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My dog is swallowing repeatedly and eating grass. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 2 years old | 19 lbs

Snickers is swallowing repeatedly, kind of moving her head forward and swallowing, looking as though she has something caught in her throat, and she rushes over to eat grass when we let her out. She was ok through an hour or so nap and ate her dinner right beforehand and still has an appetite, just seemed quite uncomfortable. Do we need to do anything or just check on her regularly to make sure it's not getting worse?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 10th, 2018

Poor girl. Her repeated swallowing behavior and eating grass suggest that Snickers is likely nauseous. She may have eaten something that upset her stomach or may even have something caught in her throat. See if you can get her to open her mouth so you can take a peek towards the back of her throat for any foreign objects. IF she does not allow you to do so and otherwise seems fine, just let her rest tonight and get her examined in the morning by your regular vet if the problem continues. I have seen this a lot in dogs that have a stick stuck to the roof of their mouth, so a foreign object is highly suspected here. In most cases, if the pet isn't vomiting and still eating, the problem can be resolved with your vet's help. I hope that your fur baby Snickers gets some relief soon! Best wishes and take care.

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    Answered By Dr. Paula Simons

    Veterinarian

    Published on May 15th, 2017

    It sounds as though poor Pinklady may be nauseous. This type of behavior usually occurs when dogs have an upset stomach. She may have eaten something that did not agree with her or could have a bit of a stomach bug. I would recommend not letting her eat grass as this may only make the nausea worse. Withhold food and water for a few hours to let her stomach settle. Then, slowly reintroduce small amounts of water and gradually work up to a small meal. If this behavior continues and she still seems uncomfortable, I would recommend having her seen by a veterinarian.

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