What to Look for in Dog Chew Toys | Print |  E-mail
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Animals - Dogs
Written by Kim Fleming   
Wednesday, 12 March 2008
Dog chew toys are some of the best gifts you can get yourself and your dog. Dogs have the natural inclination to chew. Toys for chewing are the best solution to stop them from gnawing on your shoe, sofa, bags and clothes. At the same time, chew toys can help decrease pet anxiety and prevent accidental swallowing of foreign objects. Your dog's enjoyment, safety and satisfaction, however, depend on finding the right toys.
by KimFleming

Choose the Right Size

Different dogs are in different sizes, and you should choose just the right size toy for your dog. If the toy is too big, many dogs do not want to play with it at all. On the other hand, however, if the toy is too small, you dog might accidentally swallow it and choke on it. So, you really should know about your dog's breed and size very well to pick the right toy size. Fortunately, many reputable dog toy manufacturers often have detailed description on the toy label to help you decide if the toy is for your pet.

Overall Safety

Needless to say, the safety features of the chew toys should be thoroughly considered when you choose them. Dependent on your dog's breed, a chew toy that is too hard might damage his teeth. If the toy is too soft, however, it might bring about accidental ingestion of torn or chipped parts. It is a general rule that you should avoid chew toys with small beads, buttons, strings, wire, bells and fake fur. Even a mild-tempered dog could rip off small parts and swallow them, resulting in choking, mouth wounds, and damage to the intestines and constipation.

Appropriate Variety

It would not be such a good idea to have a whole box of dog chew toys but you should at least have a handful of them. Dogs do eventually get bored if they only have one kind of chew toy. To avoid this, you should rotate chew toys. It would also be a good idea to occasionally give your dog chew toys with edible treats in them. This will encourage your dog to play with them.

Durability of Toys

Chew toys are not pet nannies so you should at least keep an occasional eye at your dog while he is at play. This will help you respond faster in case your dog is about to ingest a non-edible part.

From time to time, you should check the status of the chew toys. A defective or partly damaged toy could become a health risk for your dog. Replace toys that have tears, partly dislodged parts or extremely worn out surfaces.

Asking the Vet

If you are not sure whether a chew toy is appropriate for your dog, the first person you should consult is your veterinarian. He might even be able to recommend good toy brands or retailers.

As said, dog chew toys can bring enormous benefits to a dog's physical and psychological health. With all the tips discussed in this article, you are certainly able to pick up toys that are not just enjoyable but also safe to your pet.

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