Hi hope someone can help, my 5 month old staffordshire bull terrier lily keeps eating grass, i try to stop her but it is impossible, early hours of this morning she was sick twice both full of grass the second was more like a ball of grass and i am worried it is going to cause a blockage, also when she passes stools they are full of grass and on the odd occassion i have had to pull it out as dangling from her behind, why does she do this and how can i stop her ?

Thanks

Mine have always done this, particularly at this time of year. It's never done them any harm, so I personally don't worry about it.

There's an old wives' tale that they do it to purge themselves of worms, but as even dogs that are regularly wormed do it as well this isn't true. However unless Lily has been wormed within the past month it'd be worth giving her a dose of Drontal or Milbemax - not a pet shop wormer!

Grass is natural thing for them to eat to make themselves sick....dont stop them from eating it.

Mine eats grass all the time, he seems to have a type he prefers and then sits down and grazes for a while!!  It doesn't mean he is going to be sick and it doesn't seem to cause him any problems so I leave him to it.

All mine eat grass too.  Often first thing in the morning but sometimes on a walk too.  They are more enthusiastic at this of year as the new grass comes through - spring greens are the best!

One thing you'll probably notice is that as your pup gets older she'll learn to eat it more efficiently and will probably digest it better.  Helping pups get rid of those unfortunate 'cling-ons' is one of the joys of dog owning.  Although I have an adult dog who sometimes has trouble and comes belting toward me with a strangled look on his face and positions himself for some assistance.

...Oh lord - I hope I'm not the only one!!! :)

Hi, am new to all this having never had a dog before, but have enjoyed reading people's posts for the last few weeks prior to getting my Cavalier King Charles puppy.  She loves being in the garden and bites at all manner of things (ivy, euonymus, primrose flowers, dead leaves).  I don't think she is actually swallowing anything. Are any of these going to harm her? 

Have a look through this at what is toxic to dogs, Ivy is in there.  You can use the search tool to find specific plants.

http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/Plants.aspx?plant_toxicity=toxic-to-dogs

You're not the only one dogs a babe, my youngest (also an adult) will scoot towards me still in the pooping crouch for help.  Just yesterday I had to help pull out several pellets all wrapped up in and joined together with grass as she just couldn't get the last ones out.  In with the poop bags I keep a plastic glove or two for just such eventuallities.

>Are any of these going to harm her?

However careful you are some pups will inevitably find the one thing in your garden that they shouldn't have.   It's well worth keeping some special high value toys and treats by the back door ready for swaps.  Playing swaps with all manner of things is a great system to get your dog used to the fact that not everything they pick up is theirs to keep.  I still do it with some toys my pup is allowed to have, just to keep him used to the 'game'.

Someone has already posted a link so you can check for poisonous plants but also watch out for stones and twigs both of which can be easily swallowed and cause problems.  I try not to make a big deal out of sticks and logs but mine at 7 months is obsessed by the wood store and carefully selects a log from the bottom to pull out.  This elaborate game of Jenga goes on until he makes the whole lot fall down around him.  Little toad!

Thanks for your very helpful replies.  List is comprehensive/extensive and have found I have quite a few plants likely to cause problems.  Will remove some, and also invest in some toys and treats as suggested. 

The sweet spring grass is too much for any of my dogs to resist! They are like grazing cows :) It does make one dog sick but not the others.

No - you're not the only one :) Thankfully I have no neighbours to observe this strange practice of having to grab a strand of grass and give nature a helping hand!!

Unfortunately you're not the only one and it's not just grass :)

I have friend who disgustedly advised me he was never walking my dogs again with his because he had to pull a sock out of one of the flatcoats :)

LOL! I had to do this once many years ago....but worse...

One managed to get a hold of some clingfilm (I hadn't known this)...Started to give nature a "hand"....pulled...and pulled...and pulled....I felt like a magician pulling out streamers from a top hat!! We were lucky that it didn't cause her a nasty blockage though!

I never forget the sight of the finger of my lost red glove appearing from the back of one of my dogs, I nearly had heart failure until I got close enough to identify that the appendage was man made!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!