Spring has sprung..the grass has riz, but why oh why is it my cat and dog's biz??

Ok bad rhyme..but you get the point...why do dogs and cats eat grass??

Both dogs and cats can sometimes be seen eating grass....but is this normal ?

Grass is pretty indigestible for cats and dogs because they do not have the digestive enzymes necessary to breakdown the fibre content ..which is high. Apart from fibre and water, grass also contains some minerals, vitamin A and sometimes vitamin D.

The nutritional value of grass for cats and dogs is very poor...so there is unlikely to be a basic instinctive nutritional reason why cats and dogs would eat grass ...unless they have a need for dietary fibre itself which is thought to be unlikely. Cats in particular are known to be obligate carnivores and have no requirement for nutrients derived from plant material. However the nutrients in vegetables as well as the motility inducing properties of vegetables are invaluable in my humble opinion.

It has been reported (but not scientifically proved) that cats and dogs will eat grass if they have a digestive system problem such as gastritis or nausea. They will also eat unusual materials if they have a nutritional deficiency, or if they are hungry and do not have access to food. I have heard that if there is a deficiency of chlorophyl or nitrogen......the jury is still out but ya never know. On the other hand eating small amounts of untypical foods ..grass, wood, leaves ..can just be a normal behavioural trait and is not important providing the material eaten is not toxic - such as laburnum leaves or sticks. Grass is usually safe - unless it has been sprayed with herbicide or insecticides.
"Cat grass"..the kind you buy in the store is usually some familiar grain,rye,barley seed that while only six inches looks very similar to grass and cats seem to love..I mean LOVE to chew the heck outta it. It seems to help with some digestion problems or else my previous cats would have left it alone. Could it be the same as when we take a big swigg of beer and burp afterwards...cats like to barf a bit??? So no harm there I guess unless you find alot of little green barf balls all over the house..oh well they clean up easily unless you have a white carpet....!
The joys of pet ownership.