Let’s first talk about WHY your pet might be chewing on furniture, shoes, clothes, trash, sticks…you get the idea. Knowing that can help us address the underlying reasons for chewing and help get your furniture (and your sanity) some relief!
Below are common reasons pets chew on things they shouldn’t and what you can do to help!
Boredom
Like all of us, pets do better when they keep their minds and bodies active. A great remedy for this is to keep your pets active and busy (anyone who has had a toddler can relate). Here are some places to start
– Walks– walks offer not only physical activity and muscle building, but are also great mental stimulation. All the sights, smells, and sounds will give keep your pet interested and curious. With time and patience, many cats can also be harness trained and can join you for a romp around the block too! Ask your veterinarian how much, how often, and what type of exercise might be best for your pet.
– Training – Another great way to curb unwanted behaviors and boredom is with training sessions. We all love lazy weekend days, but imagine never having to do ANYTHING. That would leave us quickly looking for something to do! Training gives your pet a mental task in their otherwise likely calm day. Ideally these are about 5 minutes for puppies and kittens but can be repeated throughout the day if time and schedule allows. For adults, training sessions can slowly increase to an hour or more if you and your pet enjoy it. Starting with simple commands like sit, stay, come, lie down etc. These can slowly grow into more complex routines. The sky is the limit! There are great free online resources, local training classes, and personal trainers who can help get you started.
– Other enrichment – Life, job, and health conditions of owner and pets can sometimes limit the ability to walk or spend alot of time training. Luckily, there are several things we can do to keep our fuzzy friends from boredom. Check out your local pet store or favorite online retailer for different puzzle toys, snuffle mats, etc. Another free option is to hide small amounts of food or a small treat in various locations around the house. Think under the bed, behind a couch pillow, in odd rooms of the house, etc.. This is particularly rewarding for cats as it allows them to express their natural desire to go “hunting” around their environment. For cats, consider hiding their “prey” on a safe surface up high such as on a windowsill, top of a refrigerator or washing machine, cat tree, etc.
It’s a natural behavior- that can be worst when young or teething
Animals learn, taste, and relax by chewing (fidget spinners are out when you don’t have thumbs). In the wild this might be grass, sticks, bones, etc. This is especially true of young animals who learn alot about their world through their nose and mouth. Kittens and puppies between 4 and 9 months of age may seem to suddenly chew even more! This is because they are losing their baby teeth and growing in their new adult teeth. Extra chewing not only provides comfort to sore or uncomfortable gums, but it is also very important in helping to get rid of the baby teeth and get the new adult teeth in.
The solution here is to give them things they CAN safely chew on. And in the case of puppies/kittens – hang in there! It is almost certain to get better in the next several weeks!
– Rawhides are very satisfying to many pets, but can present a choking or intestinal blockage hazard once they get down to the “end”. The pet tries to swallow the last little bit but ends up . If owners choose to use rawhides, I recommend only giving them when owners are at home- just to be safe.
– Rawhide alternatives- because of the risk of blockage or choking, many “rawhide free” alternatives have come on the market. These are made of more easily dissolved materials so that even if your chewer swallows a bigger piece than they should, it is very likely to dissolve and pass through easily.
– Fillable toys – these toys are often made of sturdy rubber or plastic and have a hollow part that can be filled with a treat of your choice. If your pet is a healthy weight with no allergies, peanut butter or canned/spreadable cheese are some of my favorites. If your pet does have allergies or is already overweight, sometimes I recommend low calorie greek yogurt, vegan whipped “cream” (for my allergy patients), or even baby food. Ask your veterinarian what a good choice might be if your pet has any health concerns. Pro-tip – stick it in the freezer for a few hours to increase the challenge and keep your pooch busy for a little longer.
– Frozen treats – Which brings us to frozen treats! Many of us have noticed that our pets love ice cubes. These tend to be safe and fun options that will keep pets busy for a minute or two. Consider making a homemade “popsicle” by taking a piece of fruit or veggie putting it in a small bowl of water, and freezing it. Or consider freezing a small bowl of low sodium chicken broth. Depending on your pet’s size and determination, this can keep them busy for quite some time.
– Raw bones – Raw bones are excellent in helping maintain teeth and remove tartar and generally most pets LOVE them. They tend to be very safe in that a raw bone is actually very unlikely to splinter or make shards. If a chunk is swallowed, raw bones are generally quickly digested by stomach acid and rarely cause problems. However, any raw material can rot and by definition will be at an increased risk for bacterial infection. Here in Arizona, I caution my owners that if a raw bone gets carried outside in summer, it needs to be tossed ASAP – we don’t want a breeding ground for germs. Please beware of smoked or dehydrated bones. These are actually much more likely to splinter into sharp pieces and cause damage to the mouth esophagus, and stomach.
– Non-edible Chew toys – there are seemingly thousands of chew toys on the market, and the truth is, there is no perfect style or material for all pets. Here are some things to consider a few common types.
– stuffed toy with or without a squeaker – can work great for many, but if your pet opens the toy and starts taking out stuffing or the squeaker, it’s time to throw it away – and maybe avoid that type of toy in the future as stuffing and squeakers are common causes of intestinal obstruction in dogs.
– Rope toys- chewing on rope toys and even playing tug of war can be a great way to play with your pet – or for your pet to play with another furry sibling. But when that rope gets frayed or if you notice your pet trying to eat or swallow any part of the toy, it’s time to replace the toy or try a different style.
– Insert a water-bottle – many pets love the crunchy sound they get from this type of toy. The same rules apply. If the water bottle starts to fall apart or your pet really wants to eat the water bottle out of it- choose a different type of toy.
– Balls – dual action for fetching and chewing? Yes please! But once the ball becomes cracked or chipped, it’s time to replace. Fun fact: the “hair” on a tennis ball is actually very abrasive to teeth and can cause extreme wearing of teeth over just a couple years. If your pup is obsessed with the tennis ball, try substituting with a racquetball instead to help preserve those pearly whites.
– plastic/nylon chew toys- many strong chewers and their owners love the durability of plastic or nylon bones. Most have some sort of labeling from gentle to extremely strong chewer or a number system to indicate the hardness of the toy. My general recommendation is to avoid the products labeled as the hardest level. These bones are actually harder than teeth in some cases and I have seen many pets with cracked teeth from chewing these super hard options.
– Antlers, bully sticks, chicken feet, oh my! – there are tons of tasty animal-based chews available and they are usually ok. Chicken feet and bully sticks are usually smoked or dehydrated but do not seem to cause problems often. As always, monitor your pet when they are eating something other than food. I do NOT recommend deer antlers as they are harder than teeth and I have seen many fractured teeth after chewing deer antlers.
Anxiety
Finally, while some chewing is normal and expected, excessive chewing can be indicative of a true behavioral disorder such as anxiety, separation anxiety, and noise phobia. In these cases, we are unlikely to see improvement in the chewing behavior, even with the above techniques, without help from medication and specific training.
Examples of abnormal chewing include but are not limited to:
– Pets who chew through (or attempt to chew through) the bars of their kennels, etc. especially when owners are absent
– Pets who chew into walls or doors, especially when owners are absent or when there are thunderstorms, fireworks, etc.
– Pets who show no chewing behavior except when their owners are absent – Chewing preferentially on owners or the clothing they are currently wearing
If your pet exhibits any of these signs- or any other concerning signs, please talk to your veterinarian. Anxiety disorders are common and can seriously affect the quality of life of both pets and their human family members. Luckily, we often see great improvement with the right medication and targeted training. It is important to note that in many anxiety disorders, training alone will NOT work. It has been shown that the brains of both animals and people are physically incapable of learning when they are in a “fight or flight state” or “panic mode”. Many owners come to me after thousands of dollars of training but the problem is not any better. They are shocked to learn that medication is crucial in these cases to lower fear threshold and put the panic at bay, so that training will actually work. On the other side, medication alone is often not sufficient for long term success without some training.