Veterinary Medicine - December 2008 - (Page 648)

2008 Practical advice from the presentations PEER-REVIEWED Central Why do dogs and cats eat grass? A) They are sick and need to vomit. B) They have a dietary deﬁciency. C) Studies point to a third option that may may well be the correct answer to this often-asked client question. Benjamin L. Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB D ogs and cats are frequently observed eating grass and other plants of no apparent nutritional value. Unfortunately, little on this topic appears in the veterinary literature. Although the prevalence of plant eating in domestic dogs and cats has not been documented, wild canids and felids in nature are known to eat grass and plants—plant material has been found in 2% to 74% of scats and stomach content samples of wolves and cougars.1-6 Clients commonly ask questions about plant eating in their pets: Do animals eat grass to induce vomiting because they’re sick? Do they eat plants because they have a dietary de ciency? In a recent study by Dr. Karen Sueda, Dr. Kelly Cliff, and myself, three surveys of pet owners were conducted to nd answers to these and other questions about plant eating in dogs.7 FINDING THE ANSWERS Our surveys were designed to test the hypothesis that most plant eating in dogs is associated with illness or a dietary de ciency and that ingestion of plant material is usually followed within a few minutes by vomiting. First, we surveyed veterinary students who had pet dogs (n=25) about the frequency of grass eating in their own dogs and whether the students observed signs of sickness before grass consumption or vomiting afterward. All of the students reported that their dogs ate grass. None reported observing signs of illness before their dogs ate grass, and only 8% said that their dogs regularly vomit afterward. Next, we surveyed a group of dog owners (n=47) who had brought their dogs to our teaching hospital for outpatient care. We asked these owners for their observations on their pets’ Benjamin L. Hart, DVM, PhD, DACVB Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology School of Veterinary Medicine University of California Davis, CA 95616 Coauthor of Canine and Feline Behavior Therapy, 2nd edition, Blackwell Press 2006. 648 December 2008 VETERINARY MEDICINE Getty Images

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Veterinary Medicine - December 2008

Veterinary Medicine - December 2008 Contents Letters Thanking Our Valued Reviewers Practical Matters Idea Exchange Why Do Dogs and Cats Eat Grass? Managing Atypical and Critical Cases of Primary Hypoadrenocorticism in Dogs Behaviors Suggestive of Postoperative Pain in Cats What to Consider When Considering Digital Radiography Avoid Common Bandaging Mistakes in Dogs and Cats IMHA: Diagnosing and Treating a Complex Disease CE Form/Advertiser Index Marketplace/Classifieds Mind Over Miller

Veterinary Medicine - December 2008

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