Pet dental hygiene
Both cats and dogs chew as part of keeping their teeth healthy. Even rodent pets chew as part of their dental hygiene. If your pet is chewing on cords, you should take them to the vet to have their teeth, and their diet, checked.
A note for our readers: If you have an urgent question and are unable to ask your veterinarian, you can use the Ask a Vet service that will give you access to a veterinarian for 7 days for $1.
After all this schooling, Dr. Stephanie packed her things, her beloved Labrador & fluffy cat, and made the big move to the USA. She lives and practices at a clinic in the “big apple.”
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Dr. Stephanie received her Bachelor of Science (Maj. Vet tech) from the University of Queensland, Australia, in 2006. After graduation, she moved to the other side of her beautiful, sunny country, to the most isolated city in the world (Perth, Australia), to begin her veterinary degree at Murdoch University. 5 years later, she received a dual degree in Veterinary Biology and Veterinary Medicine and Surgery.
Chewing comes naturally to dogs. It’s one of the ways dogs relieve boredom and loneliness, as well as stress and anxiety. So, allowing your dog to chew on his toys is an excellent way of keeping medical conditions like separation anxiety at bay.
According to PetMD, chewing power cables’ immediate risk is that your dog could get shocked in the process. Some of the tell-tale signs of shock from chewing electrical wires include burns around the dog’s mouth, elevated heart rate, shortness of breath, and muscle tremors. In severe cases, the dog might also develop seizures.
Also, chewing is a dog’s way of releasing his pent-up energy. In the process of chewing, a dog can burn plenty of calories, which is instrumental in keeping him fit. Chewing is also a perfect way of redirecting your dog’s aggression. It can serve as a welcome distraction to overly aggressive dogs.
Evidently, chewing comes with tons of health benefits to dogs. Your only concern should be what your canine friend chews. If you’ve owned a dog long enough, you must have observed a tendency in him to chew electrical cords.
¿Why Dogs BITE on ELECTRICAL Cords? (What Should You Do)
Your dog may like to chew, but putting electrical cords in his mouth can be more than a nasty habit — he could be injured or even killed if he receives enough shock. There are methods to protect both him and electrical wires from the consequences of a poor decision.
Keep the cords out of your dogs reach. Rather than allow them to lay on the floor, elevate them on a table, computer desk or window sill where they are not easily seen or touched by your pooch. Duct tape them to a wall, or use cord clips that attach to the back of furniture.
Block your dogs access to the power cords. Place them behind or under furniture where he cant see them — or get his mouth around them. Use specialty products geared toward protecting the cords — and your pet — such as a cable turtle or cord cover, both of which hide the cords from your dogs access.
Give your dog something else to chew on that will appeal to his taste buds. A chew toy or rawhide bone can give his teeth the chewing relief he needs — especially younger dogs — but keep your power cords safe. Rotate toys in and out so he does not become bored with what he has.
Apply an unpleasant-tasting compound — such as hot pepper sauce or Bitter Apple — to the cord. Allow your dog to get a taste of it before taking the cord away from him with a firm “no” to reinforce both the icky taste and that he is not allowed to chew on the cord.
Do not leave your dog unattended until he has completed training to leave the cords alone, and do not allow him access to the whole house. Close doors to rooms where he can sneak in and freely chew on electrical cords. If necessary, restrict him to one area of the house — such as a portion of the kitchen — where there are no cords as you continue training.
Lori Lapierre holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in public relations/communications. For 17 years, she worked for a Fortune 500 company before purchasing a business and starting a family. She is a regular freelancer for “Living Light News,” an award-winning national publication. Her past writing experience includes school news reporting, church drama, in-house business articles and a self-published mystery, “Duty Free Murder.”