I have been meaning to write this blog post about Stickyweed for a few weeks now, and I haven’t had the chance to forget to as I get reminded every time my dogs do an excellent impression of grazing cows at the hedge side! I am always amazed at their enthusiasm and determination to eat as much of the herb as possible! Whilst Stickyweed is good for dogs to eat and perfectly common, it is something to note as it could be one of the signs that your dog isn’t getting enough vitamins.
What is stickyweed?
Stickyweed is a very common herb and has a few common names: Cleavers, Clivers, Goosegrass or even, as described in Culpeper’s Complete Herbal book, ‘Bed Straw’! Its proper name is Galium aparine, but I am sure we all know what it is when we say ‘Stickyweed’!
Why do dogs eat stickyweed?
Dogs love eating Stickyweed/Goosegrass at the moment as all the new shoots are fresh and at their most nutritious, but why are they so transfixed on this herb? It is possible that when your dog is eating Clivers it is giving itself a bit of a spring clean, and that naturally it knows this is beneficial at this time of the year.
The downside is that for dogs to benefit from the nutrients in any plant it needs to be well broken down or pulped, so they need to chew it very thoroughly, which dogs don’t tend to do! Dorwest Herbs have a dog supplement that offers the essential benefits of Stickyweed listed below.
Clivers is one of the ingredients in our Keeper’s Mix® for dogs, and it is powdered so it will be able to be absorbed, along with the other 7 herbs in this super supplement. This dietary supplements for dogs can be easily added to food.
What are the benefits of dogs eating stickyweed?
According to Culpeper, it is thought to be excellent for:
- Cleansing the blood
- Strengthening the liver
- Getting the body in good health ready for the change in season.
In other more scientific publications, Clivers is stated to possess mild stringent properties. It contains iridoid glycosides, which are anti-inflammatory and anthraquinones, which are diuretic. Its uses include:
- Ointments for burns and ulcers
- (In France) As a poultice for sores and blisters
- Maintain and mildly increase the flow of urine
- Keeps the kidneys and bladder functioning well
- Helps to flush toxins from the system
In other words, it’s like a dog supplement!
Find out more about how dog food supplements can help your dog by getting in touch with our friendly team on 01308 897272 or use our contact form. Plus, get free UK delivery on orders over £50!
Recommended in this Blog
Keeper`s Mix For Dogs And CatsKeepers Mix is our most popular herbal supplement to maintain optimum health for dogs and cats.
This is a Dorwest Foundation product!
FROM: £13.90
29 thoughts on "Why is my dog eating ‘Sticky Weed’ / Clivers / Goosegrass"
Thanks for posting this my dog goes mad for stick weed. He previously had a problem with his liver so maybe he knows. Only problem is it does tend to make him sick
My German short haired pointer has always liked eating this at this time of year with no ill effects,I have wondered why he does & if it’s safe.
Its a foragers green vegetable, safe for humans too
I’ve just taken on a Greyhound that eats the plant and wondered why? My Lurcher is going to have some put in his food now after reading up on the benefits.
Thanks
Terry
My 11yr old bitch keeps eating chickweed as well as goose grass is the reasoning the same?
It might not be the plant that is making him sick, but rather that he’s eating it to help cure the sickness.
My horses love it, and my mare has just foaled and goes mad for it, I actually pick it for them, specially for the mare, as it is an anti-inflamatory, I wish there was more of it near my field!
My spaniel got coverd in stickyjacks.she ate some n a think they stuck she keeps swalling ate tons ov grass n every now n then funny noises. Her air way is free but its bin few hours now. Any advice add apprieate
My dogs never eat cleavers but they are obsessed with the fresh green shoots of Dogs Mercury, which from my research is extremely poisinous! It certainly works as a powerful emetic……in spite of our vigilance on walks in the woods we soon know if one of the dogs has managed to snatch a bit as within minutes they are violently sick…….however this does not deter them and if we aren’t careful they will graze on it with gusto!
Any ideas why?
We have had the same problem with five dogs, different breeds all attracted to it like magnets all year round, but particularly in spring when the green shoots are fresh and clearly more potent, it grows in woodland often alongside wild garlic.
I seriously wondered why my Peppy is so obsessed with stickyweed on a walk! Now I know he can munch on it ill leave him too it! Although he does have keepers mix every other day!
That’s interesting, generations of my labs have eaten this and also baby elm leaves. Any ideas about why they eat the baby elm? Thanks. Bx
This isn’t one we’ve heard of before – but we will look into it and let you know. – Ben
Thank you for explaining about the sticky weed I have been chasing my whippets away from it. I will leave them to eat it now I know. Wish somebody could help me stop my five month old eating other dogs poo!!!!! Horrible
Hi – our Whippets love sticky weed so much! Poo eating can be for two main reasons, lack of vitamins and minerals – our Keeper’s Mix is great for ensuring they have all the vitamins and minerals they need (including clivers!) so you could try adding that tho their feed. The other reason is out of habit – obviously when they are very young pups they are used to their mother’s cleaning up after them and this can cause a habit. Most grow out of it quickly but sometimes it can just be a case of ensuring they don’t have access to eat it in their garden, this can help break the cycle/habit. Hope this helps! Thanks for commenting on our article 🙂
This is great – my greyhound has been cruising the hedgerows for cleavers recently and I wondered what it was good for – I trust them to know! Also he and my Eurasia bitch are harvesting one particular type of grass – again in the hedgerows – they aren’t interested in any other, must be a special spring tonic. Thanks for the background information.
I,m well in to herbs in animal always used it on my horses but i never knew dogs liked sticky weed my gardens full of it cant keep it away my rottie wont touch it but my 10 yr old staffie we rescued 5 weeks ago today has been going mad for it hasnt eaten breakfast just that so i had to come search n make sure its ok glad i found this thanks guys n gals i,ll let her clear the garden of it lol
We have tons of this at the moment and I would like to give it to the dogs as a vegetable. Do I cook it lightly or just chop it up raw?
Yes! You can chop it up and add it raw to the food. Our dog’s love it!
I’ve never seen my dogs eat it, but one of them grazes on cow parsley leaves when it first appears, and snatches different vegetation as we go along ….
My dogs have never shown any interest in it, but have it in the hedgerow outside. Can I pick and add it to their food?
Yes it is fine to chop some up and put it with the food. Our dogs love it!
One of my spaniels grabs clumps of it when we’re out walking. I had wondered why and now I know! Thanks. It’s put my mind at rest that it’s ok.
My dog is hypo thyroid and goes mad eating goose grass and also forget me not leaves. Could he be self medicating.
It may be that your dog is ‘self-selecting’ these particular plants however we would be unable to comment as to whether this is for ‘medicating’ purposes or because of their hypothyroidism. Goose grass, or Clivers, are a popular choice amongst our office dogs at this time of year. Clivers are included in our Keeper’s Mix and are known to help spring clean the system, but also have benefits for the skin, bladder and kidneys. We are unable to advise on why they may be eating Forget-Me-Not leaves.
So interesting. All my whippets have eaten it – I never knew it was good for them.
They are also very keen on the leaves of Pulmonaria in the garden. It’s common name is Lungwort – always wondered if it does them good or harm ?
i downloaded a plant identification app where you take a picture of the plant and it gives the name. my cousins dog was eating a lot of one type of weed and i noticed and picked some and gave it to him. he was seeking it out in the grass so i could tell he liked it. i wanted to look it up to identify it, to see what it is and why he liked it so much. it looked like the picture above but smaller, like a weed. it identified it as “hedge bedstraw” and said it was toxic for animals. now i’m freaking out because i fed him it and if he gets sick & dies it will be my fault. then, i looked it up on google and i came here and it says it’s fine for dogs to eat. he was really enjoying it, but i know they will eat anything, wether it’s toxic or not. help me please!!
Hi Isabella – If it is Gallium album, then it has many health benefits for the dog, including helping to ‘spring clean’ the system. Many dogs will choose to eat this around this time of year. We can only offer advice on our own products but our Keeper’s Mix contains this species of Clivers and has been used for decades as a general health supplement. ‘Hedge bedstraw’ is a common name that is shared with other species of this type of plant which we are unable to offer advice on. If you are concerned about the dogs health at all we would recommend consulting a veterinarian.
My dog is munching on cow parsley leaves whenever she's in the fields. Is it safe for her??
Hi Lorraine – We do not have any information whether this would be suitable for a dog. We would recommend speaking to your vet regarding whether this is safe for dogs 😊