In this blog we are going to talk about chews for dogs. Why are chews so good and what are chews anyway?
Chews come in many shapes and sizes. The best chews are often dried and made from animal bones, organs, or muscle meat. Natural snacks are only really natural and healthy when they contain no additives. Think of grains, sugars, fragrances, colors and flavors. These additions can have health consequences for a dog.
Chews provide hours or minutes of fun and distraction. Depending on the type of dog and the type of chew. The chew snack can contribute to the education of puppies. Think of a rest training. By giving a natural chew snack, a puppy learns to enjoy itself. In addition, chewing is stress-reducing for a dog. When a dog becomes overstimulated, it often bites and gnaws a bit. A chewing snack is a good distraction for this. Especially when it is eaten in his or her dog basket. Then the dog associates the chew with more rest. It is also useful for puppies and dogs that bite a lot on furniture or other objects in the house that should not be bitten. By giving them a chew, preferably in the puppy crate, the dog learns what he can chew on. This promotes good chewing behavior. Please note that you never give a chew snack without supervision of the dog.
Chewing snacks are also good for the teeth. To call it a toothbrush might be going a bit too far because you could also choose to really brush the teeth. However, chewing snacks do contribute to healthy teeth. Chewing the snack creates friction. This friction ensures that the teeth are clean because, among other things, it massages the teeth and removes plaque. Again, if you want to give a chew to clean your teeth, you should pay close attention to whether it is natural. Many of the larger brands abuse this and do everything they can to ensure that it is attractive to the owner, such as the price and what the chew snack looks like. Because these snacks are often full of additives, they are not good for your dog in the long term. In addition to keeping the teeth clean, chewing also activates digestive enzymes, so that the meal is better digested.
Finally, it is often claimed that the happiness hormone endorphins are produced when chewing. However, this has not been scientifically proven. We do see that when a dog is chewing well it gives them a euphoric feeling, you just see that the dog is enjoying it.
