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Old June 24th, 2006, 10:39 PM
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siberian3 siberian3 is offline
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Dog prefers grass over dog food?

Hi - I have a 2 1/2 year old mal siberian husky/blue heeler mix. He likes to eat tall grass and has been doing so for a while. He kind of grazes on walks sometimes or in the backyard. Lately he has not been very interested in his food, we normally feed him twice a day but lately he might leave his food for most of the day before eating it or only eat one meal instead of two. Tonight when we fed him, after he had been running around all day, he went straight to the yard to eat grass and wanted nothing to do with his food. I am thinking there must be some nutrient his body is craving that the dog food I'm feeding him doesnt have. He gets Royal Canin medium sized dog - dog food. Does anyone have any idea whether switching dog food or giving him some kind of a supplement would help with this issue? Or is there something else likely to be going on?

Thanks!
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Old June 24th, 2006, 11:22 PM
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OntarioGreys OntarioGreys is offline
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grass grazing is very normal and common, ocassionally they may eat grass, usually the coarser blades to help rid themselves of bile if they have upset tummies, during hot weather my dogs go off their feed and prefer to eat late in the evening instead
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Old June 24th, 2006, 11:47 PM
Prin Prin is offline
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Well, I don't know if he's not getting what he needs from the food, but most Royal Canin foods are loaded with corn and fillers... If you want to try something holistic and more digestible, check out the dog food forum here for suggestions.
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Old June 30th, 2006, 07:41 PM
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Bluefunnel Bluefunnel is offline
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Siberian Eating Grass

Most dogs will eat grass, especially those long sweet stems. Many reasons are put forth but the reason is not really known. Sibes of course have a sweet tooth. (spoon of ice cream, yes please) It is important that Sibes do have a good medical check every year and besides the annual blood worm test have a full blood analysis done every second year or as recommended by your experienced Siberian Vet. These dogs are extremely strong but they must be watched very carefully for any signs of trouble.. I just lost mine and in spite of full medical care, he was gone in one hour with absolutely no warning caused by Hemangiosarcoma. Do not be too concerned by the eating of grass, a Sibe is a Sibe and they love doing things that are fun...for them. but drive you nuts !!!! That is the Siberian They are fussy eaters as well. I only feed one meal a day and its on HIS TERMS (or you can keep it.!!)
Good Luck and dont worry, just watch.

Dogs talk....We just need to listen.

Siberian Lover,

Last edited by Bluefunnel; June 30th, 2006 at 07:47 PM. Reason: addition
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Old July 1st, 2006, 01:28 PM
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Timitu Timitu is offline
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I have a 8 and a 1/2 year husky and he does exactly the same thing. He has done it since he was just a little puppy and the husky next door does it too. Huskies are just weird.
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Old July 1st, 2006, 10:06 PM
RVT092481 RVT092481 is offline
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I agree with what everyone else has said. I have a black lab that I swear is part goat.
One thing that I would check out is if he has a grass impaction. Sometimes if they eat A LOT of grass, instead of passing on and being excreted in their bowel movements, it can get caught up in their stomach and form a tight ball that won't pass into the intestines.
9.5/10 times it's nothing but if they go off their food for a while then I'd pop them into a vet for a quick abdominal xray just to be on the safe side.

On a side note, does anyone have any tips on how to get them to stop eating grass? I don't mind is she eats grass that I know what has been put on it, but it's other peoples grass that I worry about! Sorry about the tangent but I meant to post something about it anyway...
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