Teething is uncomfortable and painful for puppies. Puppies that are teething will chew anything that provides relief. That means your hands, furniture, other pets and anything else within reach. There is no way to stop puppies from chewing. Instead, provide teething relief through appropriate chew toys and snacks that encourage extended chewing.
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Teething Toys
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There are many teething toys made specifically for puppies. They are often made of a softer plastic than adult dog toys. For this reason, puppies should be supervised when they chew a new teething toy. At some point, they will have enough adult teeth to bite chunks of plastic off of teething toys, which could then be swallowed. While the puppy has mostly puppy teeth, these toys provide a great deal of relief.
One popular teething toy for puppies is the Nylabone Puppy Bone. This is a durable plastic bone made of hard, flavored nylon. It is softer and more flexible than adult Nylabones. Only puppies with mostly puppy teeth can safely chew these bones. They come in a variety of sizes and most puppies enjoy chewing them.
Another popular type of teething toy is made of fabric designed to be soaked and frozen before giving the toy to a teething puppy. Just like parents often freeze infants' teething toys, pet owners can freeze these toys to provide extra teething relief for puppies. The cold helps to numb aching gums while puppies chew. In a pinch, a soaked and frozen washcloth will provide some relief, but using that trick too often will result in an adult dog that steals your washcloths when anxious or bored.
Edible Teething Chews
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Some products can provide teething relief as well as a tasty snack. These are good choices for times when a puppy must be left alone in a crate or safe room, because swallowing chunks of a product intended to be eaten won't harm the puppy.
Bully sticks are healthful and safe for puppies. These are made of dried steer pizzle. Repulsive as that image may be, bully sticks are excellent choices for teething relief. Not only are they more digestible than rawhide, they also provide glucosamine and chondroitin, which are critically important for the joints of growing puppies.
With supervision, puppies can chew and eat raw meaty bones. Never give cooked bones. A good raw meaty bone for a small to medium sized puppy is a chicken neck. Raw meaty bones are nutritious and safe if chewed with supervision. Never give a bone that is small enough to be swallowed whole. Don't feed kibble for 12 hours before or after giving a raw meaty bone.
Avoid rawhide and plush toys for teething puppies. Swallowing rawhide or stuffing could cause an impaction in the digestive system. This requires expensive surgery and could be fatal.
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