Why would a dog eat leaves? Let’s Explore

Why Dogs Eat Grass, Leaves, and Other Plants

Why would a dog eat leaves?

Why would a dog eat leaves?

The real answer is that we don’t know for sure why dogs eat grass and other greenery. There are several hypotheses, so let’s look at some of the more popular ideas out there.

We do know that a dog’s digestive system is able to handle plant materials since they are omnivores. That means your dog can eat meat as well as vegetable matter and both are important for meeting his nutritional needs.

Some experts hypothesize that’s why dogs will instinctively seek out greenery to munch on. We do know that wild dogs are also omnivores, and as such, they also eat plant material. So it may be that by eating grass and leaves, your pet dog is simply doing what comes naturally.

Many people, including some veterinarians and other animal nutrition experts, think your dog eats leaves or grass because he has a deficiency of some vitamins, minerals, or other nutritionally important foods like roughage. The problem with that idea is that most modern commercial dog foods have a lot of plant materials in them so it shouldn’t be a problem.

As long as your dog’s diet is healthy, it’s unlikely eating leaves or grass is due to any kind of nutritional deficiency. It’s more likely that it represents ingestion of some natural dietary component. In other words, it’s something they instinctively do as part of a natural high-quality diet.

This could become a problem, however, if you’re using commercial dog foods that have low-quality ingredients. Many commercial dog foods contain fillers that have little nutritional value, and if the dog food you’re using has too many fillers and not enough high-quality ingredients, your dog could develop a nutritional deficiency.

Why would a dog eat leaves?

Why would a dog eat leaves?

One test a mentor of mine at the Bel-Rea Institute for Animal Technology advised many years ago for hard dog food is simple to do — just put some of your dog’s food in water and let it soak overnight. You can just use a little bit to do this.

In the morning, if you see a lot of feathers and other odd-looking debris floating on top of the water, that indicates a low-quality protein source like chicken feathers and beaks instead of the actual meat.

If this is the case, you might consider changing your dog food brand for something with higher quality protein. You can also speak to your veterinarian about which dog food brands are the best for meeting your dog’s nutritional needs. Once your dog is getting enough high-quality food, there should be no reason for him to turn to eating leaves for additional filler.

Another problem dog owners have is if their dog is getting a lot of human snacks and treats, and as a result, he skips his dog food. After all, who doesn’t want to leave room for dessert? If that’s the case, he may be eating leaves or grass as filler or for certain nutritional needs.

As a rule, it’s best to avoid giving your dog human food since your dog’s digestive system can be sensitive to many of the food items humans like to eat. Your pet’s health is important to you, and while you might like to share (and it’s difficult not to give in to those pleading eyes), it’s better for your dog if he sticks to healthy dog treats and food items specifically formulated for his digestive system.

Of course, it’s also important to make sure he’s getting enough food. That varies according to how big your dog is, so it’s best to speak to your DVM to learn more about how much you should be feeding your dog.

Is Eating Leaves or Grass a Problem?

Why would a dog eat leaves?

Why would a dog eat leaves?

The answer is a definite maybe. It really depends on two things: the reason your dog’s eating leaves or grass and the type of leaves or grass he’s ingesting. As we’ve discussed, there are some health reasons why your dog might be eating grass or leaves, and for those, you want your vet to check him out.

But the type of leaves or grass he’s eating could also cause health problems. For example, if your dog eats grass after you’ve applied pesticides or herbicides to kill certain weeds, that could result in something known as organophosphate poisoning.

If your dog ingests chemicals like that, the first symptom you see is usually excessive drooling. If you know you’ve applied these chemicals to your yard, it’s best to keep your pet away from them until they are absorbed. This kind of toxicity requires emergency treatment, and without it, it can be fatal.

Moreover, there are also many plants that are toxic for your dog. The ASPCA has a list on its website of the plants that are toxic to dogs, cats, and other animals. The list is comprehensive and includes pictures as well as a hotline you can call if your dog has ingested one of these plants.

As with the ingestion of a pesticide or herbicide, if your dog has ingested a toxic plant, you will often see excessive drooling, and that may be followed by vomiting or even seizures. If you think this has happened, call your vet and take your dog in immediately.

Measures To Control Your Dog’s Leaf-Eating Habit

Follow these tried and tested control measures to keep your dog away from munching on those leaves.

Reasons Why Your Dog May Be Eating Leaves and Is It Ok!!