狗为什么吃草?

狗为什么吃草?

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。即使在饱腹的时候，她也喜欢寻找完美的草并咀嚼。如果无人看管，我肯定她能割下一小块草坪。由于今天的草坪上有很多除草剂和杀虫剂，许多宠物父母想知道是否可以让他们的狗吃草。

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

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

以下是专家们对这些食草习惯的看法。

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:佐治亚州伊格尔斯兰丁兽医医院的詹妮弗·门罗医生说，狗狗咀嚼绿色的东西很正常，因为它们喜欢草的味道。有些狗狗甚至喜欢吃新鲜的叶子、干燥的杂草，甚至是一种特殊的草。

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.

营养缺乏:大多数商业狗粮提供均衡的饮食，所以许多专家说，你的狗不可能没有从它的晚餐得到它需要的营养。

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.

它们试图诱导呕吐:当狗狗吃了不适合它们的食物时，它们通常会感到胃部不适，并吃草来诱导呕吐。如果吃草导致你的狗每周呕吐两次或更多，打电话给你的兽医，因为这可能是另一个潜在的健康问题。

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:一种理论认为这种不寻常的狗的行为只是本能。普渡大学兽医学院表示，野外的狗是天然的杂食动物，它们吃肉和植物，所以家养的狗自然也会被植物所吸引。另一种理论是野狗会吃猎物胃里的植物，所以它们对这种食物产生了一种味觉。

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.

行为问题:狗会对草地产生强迫症(OCD)。(我怀疑我的露露属于这一类。在那些吃草的远足中，她相当坚定。)门罗说，在大多数情况下，没有理由担心。为了纠正这种行为，她建议减少狗的“放牧”时间。

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.

篮子的喷嘴也限制了对草的吞噬。在严重的情况下，她建议咨询认证的兽医行为学家。否则，就让它们停下来闻一闻绿色植物的味道——然后嚼一嚼。

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

门罗说:“如果它们没有呕吐，没有破坏性，那就让它们尽情享受吧。”