July 30, 2009

Don't you just love summer and all the fresh produce that's available? I think fresh grass right out of the back yard is a delectable treat. I could stay out there and graze all day if Marianne would let me. Meryl and Mina feel the same way. We really like the country house we're staying at because the grass is long and YUMMY.

Marianne teases us and asks if we are dogs or cows? Harrumph. I find that mildly insulting. Really, she eats salads so why shouldn't we?

Anyhow, I called my vet, Dr. Dean Vicksman, to ask about this.

ROSS: "Dr. V., don't most dogs like to eat grass?"

DR. VICKSMAN: "Yes, Ross, that's true, but "Why does my pet eat grass?" is one of the most common questions I hear."

ROSS: "I just think it tastes good, but I've heard some humans say it's because the dog feels sick and eats grass to feel better."

DR. VICKSMAN: "Yes, that's a common urban legend. Another one is that the pet is making up for some dietary deficiency. In fact, veterinarians at the University of California at Davis School of Veterinary Medicine designed surveys to question pet owners about their pets’ grass eating habits. Dr. Karen Sueda, Dr. Kelly Cliff, and Dr. Benjamin Hart conducted the study which was funded by the Center for Companion Animal Health at UC Davis."

ROSS: "Yeah? So what happened?"

DR. VICKSMAN: "An initial survey of owners of healthy dogs found that 80% of dogs with access to plants had eaten grass or other plants. The study also surveyed dog owners about their dogs’ plant eating habits, the dogs’ diets, and gathered information about breed, sex, spay/neuter status, and age."

ROSS: "See, I knew I wasn't weird!"

DR. VICKSMAN: "No, you're pretty average. About 68% of survey responders stated that their dogs ate plants daily or weekly."

ROSS: "So what about that urban legend that we throw up after eating grass (which I never do)?"

DR. VICKSMAN: "Only eight percent of dogs showed signs of illness prior to ingesting plant material. The survey results showed that those dogs showing signs of illness before eating plants were more likely to vomit than those who appeared healthy beforehand."

ROSS: "So what you're saying is that this big research project found out that dogs eat grass because it tastes good, right?"

DR. VICKSMAN: "Yup. The veterinarians concluded that in most cases grass eating is a common behavior in normal dogs and has no correlation with illness. Additionally, most dogs do not appear to routinely vomit after eating grass."

ROSS: "A-HA! I can't wait to tell Marianne. What about cats? Ours don't go outside, but I bet they'd like grass too."

DR. VICKSMAN: "A study is on-going with cats and preliminary data shows that cats are less likely to eat plants than dogs, but just like dogs, most cats that do enjoy eating grass do not routinely show signs of illness before eating it and don’t regularly vomit afterward."

ROSS: Anything else humans should know?

DR. VICKSMAN: "Veterinarians should feel comfortable letting clients know that eating grass is usually normal for dogs and cats. Dr. Ben Hart, a leader of the study team cautioned that dogs that appear ill before eating grass should be examined by their veterinarian right away."

Dr. Vicksman told me he will be on our morning show this weekend to talk about this topic. Tune in Saturday morning at 7:00 a.m. to hear what else he has to say!

Chow for now!

Ross

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