This article answers a very common question asked by dog owners- Why Does My Dog Whine When Chewing a Toy?
Dogs love chewing toys, and in fact, there are many chew toys recommended to be given to these pets. Chewing has many benefits as they help their teeth and jaws remain active.
It also helps puppies during their teething period and always keeps them engaged. However, you expect your dog to refrain from whining while chewing a toy.
Many questions will run through your mind when this happens, like the reason for this act and what you can do to stop this whining, as it may mean your furry friend is in pain.
The reason for the whining can be either good or bad. It will be good when it indicates your dog wants to play and is excited about the toy; it can also be harmful if it means your dog is going through teeth problems or the toy is too hard.
This article will explain why your dog whines while chewing a toy mad and highlight some ways to take care of this problem.
Why Does My Dog Whine When Chewing a Toy?
There are many reasons your little pet may whine when chewing a toy, which may either be good or bad and need medical attention. These reasons can be:
Teething period
This reason applies to puppies undergoing teething, which can cause them to whine while chewing. Teething usually takes place in puppies between 3 weeks to about 6 months; they experience pain and discomfort in the teeth and gums. To help with the pain, these puppies chew on toys.
Dogs go through teething periods twice in their lifetime – first during the appearance of baby teeth and another when the adult teeth come out.
During the teething period, as the puppy chews on toys, it feels pain and whines. There are so many ways to help your puppy get through the pain.
Play mood
Sometimes, dogs do not want to play alone and may want you to play with them. The only way of getting your attention and declaring your interest is by whining.
When you notice your dog is whining when chewing toys, you can try to play with it. Playing with your dog is one way of bonding with your furry friend. You can even use the same opportunity to train your dog on chewing habits.
Excitement
Whining when the chewing toy can be your dog communicating excitement to you. This excitement can be due to the treats that come with chew toys like Kong chew toys, the delicious flavor of the toy, relief of boredom and frustration, or mere happiness that it is playtime.
To know if excitement is the reason for your dog’s whining when chewing a toy, you should watch other reactions, like jumping around and carrying the toy from place to place.
Wild instincts
Your pet may be domesticated, but it still has wild instincts. Just like wild animals carry their prey to their homes for eating, your dog is trying to do the same. When the toy makes a noise like a squeak, it feels like it has caught something. The feeling satisfies its wild instincts and gets it thrilled.
Dental problems
Whining when chewing a toy can signify your dog is experiencing a dental problem causing pain and discomfort. Dental problems can be broken teeth, infected gum, or other dental issues. These dental problems can cause lots of pain and discomfort to your pet.
It may be difficult to detect which dental problem and the exact tooth affected. Other dental issues that can cause your furry friend to whine when chewing a toy are tooth root abscess, loss of teeth, mouth cancer, tooth fracture and dislocation, tooth eruption, or tooth cancer.
What Should You Do When Your Dog Whines While Chewing A Toy?
The first step is finding out the cause of the whining, which will give you an idea of which solution. See a vet immediately if your dog has any pain or discomfort.
Teething period
Here are some helpful tips you can use on your puppy when it starts to whine while chewing a toy during its teething period.
* Place a clean frozen washcloth on your puppy’s teeth; this will help relieve the pain and discomfort. However, you must monitor your puppy during this process to prevent your little friend from chewing on the cloth. Also, placing the frozen washcloth on a particular spot can cause numbness.
* Put some treats into your dog’s chew toys and place this in a freezer. Give the frozen chew toy to your dog and allow it to chew on the frozen treats and toy; this will help relieve pain and soothe the teeth and gum.
* Give your dog frozen fruits like strawberries, carrots, and bananas. However, do this occasionally, as these fruits have lots of sugar.
* Apply teething ointments and gels to your dog’s gum. You can also see a vet for medications.
Play mood
If your dog whines when chewing a toy because it wants to play, you should give in to its request. Dogs love playing and exploring; this is how they interact with humans and other animals.
You can start by playing with it at least once a day. You can add physical activities and exercise to your schedule, making it easier for you to spend time with it and have time for yourself.
If you have any friend, neighbor, or family member who has a dog, you can allow your dog to spend time with the other dog. You can also take it to a dog’s home to interact with other dogs.
Excitement
If your dog is too excited when chewing a toy that it whines, you can try to take it away for some time, giving it enough time to calm down before you give it back. You may also give your dog another toy to chew and be occupied with.
Dental problem
If your dog has any dental problem, you should see a vet immediately for diagnosis and treatment. You should see a vet in tooth breakage, fracture, or dislocation cases.
The vet will clean out pieces of the teeth and rinse the mouth but will not touch any tooth root. The tooth will be reinserted using a surgical procedure.
If the dental problem is a gun disease, The vet will recommend thorough cleaning and tooth extraction. If there is swollen gum, apply a compress on the affected site and brush your dog’s teeth thoroughly with salt water.
Mouth cancer requires surgical procedures as soon as possible to avoid spreading and recurrence. Your vet will recommend ways to prevent recurrence in the future.
Bottom Line
Whining when chewing a toy can either be a good sign or a bad one; it is a good one when it indicates play mood or excitement.
But if associated with pain, it may not be good. The first step to take when this happens is to find out the reason for the whining before you take appropriate measures.
