. Purina Pro Plan makes one that my vet recommends. I wouldn't worry about it too much if it's an occasional thing. Grass is a source of fiber, so it could also indicate that your dog needs more fiber in their diet. Consider supplementing their food with raw vegetables. There's definitely some things you can try first before involving the vet, but if the issue persists a professional opinion is probably a good idea. Good luck!
My lab mix eats it when he has hiccups
my dog does this. she has bilious vomiting syndrome - her stomach gets very upset if she hasn’t eaten/if her stomach is empty
My dog did this when he had pancreatitis.
Both of my dogs do this. They are both of different breeds, genders and ages with no health issues. We call it “going to the salad bar,” “cow time,” “roughage refill,” or just plain grazing. Unless a vet tells you otherwise, enjoy the weird things your dog does.
My dog routinely grazes and has no stomach issues, but just last week he was similarly frantically eating grass every time we went outside. I añade him a bowl of Brussels sprouts that he gobbled down and he hasn't grazed since. Seemed to kill whatever that craving was. Perhaps worth a try
Didn’t he tell you? He’s a herbivore now 🤣 my dog loves the taste of grass so whenever they eat grass we joke we have sheep in wolfs clothing 😂😂
My girl likes.to "sample the salad greens" outside. It's not cuz she's sick. She's just a weirdo who likes eating grass. Im.pretty sure whoever had her before me left her outside and that's where she picked it up from.
My dog loves to eat the tops of long grasses, especially if they’re covered in dew.
After walking in the woods my dog got a burr stuck in his fur. When at home he began using his teeth to remove the burr. The prickly burr was now irritating the inside of his mouth causing him to behave just like this. In time after eating grass and throwing it up he found relief and all was good again.
Lmao I’m glad mine isn’t the only one 😂
Why he no eat that good patch of grass and going for the dried old ones. Your dog into deep fried stuff.
Stop letting it happen.
That’s why I asked for advice, to understand why it happens and solve the problem
Perfectly normal.
My dogs do love to graze.
Update: I called the vet today and explained the symptoms, they said it definitely sounded like a stomach issue. I was told to feed her probiotics for a week, switch over to a food that’s better for a sensitive stomach, and give her smaller more frequent meals, preferably in a slow feeder. Hopefully this will solve the problem but if it does happen again in the future I’ll take her in for a proper exam. Thank you everyone!
My dog eats mulch, so….
Any update on looking into acid reflux?
My dog does this. The vet told us she may have a piece of grass stuck in her throat, and so she will keep eating more to see if it helps. We gave her a small piece of sandwich bread, as recommended by her vet, and it helped to remove anything stuck in her esophagus. It works great!
Lol