Is My Dog Lacking Some Essential Nutrien

[emgem]

Olle my Wheaten Terrier has always liked to snack on green stuff mostly grass or the curbside herb gardens in our last neighbourhood. Periodically he takes a fancy to a bush I dont recognise and I have to look it up to make sure it isn't harmful, but other than that I haven't paid it too much mind. Tonight, however, he just spent a good 15 to 20 minutes snacking on the bushes inthe backyard. We are talking gardenia bushes, lilypilli hedges and an unknown creeper. He isn't tearing the bushes up. He as just delicate plucking off individual leaves and eating them. At one point he even got up on his hind legs and stretched his neck out like a giraffe to reach some tasty ones higher up.

I'm starting to wonder whether he might have some dietary deficiency. The bulk of his diet is Eukanuba topped with mince, sardines or scrambled egg, and he also gets a chicken wing in the morning.

[becks]

My 13 year old giant does this and also likes to munch on the grass at times too. I just add more veg into the diet when this happens, so atm they dogs have some green beans to chomp on (whole ones) which will add fibre and a different taste/texture for them.

[persephone]

maybe ensure he has a patch of safe grass he can munch on..and plenty of bones etc to occupy him Perhaps buy some 'cat grass' for him? Some nurseries stock it .

Otherwise, if you can just grow your own oat or barley or wheat in a large pot ... he will enjoy nibbling!

[Gayle.]

Isaak is like a black tri sheep......he munches his way around our property, chewing on all types of grass, and when I'm weeding the garden beds, he's right there sampling the clumps I pull out to see if there's a new taste sensation there for him. The other dogs like to have a bit of a munch on fresh, young grass from time to time but they don't show the dedication Isaak has to the cause.

One side effect to be wary of though..........I was taking Isaak to a dog show and we got stuck in traffic in Melbourne. He was snoozing on the back seat and all the windows were up. All of a sudden I smelt this horrid smell.....a bit like really strong cow manure. It got worse and worse and it lingered for ages. Each time I wound the windows down and got rid of it. the smell would come back again. It was Isaak FARTING in his sleep......he had a belly full of grass and he was quite happily releasing the gasses while he snoozed.

Edited October 27, 2011 by GayleK

[aussielover]

It is normal for dogs to eat grass and plants.

They do it for various reasons- they might be feeling sick, they might like the taste etc but it is rarely because of a deficiency in the diet, especially if you are feeding a commercially prepared food like eukanuba.

[erinonthefarm]

I add spirulina powder to my raw mix- gives it that herbivore stomach contents taste and smell he likes it has toned down his cow and horse poo eating too.

[Dame Aussie]

Isaak is like a black tri sheep......he munches his way around our property, chewing on all types of grass, and when I'm weeding the garden beds, he's right there sampling the clumps I pull out to see if there's a new taste sensation there for him. The other dogs like to have a bit of a munch on fresh, young grass from time to time but they don't show the dedication Isaak has to the cause.

One side effect to be wary of though..........I was taking Isaak to a dog show and we got stuck in traffic in Melbourne. He was snoozing on the back seat and all the windows were up. All of a sudden I smelt this horrid smell.....a bit like really strong cow manure. It got worse and worse and it lingered for ages. Each time I wound the windows down and got rid of it. the smell would come back again. It was Isaak FARTING in his sleep......he had a belly full of grass and he was quite happily releasing the gasses while he snoozed.

Ahhhh Aussie farts, they are quite ermmm...rich....

Mosley does this too, he is always munching on grass and will rip branches of trees and sit there eating the leaves off them I've never paid it too much attention, as long as I know there's nothing toxic around.

[Kiara&Heidi]

I add spirulina powder to my raw mix- gives it that herbivore stomach contents taste and smell he likes it has toned down his cow and horse poo eating too.

My dogs love spirulina too. I bought it for myself but it's so it goes to the dogs haha.

Edited October 28, 2011 by Kiara&Heidi

[emgem]

Thanks so much for the reassuring responses everyone. I've never had a dog that masqueraded as a giraffe before so it is nice to hear that other people do.