[Christie]

I’ve been giving my two dogs Fromm’s Weight Management Gold since March. Since neither dog is in love with the formula, I usually top their meals (chicken broth or grilled chicken or a small amount of cheese or chicken gizzards/hearts or canned sardines). I haven’t noticed anything amiss with their behavior or when picking up their stool and both dogs are content to run around and play. But I’ve been outside more doing work around the house and I’ve been noticing that both dogs are eating grass. But it doesn’t seem like either is eating it because of stomach upset/to induce vomiting. They just seem content to graze. And I know some dogs just like to eat grass from time to time and mine have, but it seems like they’re seeking out grass every time I let them out.

Could it be something with the food?

[Susan]

Hi Christie, Fromm weight management Gold Formula has a few different proteins & a lot of different ingredients, most weight management kibbles are higher in fiber to keep the dog feeling fuller longer, read the fiber % it’s high at 7% fiber, if your looking for a lower fat diet formula have look at “Canidae” Pure Meadow Senior, adult dogs can also eat the Pure Meadow senior formula, the protein is good at 28%min & the Fat is 10.80% max… it has 2 proteins, Chicken Meal & Turkey Meal, ingredient list- 1st-Chicken, 2nd-Chicken Meal & 3rd-Turkey Meal so the 28%min protein is mainly meat proteins & not 1/2 plant proteins & 1/2 meat proteins, then 4th- Sweet Potatoes, 5th-Chickpeas, 6th-peas, Pure Meadow has only 9 ingredients….
I know some dogs like to graze, but both dogs?? maybe just change the kibble brand to another brand with lower fiber-4-5%max, limited ingredient kibble & see if it makes a difference & see if they aren’t eating as much grass….My boy only eats grass when he’s unwell & feels sick or has a bit of acid reflux, he doesn’t do well on higher fiber kibbles, no dog really would, dogs have a short digestive tract build to digest meat proteins, not high fiber, high carbohydrate diet….. Canidae is money back if your pets aren’t happy, Canidae have other formula’s….. I like their Pure Wild Boar so does my dog & cat, the cat is always trying to pinch Patches kibbles that’s how I know when a kibble taste good Indy (cat)wants to get the dogs kibble….
https://www.canidae.com/dog-food/products/canidae-grain-free-pure-meadow-dry-formula

[anonymous]

@ Christie

It would be best if you take them to the vet for an examination and diagnosis, if the grass eating continues. Grass eating is not normal and could be an indication of GI upset.
Odd that both dogs are doing it? You could try a simple diet change and see if that helps.
I like Zignature Whitefish kibble as a base, I add a splash of water.
Also, I hope your grass isn’t chemically treated…..

[anonymous]

Have you tried a bland diet, ie: boiled chicken and rice for a few days? If the food is upsetting their stomachs, it might help.
Then you could gradually start them back on the kibble of your choice.
I have heard good things about Purina Pro Plan Sensitive stomach kibble.

[Susan]

Anon
have you ever tried & feed the Purina Sensitive Stomach kibble to a dog with digestive problems ??
It made my poor dog intestinal problem worse, I had to see my vet, the vet gave my boy a full examination through his rectum, to feel for any lumps or tumors in the large bowel cause his poos were sloppy cow patties again, when she pulled her fingers out of his anus there was sloppy poo on her fingers, you could see bits of undigested kibble on her fingers, she rubbed her 2 fingers together & said “What’s he eating” I said I was desperate & went Pet shop & bought the Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion, Sensitive Stomach, you recommended trying it last time we were here, then the vet said, stop feeding it, it’s too hard to digest & isn’t digesting properly, throw it away….
When a kibble is very hard to digest & doesn’t go soft all the way thru within 50mins of being soaked in warm water, it can make stomach & bowel problems worse….
Some kibble companies write on front of kibble bag, this kibble is for stomach & intestinal problems and is very easy to digest, this is false advertisement & shouldn’t be allowed to be sold in pet shops for Intestinal stress…..

[pitlove]

I’ve fed Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach for a year and a half. Works great for Bentley. When he vomited for 4 days on another food, we switched back to that after going to the vet and he was fine. Always had excellent stool on that food.

[Susan]

Pitluv
I am not talking about the Pro Plan Sensitive Skin & Stomach, Salmon & Tuna, AU, I’m
talking about Pro Plan Sensitive Digestion AU…. I can’t understand why you’d feed your poor dog that crap especially when you have so many good foods to pick from in America….
If Purina Pro Plan is soo good how come I never see you recommend the Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy?
Just cause a dog is doing firm poo’s doesn’t mean the kibble is good, it means they have added certain ingredients to firm poos up Hills, Purina & Royal Canine are good at adding these ingredients to make poos firmer & people believe the kibble is a really good kibble cause their dog is doing firm poos now…

[anonymous]

@ pitlove,
I agree, it depends on the dog. I have noticed that some dogs with sensitive stomachs don’t do well with potatoes (white or sweet).
I recently tried a Natural Balance kibble (loaded with potato) and found that one of my dogs couldn’t tolerate it very well.
Right now Zignature Whitefish is my favorite. I have had positive results with Newman’s Own Advanced (no potato) in the past (moderately priced)
I noticed Pro Plan Sensitive Salmon does not have potato, so I would be inclined to try it 🙂

Ps: I have had good luck with Nutrisca, for years….but they are making some changes so I decided to try Zignature and so far I am impressed.

[crazy4cats]

So back to Christie’s original question. I have two large male golden labs. One of them is part goat. Lol! He has always eaten grass. He is almost six years old and is very healthy. Currently, a little too healthy. He needs to lose a few pounds. Anyway, i believe some dogs just like it! Right now, especially, since we are finally showing signs of summer and things are starting to grow like crazy. He seems to have a renewed love for it! He doesn’t barf it up, his output is normal. He is fine.
Christie, if you are concerned, it may be a good idea to switch foods or see a vet. I think switching foods occasionally is a good idea anyway. They may be bored with their current food and a little variety is good for them in my opinion. I try to stick to lower calorie and fat kibbles as well. Good luck to you.

[pitlove]

Susan, I have no idea how the ones you are talking about compare to the US one I’m talking about.

I’ve recommended Pro Plan Large Breed Puppy and Hills Large Breed Puppy plenty on times on here and at work. I tailor my recommendations to the individual and I fully recognize that a lot of people on here won’t use Purina.

I use this “c***” food because it’s not “c***” at all. I have used Orijen, Acana, Fromm, NutriSource, Taste of the Wild, Natures Variety, Wellness CORE, Zignature, Primal, Stella and Chewys,… I mean really the list goes on. None of those foods worked well for him. He was either sick, skin was flaring up or he simply refused to eat. I cried so many times because I felt like I couldn’t help him and he was just suffering despite eating all these “great” foods. So after completing our elimination trial our vet suggested Pro Plan Sensitive Skin, so we tried it and it worked. I can’t argue with results and I can’t argue with how much healthier and happier Bentley has been this past year and a half.

Judging me for my choice of food doesn’t make you a better pet parent. We all care for our dogs and want what’s best for them, regardless of how we get there.

[anonymous]

A Vet’s Take On Why Dogs Eat Grass
http://moderndogmagazine.com/articles/vet-s-take-why-dogs-eat-grass/297
Decoding grass chewing
By Michael Goldberg DVM
excerpt below (hope this helps)
Q: Why does my dog eat grass?
A: Ah… This is the $64,000 question. Grass eating among our canine friends has a number of theories as to origin. I get this question many times a year, and as yet cannot come up with a meaningful single reason. I can say that I’ve seen grass chewers on occasion get a good nasal cleanse, as the thick blade of grass occasionally gets on the wrong track and scurries out an unsuspecting nasal passage. It’s highly unlikely the intent is to cleanse that particular orifice, however!
Dogs do not have the means to digest grass, as they lack the enzymes needed to break down the fibres. Thus, there is little nutritional value in it for them. One reason for eating grass may be due to a feeling of nausea. It is possible that dogs learn this is a temporary solution for stomach irritation.
On occasion, I have seen dogs lick at the air, often showing swallowing behaviour, then rush out to the great outdoors to seek out a thick patch of the green stuff and furiously chomp and chomp until the urge abates. Then promptly throw up. On following these dogs endoscopically, they often have an inflammatory condition in their stomachs or redness around the lower esophagus, which can indicate gastric reflux or inflammatory bowel disease. The situation can be troubling for the owner as the dog is often quite restless before getting out to graze. If your dog looks as if he or she is irritated and extends the neck and begins repeated swallowing motions, it may be time to visit your veterinarian to check out what might be happening. These conditions are treatable with either homeopathic medical intervention or conventional therapies. Diet may also play a role in the condition. A thorough review is in order.
Some dogs can also develop a form of stereotypy behaviour (obsessive-compulsive disorder) and become fixated on grass chewing, but this is relatively rare.
Then there are the select few who search diligently for that particular luscious, thick, juicy blade and then gently savour it. Only the finest blades for me, thank you, and only of particular types. These dogs seem to enjoy their habit and do not suffer any of the previously-reported repercussions, such as vomiting. Grass does not seem to hurt them as long as it doesn’t contain herbicides or other toxins.
For those with a scientific bent, an additional theory related to the grasseating behaviour of our four legged companions has to do with their evolutionary past. For ancestral dogs to have survived successfully, they would have needed good hunting abilities in order to feed and nourish their young and survive as a pack. Grass eating may have evolved to help conceal their scent from their prey in the same way that rolling in foul offal is sometimes thought to.
Another common theory is that dogs will eat indigestible matter if they are excessively hungry or if their nutrition is poor, so this must always be a consideration. If you are preparing homemade food, be sure to consult a professional to make sure the nutritional balance is correct.
Dogs are more omnivorous than cats, and many would also like to eat far more than they’re fed. In the absence of a midday meal some may simply enjoy the process of eating. One can never rule out that for some, a nice patch of tasty clean crabgrass may simply give the momentary impression of an afternoon snack in the sun! ■

[anonymous]

@ crazy4cats, Re: “So back to Christie’s original question”.

That comment seems to suggest that we had gone off topic.

Since poor nutrition is one of the possible causes for grass eating, I don’t think myself or pitluv were off topic by discussing dog food choices.

“Another common theory is that dogs will eat indigestible matter if they are excessively hungry or if their nutrition is poor, so this must always be a consideration.”

Anyway, the more opinions the better 🙂

[crazy4cats]

I agree, nutrition could be the issue and I did suggest that she might want to switch foods to see if it helped any. It seemed like the thread turned into a battle on whether or not a certain food was good or not. Not helpful to the original poster at all. I just wanted to let her know that grass eating isn’t always necessarily a problem.

I was definitely stating that it had gotten off topic. And yes, other people’s opinions could be helpful. We all have different experiences to share. That is what the forum is all about. Sometimes, I think you forget that.

[anonymous]

Re: “We all have different experiences to share. That is what the forum is all about. Sometimes, I think you forget that”.

Nope, I don’t agree. I ignore certain posters comments because they attack me whenever I offer an opposing opinion.
I try to offer factual information when I think it will be helpful.
I am not the one that engages in name calling, and I am not inclined to push the abuse button, so I look the other way.
A lot of the offending posts have been removed by the moderators, nasty stuff.

Ps: If you don’t like someone’s commenting style, you don’t have to read their posts.
I stopped posting on Disqus because of this.
Sorry, I don’t support self diagnosis/Dr Google and do it yourself medical care.

[Author]

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