Dog suddenly eating leaves

[TheBlahWitchProject]

Hi, I have a 5 year old labradoodle. She has been eating grass a lot on our walks recently but yesterday she was eating dried fallen leaves in the garden when we got home. She is generally fit and healthy and walked 4 miles daily. She has a lovely life with lots of attention and isn’t left on her own much. She is otherwise eating her normal food twice daily. I’m a bit worried as she kept going to the back door yesterday and desperately wolfing down dried leaves that had dropped from the trees in the garden. There has been no change in circumstances or her routine and no stress. The only thing is that a dog tried to attack her out of the blue a couple of days ago on her walk but my husband managed to push it away, so no injuries. Thanks for your thoughts/opinions 🐶

[pigsDOfly]

A lot of dogs, mine included like to eat grass.

When she's well, she will chew off the tops of the wide/flat sweet grass. This is done in a leisurely manner and the grass is carefully selected. It never results in vomiting and is not a sign of ill health.

When she's unwell and feeling sick - she has pancreatic flare ups from time to time - she will bark frantically at the door to be let out, only to rush into the garden and start grabbing at any of the short grass on the lawn, almost cropping it like a sheep.

This sometimes makes her vomit, generally it doesn't, but she will repeat the behaviour over and over. When this happens I know she's in pain, feeling sick and needs to see the vet.

The leaf eating sounds as if something is going on with your dog.

In your shoes I'd see how she goes for a couple of days and if it doesn't stop I'd speak to my vet.

It could be absolutely nothing, but any change of behaviour in a dog is always worth checking out.

[TheBlahWitchProject]

Thanks, I think we’ll go to vets tomorrow. She doesn’t seem her normal self today but still showed interest in her normal food

[pigsDOfly]

My dog will often still eat when she's not well, it's only when she's really ill that she stops eating.

Hope your dog feels better soon.

[LimeJellyHead]

Sometimes my dogs do this. They will look for anything in the garden that is dried up and relatively edible... like old dried up leaves etc... I think they do it if they have a tummy discomfort. Years ago one of my dogs had awful trouble with tummy aches and trapped wind and he would eat anything dry that he could get his paws on... leaves, dust bunnies, even his wicker toy box.