Weims are Aggressive Chewers

I took Anika in for a routine dental cleaning and found that she had two cracked teeth. The huge molars on either side of her mouth. The dental specialist recommended two root canals with crowns. The estimate was over $5,000! I love my dogs, and I will spend that much money to save a life, but for an optional crown? I don't think so. After discussing the options, I decided on one tooth extraction and one root canal, no crowns.

This is all because of fierce chewing on antlers and Nylabones. So I learned the hard way (no pun intended) not to give them things to chew on that can break their teeth. Consider this a warning.

Here is a pile of toys I had to throw away. You can see how much they were chewed down.

I invested in some puzzle-type toys that the dogs have to work at to get the treats out. The purple ones are not popular. The rubber tastes bad and the kibble is too difficult to get out. They end up eating the rubber. The orange balls are great, but I have to watch them at all times or they will crack the plastic. The best one is the big green toy with the yellow top. It fills with kibble and there's an adjustable opening on the bottom. The dog rolls it around by her nose and the kibble falls out. This toy seems to be indestructible. The biggest problem with all of these is that they involve treats and if you don't want to give your dog endless treats (which I don't), then other options need to be given. The green toys are like tennis balls and they enjoy chasing them and playing with me.

I give Anika one of those rawhide chews every week or so, but I am cautious with rawhide for fear it will lodge in her gut. Steffi gets a tiny piece cut off so she doesn't feel left out.

But ultimately, they need to get outside and play and run. Anika has single-handedly eradicated our yard of fledgling birds this spring. Great sport for her, but not so good for the little birdies.