# Hard Swallowing / Grass Eating



## MattyP (Apr 10, 2007)

Hi All,

Not sure I'm being paraniod but here it goes. My puppy is almost 11 weeks old now.

When we are outside in the backyard playing this morning and tonight after about 15 minutes he frantically starts to eat grass and then starts to swallow really hard. If I let me keep going then he just keeps trying to eat more grass. 

So I bring him inside and then he just really trys to swallow hard but is still playfull ect. He has been in side now for only 20 minutes and is fast asleep and seems normal again. He has been getting the hiccups alot which I read is normal.

Should we be keeping him on the leash in the backyard for playtime or do you think this is a digestive thing?

Thanks for any advice. He is due for his second set of shots in 2 weeks but we're thinking if we should take him before for this to be checked out.

Thanks for any help / advice.

Matt


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

There is another thread on the grass eating but the hard swallowing would give me some concern that you might want to check out with your vet. Is you pup eating ok?


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## MattyP (Apr 10, 2007)

This morning we went out at 6:00am and it started. When I feed him at 7:00am he only at 1/2 of his normal food. 

When the dog walker fed him he ate all and was fine. 

Tonight we feed him at 7:00pm and that was good he ate all. But we took him out around 7:40pm and it started again.

It's weird - he'll be outside and be fine then all of a suddent just start eating grass like his life depends on it. Could he be trying to make himself sick?


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## Oaklys Dad (Dec 28, 2005)

"Could he be trying to make himself sick?" I think that is an old wives tale myself. If he is eating, playing and acting otherwise normal I would just ask your vet about it when he goes in two weeks.


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## monomer (Apr 21, 2005)

Yes, its seems most all dogs will get a 'craving' for grass sometimes. They will either cough or vomit it all up later or it will simply pass-thru them intact. If a strand gets caught on the way down or a seed gets stuck, they will swallow hard sometimes for quite awhile but eventually they either get it down or they will cough it up... but if it really concerns you that much or if the hard swallowing lasts for more than a couple of hours, don't hesitate, just take him to the vets.


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## FlyingQuizini (Oct 24, 2006)

A lot of dogs will eat grass when they're stressed. Stress can by mental or physical. Sometimes Quiz will run around and eat grass during breaks in hard physical activity (physical stress) and other times, if he's in training and is learning something new (mental stress) he'll get really into eating grass. He never appears to be stressed in the negative way that we usually think of "stress". He's still happy, alert, eager, etc. Still, his body is responding to the stress of working and one way of difusing that stress is by eating grass.

When it happens, I don't make a big deal about it at all. I used to try and stop it, but I quickly discovered that the more of a deal I made about it, the more he did it. My attention was adding to the stress. 

-Stephanie


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