This is one of the most common questions we receive, and it’s not a topic with a single answer.
Owners of all dog breeds will notice from time-to-time that their canine companion will graze upon grass and other vegetation. This behaviour is very normal for the most part, however it is important to know why your husky is doing it.
The seasonal grazer
Many grasses contain high amounts basic nutritional elements during their optimum seasons. We find for us that it tends to be late-spring through early-summer, although the time of the year will vary depending on location and the specific grass variety. During these seasons grasses are often sweet in taste, further luring it’s appeal to your fluffy cohort.
Whilst we haven’t found any specific information to suggest that allowing your dogs to consume this type of grass is bad for their health, we’d always recommend consumption in moderation. Grass can be an irritant to a dogs stomach, which we’ll describe in more detail in the next section.
The eat-n-puke
Many reports we hear are of dogs consuming grass, only to regurgitate it some moments later. Dogs are often observed to consume grass as a means of forcing contents from their stomachs.
Dogs are unable to force themselves to vomit without help, which is why they use grass – an intestinal irritant – to help them along with the process. In most cases it is considered safer for a dog to purge itself of whatever is causing it’s discomfort prior to digestion – in many cases this may just be an excessive build-up of bile or stomach-acid that needs to be expelled.
Whilst in most circumstances a dogs consumption of grass to aid vomiting is perfectly natural and healthy, if done regularly it may be an indicator of a medical condition or stomach blockage and professional advice should be sought immediately.
Other considerations
It’s always important to consider wether what your dog is doing is normal behaviour for them. As an example; if your dog has suddenly started to obsessively eat your lawn after years of disinterest, it may be a reaction to a chemical imbalance within them – as always, any continuing behaviour which is decidedly out of character should be immediately assessed by a vet to rule out an underlying medical condition.