Puppies love the outdoors and more so your garden plants and grass. They would mingle with and forage through the grass, nibbling on them occasionally.
It’s only natural for dogs to eat grass but whether they are eating grass that is safe for them is yours to call. Puppies are small and sensitive, needing extra care and attention even when it comes to nibbling on grasses.
So, bear with us and find out if puppies eat grass?
Puppies eating grass
Puppies that are more than 2 months old can eat grass that has not been treated with pesticides or fertilizers. If the puppy is too young, you would need professional advice before allowing it to eat grass. Puppies may eat grass to induce vomit or indicate digestive issues.
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Here are some different types of grass that pup parents inquire about:
Cat grass:
As you may derive from the name, cat grass is a grass that is deemed to be safe for cats. Now the unconscious premise among most pet parents is that, if something is safe to be eaten by cats, it should also be safe to be eaten by puppies.
To many extents, this can prove to be true. Belonging to the mint family, cat grass roots from oats, barley, and rye seeds.
Since cat grass is not treated with chemically infused pesticides, it is a safer option to have as opposed to most outdoor plants. For puppies, cat grass is only safe when eaten in moderation.
To be more specific, your pup can nibble on the grass but cannot go out to have a full meal all at once. It is also important that the cat grass is sourced from a reputable seller so that the quality is standard.
Wheat grass:
Wheat grass is also known as pet grass. It can be eaten by puppies and is considered to be one of the safest choices of grass to have in a home with puppies.
Wheatgrass is a grass that is grown from wheat and is gluten free. What makes it different from cat grass, is that wheat grass does not root from seeding wheat.
You can allow your pup to forage through your yard and nibble and eat on wheat grass, particularly when you need to induce vomit in them. Moderation is key in making sure your puppy acquires the treasure of health benefits from the green.
You may want to make sure the grass is not around any other toxic plants, flowers, or mushrooms so that your puppy does not eat those as well.
Artificial grass:
Artificial grass is free of pesticides, weed busters, fleas, and pests. When it comes to artificial grass, you would need to have done your homework about it thoroughly, before your puppy can eat the grass.
This is because artificial grass can contain toxic lead and can cause your puppy to make trips to the vet. If you are buying the artificial grass yourself, and want it to be okay for your puppy to nibble on, you need to make sure it is safe for dogs.
At What Age Puppies Can Eat Grass?
Since grass is not a part of their diet, you should not feed them grass willingly, unless you need to but it is a puppy’s instinct to do as they grow older by each week/
4 Week Old Puppy:
A 4-week puppy is too young to be eating grass. At this age, they are at their nursing age, having only their mother’s milk or appropriate substitutes.
6 Week Old Puppy:
At 6 weeks, pups still do not learn how to chew properly, and hence it is not good for them to eat grass at this age.
8 Week or 2-Month-Old Puppy:
At two months, puppies learn to chew and may want to eat grass. However, you should seek the vet’s advice on whether they can eat grass.
3 Month Old Puppy:
Growing 3 month olds eat grass only in small amounts to indicate hunger or digestion problems.
Which Breed of Puppy can Eat Grass?
Well, eating grass eventually is not bad for puppies. Let’s find out if the following breeds of puppies can eat grass –
Yorkie puppies:
Yorkie puppies can but should not eat grass as it is a sign of their nutritional deficiency. This could also indicate that they might have some underlying health issues.
German shepherd puppies:
German shepherds are active and need meals to be fueled. It is normal for them to eat grass when they get hungry and don’t have a meal in sight.
Lab puppies:
Lab puppies can also eat grass only in moderation and as long as the grass is free of chemicals.
Pitbull puppies:
Although not harmful, Pitbull puppies are better off away from eating grass. However, it is normal and they can eat grass occasionally.
Is Grass Good For Puppies?
While making a meal out of grass for puppies is not the best of practices, we cannot deny that pups like to graze through our backyards and occasionally nibble on grass.
It’s good for puppies as long as they are not obsessively eating it. You can take their grass eating as a sign to understand your dog’s health needs, as well as psychological needs.
Now, it can be voiced, that grass does not necessarily provide any nutritional health benefits to your puppy but it is not too harmful either, as long as the puppy does not eat too much of it or consume pesticides, fleas, or pests along with it.
Can Eating Grass Make a Puppy Sick?
The younger the puppy, the lesser its ability to digest grass. Although nibbling on grass occasionally would not make a puppy sick, young ones with allergies or sensitive stomachs could face stomach issues.
Although grass itself would not make a puppy sick, fleas, worms, or pests that live on them, can. Other than that, many puppies get severely ill if they ingest allergens along with the grass.
The presence of toxic chemicals in the form of fertilizers and pesticides can be quite harmful to puppies if they eat grass that has been treated with such chemicals.
Other than that, eating too much grass led a puppy to have surgery since their stomachs might not be able to process or digest the grass. This could lead to the clumping up of grass in their stomach.
Can Dogs Eat Grass?
Dogs can eat grass as long as they are not having parasites, pesticides, and fertilizers. Dogs have stronger stomachs and often eat grass for various reasons.
They can eat grass out of instinct or boredom; hence it is considered to be a normal dog behavior. In most cases, dogs would vomit after eating grass, indicating that it is a natural way to heal themselves from stomach issues.
Benefits of Grass for puppies
There are a few good sides to your puppy eating grass which could lead you to understand your pup’s health and mood a little better. Here are a few benefits of grass for puppies:
Full of nutrients:
There is no questioning the abundance of fiber and nutrients in the grass.
Wheatgrass, for instance, is full of chlorophyll, vitamins, amino acids, and fiber. Although there may not be any direct fulfillment of a dog’s nutritional value, you can be sure your puppy is not eating anything harmful.
It’s a sign:
You may want to note that one of the reasons that a puppy may eat grass is when the level of necessary nutrients is lacking in their body.
You may take it as a sign and revise your dog’s diet to make sure its diet includes enough fiber, chlorophyll, and protein. If you notice that your puppy is whining and eating grass, it is a signal that they have certain digestive issues.
You may have to take them to the vet.
Eases stomach issues:
When a puppy eats grass, it is most likely to vomit. Grass can help settle a puppy’s digestive issues. Sometimes inducing vomit may be the only way if your puppy ingests foreign objects
How to Feed Grass to Puppies
If you are trying to teach your puppy to induce vomit when they need to be eating grass, you would need to feed them the right way. Here is how to do it: .
Discover the health condition:
First of all, you need to make sure that the grass you plan to feed your puppy is safe for them. You would need to be aware of your puppy’s medical history with grasses and make sure they do not have allergies.
If this is a practice between you and your puppy, you should certainly consult for professional advice first.
Find safe grass:
One of the safest grasses is wheat grass and any one without seeds or gluten. You can place a bowl of water or food next to the grass you are trying to feed your puppy.
Although you can also leave them to forage on their own, this would help them draw in towards the grass more easily.
You may want to be aware the grass is free of pesticides and fertilizers or other chemical sprays.
Keep away from toxic elements:
Keep your puppy away from toxic mushrooms, fleas, pests, and parasites when you wish to feed them grass.
Final thoughts:
Puppies can eat grass in small amounts as the grass itself is not harmful but does not have nutritional health benefits either. Puppies can safely nibble on wheat grass or cat grass without consuming chemicals along with it. It is best to seek professional help and advice when your puppy eats grass.