One thing that is always forgotten when buying new things is how my pet’s toys will affect their teeth? Well with the help of VOHC and others we can help you find out!
Let us start off with the basics. What toys cause damage to the teeth?
- Bones (Animal or Synthetic)
- Sticks
- Rocks
- Yak milk chews
- Antlers
- Rawhides
- Tennis Balls
- Ice Cubes
How are these problematic? Well these toys specifically will cause wear and tear on their teeth creating problems such as painful or broken teeth. If this occurs the only way to fix it would be have an anesthetic dental procedure to remove the tooth causing the pain.
I know all our furry pups love most of these so it is not realistic to say never to give these toys to our pups. However the first step in prevention is knowledge. This means knowing about this and being able to watch for it while knowing what to look for can help you not have such a huge dental bill. Although it is hard to say no, these toys we would want to make sure our friends are not chewing on constantly and wearing down their teeth. You know your dog best so just be careful with your friends toys as all toys can have their own problems.
Written by: Ashley, VT
Resources:
VOHC – http://www.vohc.org/VOHCAcceptedProductsTable_Dogs.pdf
Cherry Hill Animal Hospital – https://www.cherryhillanimalhospital.com/blog/7-chew-toys-that-can-damage-your-dog-s-teeth
AHAA – https://www.aaha.org/globalassets/02guidelines/dental/dentalguidelines_chewtoy_final.pdf