Does eating grass make dogs sick? What to know and when to see a veterinarian.

Dogs have diverse dietary needs similar to their human owners because they also need a balanced diet. This might make you wonder, why do dogs eat grass of all things and at what point should you take yours to the vet for doing so?

There are many reasons why your furry friend could be eating grass. This culinary choice is common and usually harmless, although some dogs might get sick afterward. But according to VCA Animal Hospitals, less than 25% of dogs vomit after eating grass.

Why do dogs eat grass?

Pica

Dogs who eat grass might have a condition called pica. This disorder consists of the compulsive eating of non-food items, like grass or rocks, according to Great Pet Care.

Learned behavior

Dr. Katherine Houpt, James Law Professor Emeritus at Cornell, said eating grass could be a learned behavior. Puppies of mothers who ate grass are more likely to eat grass, she added.

Connections to the wild

"Probably in the wild, the dog would kill the rabbit, it would eat the rabbit. It might also eat what's in the rabbit's intestines, which is grass," Houpt said. “Their official diets are not getting that, so there may be some natural tendency to eat grass."

Curiosity

She added that in some cases, dogs might not even be eating grass at all, but mouthing at it because of interesting smells. Dogs have an organ between the nose and mouth called the vomeronasal organ, which is their “sixth sense,” according to Houpt.

“If it really wants to figure out who passed through here or who urinated here, having the grass in their mouth will allow them to perceive that much better,” she said.

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When to go to the vet

But at what point does your dog’s habit become concerning?

Houpt said if a dog is eating grass and vomiting constantly, the dog most likely has GI problems and it would be time to take them to the veterinarian.

“They can have ulcers even; they can have inflammation anywhere. And especially things in the upper GI tract, the throat and the stomach tend to be associated with eating or licking non-food items, like dogs licking the rug,” she explained.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Why do dogs eat grass? Reasons why and when to see the vet.