Destructive Chewing In Dogs – Bonnie’s Painful Mouth

Written by

Christine Hawke
BlogCase Studies, Dog Dental Diseases
destructive chewing in dogds

Destructive chewing in dogs is an expensive and frustrating problem. It should be remembered that chewing in dogs is a normal behaviour that helps relieve the pain of sore teeth (for example in teething puppies) and can also be a way to relieve boredom and keep your dog’s teeth and jaws strong. However, in some dogs, chewing can become a destructive chewing behaviour.

Bonnie was ‘chewing the house up’ and causing a lot of frustration and expense in her home. Dr Christine examined Bonnie and pain was suspected as the cause of the problem. General anaesthesia and x-rays confirmed Bonnie’s painful mouth and she was treated under the same anaesthetic.

Bonnie recovered smoothly and comfortably from surgery. Here is what Donna and Paul had to say:

Many thanks, Christine for looking after our girl, Bonnie, who is doing very well. She is no longer chewing up the house, which was obviously caused by her sore mouth.

We were very appreciative of the quality of service & time taken to explain her affliction & what we should have done to resolve it. I will definitely be recommending you if anyone is ever in need of your services.

Kind regards

Donna & Paul

Ruling out pain and disease before starting long-term behavioural therapy for chewing behaviour in dogs makes sense for some simple reasons:

  1. Dental disease in dogs is common and much easier than behavioural therapy.
  2. Nobody likes the thought of missing a painful problem with their pet.
  3. Behavioural therapy for chewing can be a long process with no guarantee of success.

Start with your local vet if you are worried about destructive chewing. Dr Christine is also available through this website or on 1300 838 336.

Christine Hawke

Christine has been a vet since 1993, graduating with First Class Honours and the University Medal from the University of Sydney. After several years in small animal general practice (in both Australia and the UK) she went back to study and was awarded her PhD in immunogenetics in 2004.

Healthy Pets

Every Pet Deserves A Healthy, Pain-Free Mouth