Monday, August 31, 2009

The Truth About Dog Chew Toys

By Kim Fleming

The benefits of dog chew toys are just obvious. They not only help your dog to have fun, but also contribute to the health of his teeth and gum and prevent him from chewing your property. However, different dogs need different toys, and you need to get the right one for your pet.

The Size Is Important

The size is the first important thing in choosing a chewing toy, as it relates to the safety of your pet. If the product is too big, your dog may not like it at all. On the other hand, if the toy is too small, he might accidentally swallow it and choke on it. You really should know about your dog's breed and size well to get the right toy size. Many reputable toy manufacturers will have clear warnings on their labels and experienced shop assistants are sure to give you lots of useful advice too.

Safety First And Foremost

Apart from the size, you also need to make sure that the toy is neither too hard nor too soft. Hard texture may damage the teeth of your dog while excessively soft toys might lead to accidental ingestion of torn or chipped parts. You also need to avoid toys with small beads, buttons, strings, wire, bells and fake fur. Chances are you puppy will swallow all these small pieces, which in turn will result in choking, mouth wounds and even damage to the intestines and constipation.

Pick a Variety of Toys

I am not encouraging you to keep a full box of dog chew toys, but it is a good idea to have several varieties so that you can rotate them and your pet will not easily get bored. You may also like to occasionally give your puppy toys with edible treats in them to encourage him to play with these toys.

Be Watchful While Your Dog is Playing With His Toy

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.

Watch out for the toys, too. All objects have their own life span, and the signs of wear or tear are suggesting to you that you might need to replace that toy. Otherwise, you could be risking your dog's health or even life, no joke!

Listen To Your Veterinarian

You don't have to talk to your veterinarian only when your pet is sick. Many veterinarian have very good knowledge about dog toys and can give you great recommendations on brands or retailers.

As you can see, in selecting dog chew toys, we should never sacrifice safety for fun. In the end, giving him toys is our way to show our love and affection. Because of the love, we want our pets to be both happy and healthy.

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