Problems with Super Chewer

[CooperLove]

Cooper (my 10 month cavie) is a super chewer. He has to have super duty Kong and Nylabone. He will eat the regular ones.

The problem is that he loves fabric toys. I can't give them to him because he destuffs them and then eats them. He tears off pieces and swallows them. He also has a blanket that he drags around the house like Linus from Charlie Brown. He even pulls it up on the couch with him and drags it in and out of the dog door. He has recently begun to eat this. I am going to have to take it away from him I think.

He is not that interested in hard chew toys. When he is, he immediately "buries" them by placing them on a pillow or in my purse. He never really chews on them, just saves them for later.

The only way I can distract him from dangerous chewing is to give him a large chewy dog treat (like chicken jerky) and let him gnaw on that awhile.

Otherwise, he likes to play ball. But he still loves the chewing.

I am afraid he is going to get a blockage. It is a wonder he hasn't. I find all kinds of things that have passed through his digestive track in the backyard.

I really don't want to take his blanket.

Any hints on training him not to eat his blanket?

[Zumie05]

Have you tried raw frozen bones? Coco LOVES these, gnaws them forever, even after all the goods are off the bone Usually fresh out of the freezer I only let her have it for 30 minutes or so until I take it away and put it back in the freezer. After 2 - 3 sessions the meat is pretty much off and the bone is clean, then I throw it away. I get mine from my local butcher in a big ol' bag, its really inexpensive too.

There are also durable soft toys for super chewers called "Tuffies"! Try checking them out. Little more pricey, but they last. My last dog was a Rottweiler and he had Larry the Lobster

http://www.tuffietoys.com/larry-lobster

[Ddavis]

Cooper sounds like quite a character! Would love to see how he drags his linus blankie around .

Not to put a damper on things, I do know of a Cavie that loved to chew material and unfortunately it did cause major complications to her intestines and the vet was not able to save her! So I would say, rather be safe than sorry!

[Kate H]

Cooper's chewing probably started when he was teething (usually the adult teeth are through by about 8 months) and it's now become a pleasant habit. Chewing the stuffing out of soft toys can be really dangerous, as some stuffing is toxic for dogs (and for babies too, but they don't chew quite so hard!), something like Tuffies sounds a good alternative. I would suggest that you stop him chewing what could cause problems by removing it and offering him a toy or chew that he CAN have and praising when he takes it. You'll need to be really consistent, and not leave any unacceptable chewing things with him when you can't supervise - a kong might keep him amused when he's left alone?

Also, have you checked that Cooper's actually lost his baby teeth - Cavaliers are one of the breeds who may retain their baby teeth when the adult teeth have come through. An uncomfortable mouth (not necessarily painful but rather over-full of teeth!) might make him a super-chewer.

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Chamberlain]

Also, have you checked that Cooper's actually lost his baby teeth - Cavaliers are one of the breeds who may retain their baby teeth when the adult teeth have come through. An uncomfortable mouth (not necessarily painful but rather over-full of teeth!) might make him a super-chewer.

Oh great something else to worry about! lol

[love2driveinct]

Do you stuff his Kongs with treats, etc?

[Kate H]

Oh great something else to worry about! lol

It happened with my black and tan - I only noticed when he got two lots of fangs on both sides and looked like a werewolf or something! He didn't worry at all, but if left they could have pushed his adult teeth out of line and caused later problems, so he had the baby ones taken out. Not a major problem - for a change!

Kate, Oliver and Aled

[Jasper and Holly]

both mine love soft toys too, but they haven't pulled them apart. I would say the same as Alisha. Cooper needs bones. I give my two turkey necks and chicken frames and beef soup bones which lasts for ages. They love them. The necks and frames are only soft and but the soup bones are just for their teeth. Never leave them with a bone always supervise. So far mine have been great no problems. Except Jasper always shakes off his snood.lol

[mommytoClaire]

Oh boy, do I hear you.

My Claire is a Super Chewer TOO!! She has managed to destroy every stuffed toy we have in the house hold. My 12 year old Cocker would just carry stuff around, but Claire managed to chew up every single one of his toys (he doesn't care, he's old and blind now, so he doesn't play with them).

I even tried destuffing the soft toys, but she pulls hunks of material off and like your Cooper EATS them. So, everything has been thrown away. I even have one bone that is rubber, and supposed to be 'tough', that she has managed to bit little pieces off. Thankfully she hasn't started destroying her blankets yet.....

Claire had retained one baby tooth, which we had pulled when she was spayed. I've often wondered if she started her chewing before that because it helped ease the pain of the two teeth side by side. And now it's just a habit. I do let her chew on a very hard chemical free USA rawhide, but only supervised.

Who knows why some are this way, but I've been advised by several people to try a baby kong, and fill with some peanut butter and freeze it. Also, the marrow bones seem to work for many of my friends. I haven't tried them yet.

[waldor]

Coco ..... gnaws them forever, even after all the goods are off the bone

She is going for the marrow of the bone, which is good for them.

Have you tried one of the elk antlers for her? I was advised to only allow the dog to chew on them for no more than an hour a day, which is no problem with our Sophie as a ten-minute chew is enough for her, or their teeth will wear down to nubs.

The dried beef tendons are good also, as they are low in fat and don't cause diarrhea. A nice rawhide would be good, too. We only purchase thick flat rawhide squares, and we make sure it is grown and processed in the USA (if that is where you live), or a source that is known to be safe and agreeable to Cavalier tummies. Stupid me, I tried a rawhide stick from Whole Foods with Sophie, made in either Thailand or Taiwan (a 'T' country) and a $200 vet bill later and not-quite-intestinal-blockage, I learned my lesson. The smaller, independent dog 'boutiques' often have the good stuff. Otherwise, buy carefully online.

Sophie cannot chew any form of NylaBone/Galileo product. The bits she ingests cause horrible diarrhea. Ugh.... She is prone to IBS or colitis.

Fortunately, she outgrew a lot of her aggressive chewing by the time she was 18 months old.