What is the importance of chewing for dogs?
The Importance of Chewing for Dogs
Dogs explore the world with their mouths. Every dog naturally has the need to chew on something. Since you probably don’t want your beloved four-legged friend to start chewing on your furniture, fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives for dogs to satisfy their chewing needs. One of these alternatives is chew treats. In this blog, you will learn more about the importance of chewing and how chew treats play a role in this.
Chewing Cleans the Teeth
Just like in humans, plaque forms on dogs’ teeth due to leftover food particles. If plaque is not removed, it can turn into tartar. Bacteria from food residues easily attach to tartar, which can lead to inflammation of a dog’s gums (also called gingivitis). It is therefore very important to keep your four-legged friend’s teeth clean. A chew treat can help with this. A treat that a dog has to chew on for a longer time helps scrape plaque off the teeth. Additionally, chewing stimulates saliva production, which releases collagen protein. Collagen helps dissolve plaque. You will also notice that your dog’s breath improves through chewing.
View the full range of chew treats
Calming Effect
Besides being good for dental health, chewing on a chew treat also has a calming effect on your four-legged friend. Chewing triggers the release of endorphins in a dog’s brain. Endorphins are known as the happiness hormone and create a feeling of calm. They also reduce anxiety and aggression.
What many people don’t know is that dogs naturally have a chewing urge especially after a meal. When you let your dog chew on a chew treat after eating, it satisfies not only physical hunger but also mental hunger. This results in a relaxed and content dog.
Chew Treats Help Prevent Destructive Chewing
It is clear by now that dogs love to chew. By regularly providing your dog with a tasty chew treat, you prevent your dog from taking out their chewing needs on other materials like your furniture or favorite shoes.
Different Types of Chew Treats
To satisfy a dog’s natural chewing urge, it is important to choose a treat that keeps your dog busy for a while. How long your dog spends chewing on a chew bone depends on the size of your dog and the type of chew bone. For example, a Jack Russell will be happily occupied with a piece of bully tendon, but a German Shepherd will finish it quickly. It is recommended to always choose a larger bone to reduce the risk of choking.
There are many different types of chew treats available, so there is a suitable snack for every kind of dog. Do you have a very enthusiastic chewer? Then choose tough snacks like trachea, beef ears with a kick, tendons, yellow hair, and various types of cowhides. If you have a smaller dog, a young dog, an older dog, or a dog with less chewing need, choose snacks like lung, tripe, neck, rabbit ears, and duck or chicken feet.
Chewing on a tasty chew treat is not only a treat for your dog, but it also serves a very useful function and brings many benefits.
Prima Diervoeding offers a wide range of natural chew treats so you can responsibly spoil your dog. View the full assortment here.
