狗為什么吃草?

狗為什么吃草?

No walk around the neighborhood is complete without my dog Lulu eating grass. Even on a full stomach, she likes to hunt for the perfect blades and chew away. Left unattended, I’m sure she could mow down a small lawn. Since lawns today have any number of herbicides and pesticides, many pet parents wonder if it's OK to let their dogs eat grass.

如果我的狗露露不吃草，在附近散步就不完整。即使在飽腹的時候，她也喜歡尋找完美的草并咀嚼。如果無人看管，我肯定她能割下一小塊草坪。由于今天的草坪上有很多除草劑和殺蟲劑，許多寵物父母想知道是否可以讓他們的狗吃草。

Some dogs just like the taste of grass. (Photo: Tanja Esser/Shutterstock)

Here's what the experts say about these grass-eating habits.

以下是專家們對這些食草習(xí)慣的看法。

It’s yummy: It's normal for dogs to chew on the green stuff because they like the taste of grass, says Dr. Jennifer Monroe of Eagles Landing Veterinary Hospital in Georgia. Some pooches even develop preferences that range from fresh leaves to drier weeds or even a particular species of grass.

美味:佐治亞州伊格爾斯蘭丁獸醫(yī)醫(yī)院的詹妮弗·門羅醫(yī)生說，狗狗咀嚼綠色的東西很正常，因為它們喜歡草的味道。有些狗狗甚至喜歡吃新鮮的葉子、干燥的雜草，甚至是一種特殊的草。

Nutritional deficiency: Most commercial dog foods offer a balanced diet, so many experts say its unlikely that your dog isn't getting the nutrition he needs from his dinner.

營養(yǎng)缺乏:大多數(shù)商業(yè)狗糧提供均衡的飲食，所以許多專家說，你的狗不可能沒有從它的晚餐得到它需要的營養(yǎng)。

They are trying to induce vomiting: When dogs are eating something that doesn’t agree with them, they often have an upset stomach and eat grass to induce vomiting. If eating grass causes your dog to vomit twice a week or more, call your veterinarian because there could be another underlying health issue.

它們試圖誘導(dǎo)嘔吐:當(dāng)狗狗吃了不適合它們的食物時，它們通常會感到胃部不適，并吃草來誘導(dǎo)嘔吐。如果吃草導(dǎo)致你的狗每周嘔吐兩次或更多，打電話給你的獸醫(yī)，因為這可能是另一個潛在的健康問題。

Some dogs eat grass because they need to throw up. (Photo: smerikal [CC by-SA 2.0]/Flickr)

Instinct: One theory is that this unusual dog behavior is just instinct. Dogs in the wild are natural omnivores who eat meat and plants, so domesticated dogs naturally gravitate towards plant material too, says Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine. Another theory is that wild dogs would eat plant material in the stomach of their prey, so they developed a taste for it.

本能:一種理論認為這種不尋常的狗的行為只是本能。普渡大學(xué)獸醫(yī)學(xué)院表示，野外的狗是天然的雜食動物，它們吃肉和植物，所以家養(yǎng)的狗自然也會被植物所吸引。另一種理論是野狗會吃獵物胃里的植物，所以它們對這種食物產(chǎn)生了一種味覺。

Behavioral issues: Dogs can develop obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) regarding the grass. (I suspect that my Lulu falls into this category. She’s pretty determined during those lawn-gobbling excursions.) In the majority of cases, Monroe says this is no reason for concern. To correct the behavior, she recommends reducing your dog’s grazing time.

行為問題:狗會對草地產(chǎn)生強迫癥(OCD)。(我懷疑我的露露屬于這一類。在那些吃草的遠足中，她相當(dāng)堅定。)門羅說，在大多數(shù)情況下，沒有理由擔(dān)心。為了糾正這種行為，她建議減少狗的“放牧”時間。

Basket muzzles restrict grass guzzling, too. In severe cases, she recommends consulting a certified veterinary behaviorist for advice. Otherwise, let them stop to smell — and chomp — the greenery.

籃子的噴嘴也限制了對草的吞噬。在嚴(yán)重的情況下，她建議咨詢認證的獸醫(yī)行為學(xué)家。否則，就讓它們停下來聞一聞綠色植物的味道——然后嚼一嚼。

“If not they are not vomiting and not destructive, I say let them enjoy it,” Monroe says.

門羅說:“如果它們沒有嘔吐，沒有破壞性，那就讓它們盡情享受吧。”