# Eating buds, twigs and grass?



## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

I am not sure why but this past 6 months or so Lincoln has taken to eating stuff he shouldnt. When I bring him over to his buds house to play all he does is scour the lawn for tree buds, twigs and grass to eat. He never pukes it up. This is starting to peeve me off because he wont stop. He would eat it all day if he was able to :S. Does anyone have any ideas why hes doing this and how to get him to stop? He does it even after being told no etc. I dont mind the grass...but when we start getting into tree buds that are an inch big and twigs is when its to much for me


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Sounds like Pica to me. Some people say it is due to a mineral imbalance or is a psychological problem. IMO it is due to boredom and frustration in dogs.

ASPCA - Virtual Pet Behaviorist - Pica (Eating Things That Aren't Food)

Google Pica and see if it fits to you.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

MikaTallulah said:


> Sounds like Pica to me. Some people say it is due to a mineral imbalance or is a psychological problem. IMO it is due to boredom and frustration in dogs.
> 
> ASPCA - Virtual Pet Behaviorist - Pica (Eating Things That Aren't Food)
> 
> Google Pica and see if it fits to you.


How could he possibly be bored lol hes walked 5 times a day, gets to run, play frisbee, ball etc. 

I did some googling and he doesnt really fit that. He doesnt eat random stuff in the house, he can be left uncrated fine when I am not home. He only eats grass (like a cow) on walks especially if were walking with another dog and he also eats some twigs (small ones half the time he spits them out) and buds...my flowers  etc. He doesnt do this all the time. Its more so when hes with other dogs. 

Hes not frustrated but I can easily give him something to be frustrated about haha just kidding. I will have to keep an eye on it see if I can divert it to something productive at least.


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

Lincoln_16 said:


> How could he possibly be bored lol hes walked 5 times a day, gets to run, play frisbee, ball etc.
> 
> I did some googling and he doesnt really fit that. He doesnt eat random stuff in the house, he can be left uncrated fine when I am not home. He only eats grass (like a cow) on walks especially if were walking with another dog and he also eats some twigs (small ones half the time he spits them out) and buds...my flowers  etc. He doesnt do this all the time. Its more so when hes with other dogs.
> 
> Hes not frustrated but I can easily give him something to be frustrated about haha just kidding. I will have to keep an eye on it see if I can divert it to something productive at least.


You said he would do it all day if he could. Good to know it is only a small part of the day.


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## GoBigRed (Jan 24, 2012)

Husker does the same thing with dry leaves. Chases them and eats them like crazy. And grass, he is tearing up our yard not by digging with his feet but with pulling the grass (still mostly dry here, still chilling in ND) up with his teeth.

Wish I knew how to stop it.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

If he played with his dog friends all day he would be eating this stuff all day. But I only limit him to playing with his friend to once a week or so because of this habit. 

On walks....his will go to the base of trees and hydrants where the grass is tall and thick and take mouth fulls...im not even kidding I should get a video of it some day.


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## Braccarius (Sep 8, 2008)

Sounds like he's missing something in his diet to me. I've seen a case of a dog with pica and it was predominantly things that make absolutely no sense to eat... rocks, bottlecaps and other very undesirable items. Grass serves a purpose....


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## GoldenCamper (Dec 21, 2009)

Something about springtime. My dogs and others have always loved to munch on the new grass every year. More so if us humans stop to chat for a while. All the dogs start acting like cows :doh:


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

My kooper thinks this is normal,he has done this since he was a pup,now 9 years old.


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## newport (Aug 8, 2011)

Lola eats grass like a cow when I am picking up the yard... she is waiting for me to play ball after the clean up and uses grass eating as a passtime.


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## GoBigRed (Jan 24, 2012)

newport~Husker did this to us earlier in the week. We were raking thru the dead "pee" grass (he still doesn't lift his leg to pee) and making piles. He'd come running past us, dive his head into the pile and take off with a mouthful throwing it all over the yard while shaking his head. It was pretty darn funny to watch, but annoying that he was messing up my pile.


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## wmag (Mar 17, 2011)

I gave up trying to stop Kasey from eating the grass. If she gets a stick, rock, or mulch I take it away but I don't bother with the grass anymore. We just cut our grass for the first time this year and she went nuts! I do take the big chunks from her because I am afraid she will choke. It really does not seem to bother her except when she eats too much she does poop 1 extra time. It is a normal poop not loose or anything. I was hoping she would grow out of it but as long it she isn't ripping it out or having problems from it I guess I won't worry about it!


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## JDK (Jul 30, 2011)

I've been trying to break JJ from the habit of eating grass and twigs for months now with no success. He's 10 months now and thinks he's a cow. I wouldn't say it's due to frustration or boredom, at least now in JJ's case cause I'll be in the middle of playing "keep away" with me and he'll just suddenly stop and start eating grass. I can throw his ball right by him and he'll just turn his head, watch it go by and pull up another chunk of grass. I wouldn't mind if it was just grass, but sometimes he pulls out chunks of dirt with it too, which sometimes have rocks in it.


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## A1Malinois (Oct 28, 2011)

He was doing it again today. Grass, twigs and buds. He tried to grab a couple bone shard off my neighbours front lawn. I think I got all from him. He lets his dog chew bones and he leaves shards so I make sure I scour the lawn good before letting mine off but I always miss some.


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