As a dog owner, you need to keep an eye on whatever your dog ingests outdoors or in the garden.

Last week was emergency duty week when I got a call-out to attend to a vomiting dog.

Rolo is a seven-month-old male cross breed aptly named for his toffee-coloured coat. Rolo loves nothing better than to race around the slopes overlooking Madliena Tower. His owner was worried: her dog had eaten grass and since then had noisily vomited a couple of times. She was worried that he had inadvertently eaten some kind of toxin or poison.

Dogs frequently eat grass and other plant matter. I have had reports from pet owners of their dogs enjoying the odd nibble of fig leaves, dandelion leaves, as well as certain types of nettles. Invariably, they favour young, tender shoots and will taste and discard the coarser variety with the discernment of a gourmand.

Theories abound as to why dogs enjoy eating grass, but when the underlying reason is medical, it then becomes a question of why and what should be done to solve the problem.

One of the simplest reasons behind dogs’ grass eating is that they need additional fibre in their diet. A lack of sufficient fibre in a dog’s diet means that it is unable to digest its food well or excrete properly.

Like humans, constipation will make a dog feel uncomfortable. Left untreated, a constipated dog will become nauseous and start vomiting. In severe cases, it may have to undergo an enema to clear the blockage. If your dog has started to eat grass frequently and you’re not sure whether it is getting sufficient fibre in its diet, it’s worth speaking to your veterinarian and avoiding complications further down the line.

Another cause of grass eating is dietary imbalance. The phenomenon of people compulsively eating substances that are not normally edible, such as limestone, soil or hair, is not restricted solely to humans. This condition, medically referred to as pica, generally comes about due to a mineral deficiency in the diet.

Pica is thought to affect dogs as well and if your dog’s diet is nutritionally poor or imbalanced, your dog will seek alternative sources of nutritional supplements. For example, grass and dandelion are a good source of fibre and are high in potassium as well as chlorophyll. If you have any doubts, you should discuss your dog’s diet with your veterinarian to make sure that all the necessary vitamins and minerals are covered according to the needs dictated by your dog’s lifestyle and medical needs.

One of the simplest reasons behind dogs’ grass eating is that they need additional fibre in their diet. A lack of fibre in a dog’s diet means it is unable to digest its food well

Most dogs that eat grass leisurely do not vomit as a result. But sometimes, dogs eat grass to deliberately induce vomiting. Dogs that vomit after eating grass are usually found to have gulped down the vegetation rather than nibbled at it. The signs are usually all there.

When dogs are feeling sick, they start to lick the air and repeatedly extend their neck in a gulping reflex action. They become restless and anxious and if they are accustomed to being taken out for walks, they will try to tell you that they need to go outdoors quickly. Once outside, they will indiscriminately gulp down young as well as coarse blades of grass. Vomiting soon follows.

If your dog vomits after eating grass and it is a one-off case, there should be no cause for alarm. Dogs are particularly adept at vomiting to purge their stomach from stuff that is not good for them. Sometimes, though, a dog will vomit because of what is in the grass rather than because of it.

Other dogs might have pooed in that same patch of grass. Old faecal residue can still harbour parasites that your dog ingests along with the blades of grass. Parasites such as worms flourish inside your dog’s gut and are unhealthy for your pet as well as for you and your family.

Either way, if the incidence of grass eating and vomiting episodes escalates, your dog could be looking for a way to relieve itself of a stomach discomfort and it is important that you speak to your veterinarian to establish any underlying cause.

Depending on the severity of the symptoms, your vet will start by eliminating minor ailments before going on to more serious illnesses. These may range from simple problems such as gas retention, to gastrointestinal upsets and even bacterial or viral infections.

Depending on the clinical examination, your vet might choose to conduct blood tests or urinalysis. They might opt for faecal analysis to establish whether parasites are present in your dog’s gut. Ultrasound and/or X-rays, sometimes using barium sulphate as a contrast medium, are also an option.

As a dog owner, you need to keep an eye on whatever your dog ingests outdoors or in the garden. The occasional nibble should not trigger any worry.

If your dog frequently gulps grass and vomits afterwards, then you need to seek your vet’s advice. Rolo’s grass binge turned out to be just a simple case of over-indulgence in an energetic and happy puppy.

But his owner now knows to look out for this tendency and will be keeping an eye on him to make sure it does not become a bad habit.

thisweekwiththevet@gmail.com

Dr Martin Debattista is a veterinary surgeon.