Dogs, among several other animals, use natural remedies to self-medicate

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2868348/Do-animals-SELF-MEDICATE-Dogs-elephants-chimps-parrots-use-natural-remedies-treat-digestive-problems-induce-birth.html

Interesting!

Yes very interesting.

I have always believed that it was a fallacy to believe that a dog would chomp at grass because he wasn't feeling well. Kuchar loves to tear at fresh spring grass, but is easily pulled away.

However a few days ago he was lying on my bed in the morning and his tummy was making dreadful sounds! And he was obviously uneasy. I took him for a walk and he went straight for the long grass (winter grass), chomped and chomped and chomped at it, and would not be pulled away. And touch wood he's been fine since.

Very often, they do chomp on grass when they feel sick! But it can also be due to thirst, as grass contains water!

In the case that I mention with Kuchar, I am sure it was not thirst as he has free access to plentiful supplies of fresh clean water, as all dogs should have.

Whether he sicked-up when he got back home I can't be sure - the garden being covered with fallen leaves as autumn tends to do. But he was SO determinedly eating at the grass that I think he was self-medicating.

Bless him! I think it's just an instinctive reaction. Demps often chomps on grass, but he usually does it when he's thirsty. He'll also do it if he feels sick, though. Smart dogs!

Spring grass is full of sugar - I think they like the sweetness.

I hadn't thought of that!

We're always careful when Demps starts munching grass, as he gets carried away very easily.

Tyson nibbles on the grass everyday. He loves the long grass.  Fat & juicy. But when his tummy is upset he actually eats (or rips it out in chunks).

I think he eats it because he both likes it & it helps his digestion.
Grass is very helpful to a chooks digestion, though not imperative.

Jess never eats grass unless she is filling off. She eats tons & then throws up. Afterwards, she seems back to herself so, i dont know if they enjoy it or use it as medicine.

But it certainly dosent do harm unlike other garden greenery.

tracyp wrote:But it certainly dosent do harm unlike other garden greenery.

Tell that to Demps! The daft dog.

I don't know your plants there but we have a few I spend my life trying to irradicate as they will poison a dog.

You need to explain to Demps... if in doubt...leave it out!

The grass isn't poisonous! He just eats too much of it!

I didn't mean the grass was poisonous.  I meant Tyson eats it like icecream. He also eats so much grass & weeds I  spend my life irradicating some of them so he cant get to them.