Why You Should Avoid Coffee Wood Sticks For Dogs
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Some dogs, and puppies especially, love to chew. It helps to strengthen their jaws and for puppies going through the teething process, chewing, like for human babies, can often relieve some of their discomfort. However not everything dogs chew is safe for them.
Coffee sticks have been a popular purchase for many from pet stores and online. They’re widely available and come in various sizes but are coffee wood sticks for dogs harmful? Our research has shown us that they can be and in this article we will delve into not only why coffee wood stick alternatives that are far better for your furry friend.
Click here to go directly to safer choices of dog chews.
Reasons to avoid coffee sticks for dogs
The following can be true for most sticks. Here are three reasons not to allow your dog to chew on coffee sticks:
1. Wooden splinters
Coffee wood, like many other sticks, can produce splinters that can end up causing a lot of injury and therefore pain, to dogs. They may appear safe but splinters can not only pierce the mouth and oesophagus but the abdomen and intestines too. This, in some cases, can be fatal.
Wood cannot be digested and this can go on to cause an abdominal obstruction leading to further complications, not to mention distress and expense.
2. Hardness
Some chew toys can cause serious damage to a dog’s teeth. In fact not only their teeth, but their gums too. So how do you know which chew toys are safe for your dog?
Well, Dr Beth Turner, a veterinarian, has a simple test that will help identify what is safe for your dog to chew on and what to avoid. Dr Turner says that ‘If you can’t indent the toy with your fingernail, then it’s too hard for your dog’s teeth.’
On the flip side however, if a toy or chew item is too soft then it can easily be broken into bits and swallowed. Smaller dogs may be okay with something that a stronger, bigger dog might disintegrate in less than a minute. So it’s important to know your dog and always keep an eye on them whilst chewing on objects.
Also, always remember to check chew toys regularly to see if they are still in tact. Any dents or cracks mean that your dog’s strong teeth and jaw bones may be able to break it up into smaller pieces.
3. Chocking Hazard
This one can actually apply to most undigestible items that dogs tend to enjoy chewing on. Chunks or bits from sticks, plastic toys, shoes, balls, rawhides and so much more can be swallowed by dogs.
Coffee sticks can also present a chocking hazard if a chunk of it gets lodged in your pet’s throat, a pretty frightening experience for pet owners.
(See below for our recommendations on chew toys that are a far safer choice for your pet.)
Dog owners negative experiences:
Unfortunately there are plenty stories of dog owners who have not had good experiences with coffee chew sticks. Take a look at what some of them have had to say:
‘Just a few minutes after offering this to our dog the first chew stick was splintering and our dogs gums were bleeding(!!?!) A few days later I offered the 2nd stick – and within a few minutes the same thing happened. The sticks I received splinter easily into really hard shards. My dog is a Labrador mix, he is a chewer… but not what I would consider an aggressive chewer.’ – Amazon reviewer
‘However, the “coffee wood” chew, although initially successful when she gnawed on the end, suddenly began to splinter, and potentially could have been quite hazardous as the splinters were hard and sharp. I was particularly concerned as my pup was only 5 months old and so her jaw muscles are nowhere near as strong as an adult dog. I suspect an older dog could have been a lot more destructive.’ – Foundation Dog Training
‘ This is what happened 10 minutes or less after I gave it to them and these are small dogs. They are between 10 and 15 lbs and 2 are 8 months and the 4 year old momma is only a 12 lb dog. Ridiculous. This could kill them.’ – Amazon reviewer referring to splinters from coffee wood sticks.
‘I gave it to my Lab puppy and he cracked it within 30 seconds. A piece was going down his throat. Hopefully it was an isolated incident and it was defective in some way. Wouldn’t want anyone else to get a scare like that.’ – Amazon reviewer
Now, not all reviews on coffee wood sticks were bad but would you honestly want to give your dog something that has the potential to cause serious harm?
I know I would much rather steer clear and give my dog something without the worry of it causing him, or her, damage. So with that in mind, here are some great, SAFER, chew options that you could give to your pet.
Safe alternatives to coffee wood sticks for dogs
Some dogs chew to relieve boredom or anxiety, some because they simply love to chew. Ensuring that your dog is given something safe to chew will not only give you peace of mind but keep your pet from coming to serious harm, not to mention save you money in the long run.
Here are safer alternatives to coffee wood sticks that your pooch will love:
Purina Veterinary Diets Dental Chewz – Approved by the Veterinary Oral Health Council (VOHC)
Related article:
So there you have it!
Hopefully you have found this article useful. If you have, please share it! The more pet owners that know that coffee sticks for dogs aren’t the best, the better.
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