Blog-Wa, the Dog-Wa Blog

If you are familiar with Dog-Wa, then you know that the product was developed in response to that perennial question, why do dogs and cats eat grass.

We conducted extensive research, and found general consensus on the point that fresh, leafy greens are an essential part of a healthy diet for dogs and cats.

Other than that, research and critical thinking about the tendency of dogs to eat grass are in disarray.

There are studies that indicate that nearly all dogs do eat grass – 89% in the most recent study I’ve surveyed. Since a relatively small number of the dogs that eat grass actually go on to vomit the coarse grass, researchers are confused as to whether some dogs eat grass to induce vomiting, whether the grass actually contains trace elements and nutrients that are missing from their diet, whether they simply like grass, whether there is an ancestral, instinctive “urge to purge” by eating roughage, some combination of all of the above, or none of the above.

Many authorities agree that since dogs and cats who eat grass are gaining nutrients through ingestion of vegetable matter, it is likely that they are seeking to balance their diets through the positive nutrition provided by fresh greens. All scientists agree that dogs and cats are unable to fully digest and absorb the nutrients found in grass. And all authorities agree that grass does not appear to be harmful.

Since this question never seems to go away, we follow this issue in the scientific literature, in dog-related articles and web postings, and with our Dog-Wa spokesperson and veterinarian, Dr. Jane Leon.

In perusing the internet, I have run across one posting in several locations. In responding to the “why” part of the question, the writer argues that there is no “why” because dogs are not capable of reason. The idea seems to be that dogs just have an instinct to eat grass, so they eat grass. The posting states that “dogs have never been shown to possess intelligence.”

There is no back-up for this position.

As a long-time dog lover, and a person who has been around dogs nearly all of my life, I find this statement incomprehensible.

Every dog lover I know has a seemingly unlimited number of stories that indicate signs of canine intelligence. I’m sure that our readers could contribute more stores than I could ever read. But what does it mean for an animal to possess intelligence?

Intrinsic to the concept of intelligence is at least a limited ability to reason. Reasoning, in turn, is based upon retention of memory. In order to be able to draw distinctions between “this” and “that,” an animal must be able to distinguish the two, and the only way to draw meaningful distinctions is to retain a memory of what makes something unique. Recognition and the cognitive functions depend upon retention of memory.

A recent article from the BBC reports that baby chicks can do basic arithmetic, according to researchers in Italy. The article explains how the experiment was conducted, then points out that baby chicks appear to be the youngest animals that have been shown to understand the basics of arithmetic. Baby chicks thus join many non-human primates and monkeys that appear to be able to count. The article also notes that domestic dogs can perform simple addition.

The ability to perform mathematical calculations implies that an animal has a reasoning ability, which in turn suggests retention of memory.

Personally, I’ve never understood how people can question whether animals possess intelligence. But every once in a while, I run across someone who wants to argue the point. If that every happens to you, then next time you get into a debate about “how smart dogs are,” this should be another item in your arsenal.