Shiba Inu Eating Grass! Is It Anything To Worry About?

Do Shiba Inu like eating grass? Shiba Inu eat grass for several reasons, including boredom and nutritional deficiency. Also, Shibas eat grass because it is a natural behavior for dogs to do so or due to stress and anxiety. It could also be a combination of various reasons.

Apart from Shiba Inus, most other dog breeds eat grass. So, it’s an issue that affects most breeds, if not all.

That said, seeing your Shiba Inu scarf down on the grass and swallowing it raises concern, thus the need to know why they do it.

This guide on Shiba Inu eating grass will take you through why Shiba Inus eat grass and how to control it.

Why Does My Shiba Inu Like Eating Grass?

• Boredom
• Sickness
• Source Of Fiber
• To Play with Curiosity
• Help With Gastrointestinal Digestion
• Supplement Nutrition
• To Induce Vomiting

What’s more;

Boredom

Shiba Inu will eat grass out of boredom. Being a hunting breed, they like being busy and having something to do.

This can be a game or an enrichment activity to keep the mind busy and occupies. So, they often find something to do when they’re bored of being free.

This can contribute to your Shiba Inu eating grass. Shiba Inus are tenacious and thrive on attention and interaction. If you don’t give them proper attention, they’ll turn to destructive behaviors.

Sickness

Shiba Inu can turn to eat grass when they’re sick and don’t want food. However, this isn’t always the case when your canine friend feeds on grass.

Additional factors you can use to determine whether your Shiba is sick include diarrhea, lethargy, and vomiting.

If your Shiba Inu has a combination of any of the above or one sign among the above, you should be booking an appointment with your vet.

Source Of Fiber

Since Shiba Inus are omnivorous, which means they eat meat and veggies, they can also have some grass to act as a source of fibre.

Although grass adds your Shiba Inus barely any nutritional value, it may be an attempt to forage the fibre they miss in the body.

That said, Shiba Inu eating grass isn’t such a big cause of concern. However, if they’re doing too much of it, take the necessary action and consult what to do with your vet.

To Play with Curiosity

Shiba Inus are curious animals and want to experience everything. So, they might see it as good to try eating grass and see what happens.

In addition, Shiba Inus have a high energy level and are more active outside. This increases their need to experience things, including eating almost everything they encounter.

Shiba Inus that eat grass due to curiosity do it once or twice occasionally. However, if your canine friend does it daily, they may miss some nutritional value in their diet.

Help With Gastrointestinal Digestion

Since grass contains some plant fibre components, Shiba Inus might be eating it to help with gastrointestinal digestion.

As we all know, Shiba Inu have a sensitive stomach, which often affects stool formation. The grass may help your Shiba Inu develop and form a soft stool.

Grass fibre may be a cure when your Shiba Inu is experiencing gastrointestinal issues hence the attempt to cure themselves.

Supplement Nutrition

Shiba Inu are naturally intelligent and always want to think by themselves. So, they can assume that grass supplements their diet with additional minerals.

For example, most dogs often eat grass when they lack enough trace elements in the body. Although difficult, you should try to understand why your Shiba Inu is eating grass.

Supplement their diet with the necessary nutritional requirement. That is, your Shibas must food should meet the proper calorie requirement for their age.

To Induce Vomiting

Shiba Inu have crazy ways of achieving their wants. So, your canine friend can attempt eating grass when they’re experiencing stomach issues to induce vomiting.

So, anytime they have an upset or gassy stomach, they may rush to the yard where there is grass t try and induce vomiting.

All your Shiba Inus think when they have a stomach upset is to get rid of whatever is upsetting by removing it from the body, and vomiting is the only way to do so.

Should You Be Worried If Your Shiba Inu Is Eating Grass?

You shouldn’t worry when your Shiba Inu is eating grass. However, you can consult with your vet if the behavior is coupled with other sickness signs.

That said, the grass is probably among the least concerning things to keep your Shiba Inu away from.

Research identifies that veterinarians answer this question daily. This is because lots of dogs eat grass.

However, Shiba Inus shouldn’t eat treated grass. So, if you have recently treated your grass for fleas or some infection, don’t allow your canine to eat the grass.

Also, eating grass during a walk in some random place could cause poisoning to your Shiba Inus. That said, prevent your Shiba Inu from eating grass in areas where you guarantee safety.

Munching on grass treated with weed sprays or fertilizers could also be poisonous to your canine.

How To Stop Your Shiba Inus from Eating Grass

• Distracting Your Shiba Inu
• Redirect Them to A Tasty Alternative
• Increase supervision During Outside Time
• Train Them the Leave It Command
• Provide High-Quality Food

Let’s explore each;

Distracting Your Shiba Inu

Although your backyard isn’t a dog amusement park, you should always give your pet something to keep them busy and distracted.

Distracting your Shiba when you see them eat grass works like charms; however, you have to use something that you’re sure your Shiba Inu will like.

Shiba Inus are naturally independent and often want to do as they wish. However, you should learn some distraction tactics always to prevent bad behavior.

The distraction can be such a thing as a sprinkler. This works for both Shiba Inus and those who don’t love water.

Redirect Them to A Tasty Alternative

You can also try redirecting your Shiba Inu to a tasty alternative like a treat. You should always have some tasty treats in a position that is easily accessible.

Treats provide the best tasty alternative to redirect your Shiba Inu away from eating grass.

So, always keep a stash of treats that you only pull out to distract your Shiba Inu. However, be careful not to feed your Shiba Inu excess treats.

Shiba Inus are cheeky and can associate getting treats with eating grass; thus, they do it more for more treats.

Increase Supervision During Outside Time

Reduce the time spent outside by your canine friend without your supervision. Always keep an eye on what they do.

As soon as your Shiba starts eating grass, you can redirect them or ask them to stop it. Be consistent with your action when your Shiba Inu starts eating grass.

Watching your Shiba Inu closely allows you to correct behaviors you don’t want them to grow up with.

Also, you have plenty of time to correct your canine friend and instil good behavior. Besides, the more time you spend watching over your canine friend, the more you realize new ways of attacking problems.

Train Them the Leave It Command

Every Shiba Inu owner shouldn’t forfeit training their pooch friend on the “LEAVE IT” command. This will save you lots of trouble if you do it early enough.

If you have other dogs apart from Shiba Inus, you should train them this command when they’re still a puppy.

When your Shiba Inu grasps this command, they become easier to handle and control as you can smoothly command them.

Although Shibas are sometimes ignorant, they won’t ignore you all the time. In addition, if you emphasize the command, they’ll finally give in and stop eating grass.

Provide High-Quality Food

High-quality food, in this case, means a well-balanced diet. Shiba Inus can eat grass due to a lack of a balanced diet.

If you feed your Shiba Inu food that lacks enough fibre, they’ll experience stomach and digestion issues.

Dogs perceive eating grass as a solution to their stomach problems. If your Shiba Inus lacks a balanced diet, they may eat grass to supplement nutrition.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I Let My Shiba Inu Keep Eating Grass?

Shiba Inus, like other dogs, naturally eat grass and has never been a threat to their health. So, you should only worry about your Shiba Inu eating grass if they start doing it in excess.

The grass isn’t harmful to your Shibas body health. You can decide to stop your Shiba Inu from eating it or let them continue doing it; they won’t usually eat much of it, though.

Is Eating Grass a Physical Need in Shiba Inus?

Eating grass isn’t a physical need in Shiba Inus. However, Shiba Inus will keep eating grass for most of its lifetime.

Grass has no harmful effect on the dog’s body; it’s assumed that grass supplements some trace elements.

Final Thoughts on Shiba Inu Eating Grass

Shiba Inu have a habit of eating grass whenever they get the chance to do so. This makes most owners worry whether it can affect their Shibas health.

Thankfully, Shiba Inu eating grass has no dire consequences. Therefore, your Shiba Inu won’t fall sick after eating grass as they have always done it.

You should try to prevent your Shiba Inus from making it a habit to eat grass whenever they get the chance. That said, you should practice the strategies above, like redirection.

Also, training your Shiba Inus in the “Leave It” command can help in such scenarios.