3 ms·

I've had half a dozen dogs, and every single one of them ate grass every chance they could get- in large quantities. I also don't think it has anything to do wi

by _yb2s 3y ago

I've had half a dozen dogs, and every single one of them ate grass every chance they could get- in large quantities. I also don't think it has anything to do with having an upset stomach. Dogs seem to really enjoy grass, and make it a regular part of their diet... I know they likely can't extract any calories from it, but it may have other benefits.

retrac 3y ago
There is nutrition in grass which is available to mammals like dogs (and humans). They are mostly cellulose, but plants use carbohydrates and proteins for their own structure and metabolism, and these are present in all plants in at least small amounts. Roots, shoots and fleshy stalks, are better than the leaves. Like an unpleasant, less nutritious lettuce or celery with too much fibre. Those are also hard to get meaningful calories from at like 50 - 100 calories per pound, but there's some calories, and there's other nutrients in them too.
- _yb2s 3y ago
  My dog strongly disagrees with you that grass is more unpleasant than lettuce.
- hnick 3y ago
  The cellulose aka fibre is useful for them too, for the same reason as us, even if there are not many calories or other nutrients available. Dry food, bones, high protein diets can all benefit from a bit of bulk. I've been told that wild dogs and wolves eat the digestive contents of herbivores which is semi-digested (free range haggis!), which definitely seems true to me given how much both of mine go for rabbit/sheep droppings. This supposedly supplies some more available vegetative nutrients to them. But this came from a pet nutritionist, I'm not sure how strict or scientific their training is.
  - shiroiushi 3y ago
    Pet dogs that live with cats are well-known to eat cat turds out of the litterbox.
    - mharig 3y ago
      The only thing dogs like more than cat feces is human feces. I assume that is deeply breeded-in. If you are a group of 50-100 nomadic hunter(-gatherer)s, you will appreciate not so much smelling surroundings.

by _yb2s 3y ago

retrac 3y ago

There is nutrition in grass which is available to mammals like dogs (and humans). They are mostly cellulose, but plants use carbohydrates and proteins for their own structure and metabolism, and these are present in all plants in at least small amounts. Roots, shoots and fleshy stalks, are better than the leaves. Like an unpleasant, less nutritious lettuce or celery with too much fibre. Those are also hard to get meaningful calories from at like 50 - 100 calories per pound, but there's some calories, and there's other nutrients in them too.

_yb2s 3y ago
My dog strongly disagrees with you that grass is more unpleasant than lettuce.
hnick 3y ago
The cellulose aka fibre is useful for them too, for the same reason as us, even if there are not many calories or other nutrients available. Dry food, bones, high protein diets can all benefit from a bit of bulk. I've been told that wild dogs and wolves eat the digestive contents of herbivores which is semi-digested (free range haggis!), which definitely seems true to me given how much both of mine go for rabbit/sheep droppings. This supposedly supplies some more available vegetative nutrients to them. But this came from a pet nutritionist, I'm not sure how strict or scientific their training is.
- shiroiushi 3y ago
  Pet dogs that live with cats are well-known to eat cat turds out of the litterbox.
  - mharig 3y ago
    The only thing dogs like more than cat feces is human feces. I assume that is deeply breeded-in. If you are a group of 50-100 nomadic hunter(-gatherer)s, you will appreciate not so much smelling surroundings.