There is a broad consensus that dogs are excellent pets. Their faithfulness, love, and the unfettered happiness they display when you come back home from work are among the traits that make them so beloved. Nonetheless, a common problem that could come up is your dog might grind its teeth while resting or during periods of inactivity, especially at night, which may negatively affect their health.
Related read: Help! My Dog has a Loose Tooth. What Do I Do?
Why is My Dog Grinding its Teeth?
Dogs have a natural need to chew. In nature, they might gnaw on bones, but there’s not as much chewing going on with us, so dogs will often turn to non-food items, such as the couch or paper, to satisfy that urge. This can be a serious issue if it becomes a habit – constant grinding can lead to tooth loss and other problems down the line.
Luckily this problem is simple enough to fix at home! All you have to do is limit your pet’s access to these items during times when they would otherwise be destructive. It may take time for them to get used to this new routine, but it’ll be worth it in the end. You can also try other solutions to help your dog stop grinding its teeth.
Feed Your Dog a Healthy Diet
When you think about it, grinding is only natural. After all, dogs are carnivores built to hunt and kill their food, even if they eat kibble for most of their lives. So when you stop feeding them meat, you’re throwing off the way they were meant to eat. We recommend feeding your dog a healthy diet to stay on track with what nature intended. You can change your dog’s diet to help stop the teeth grinding, and you should see some positive results immediately!
Try Training Your Dog to Sleep on its Back
This is a perfect solution for stopping your dog from grinding its teeth together. We all know how relaxing it is to sleep on our backs, and dogs are no different! If you can teach your dog to rest on its back instead of on its side or stomach, we promise that the teeth grinding will stop.
Get Rid of Distractions in the Home
There’s a good chance that your dog isn’t grinding its teeth because it wants to, but rather because something is distracting in the environment. When we take our dogs on walks outside, we often get distracted by a little critter scurrying up a tree or another dog that starts barking at us from across the street. And while distractions are usually fun for both you and your dog, it might be what’s causing the teeth grinding.
Sometimes, dogs will even grind their teeth while you’re at work. So to stop your dog from grinding its teeth, you need to make sure that there aren’t any distractions in the home.
Learn more: What’s the Best Time of Day to Take My Dog for a Walk?
And if none of these three solutions works for you, it might be time to call your veterinarian and schedule a checkup!
What Else Can I do?
Luckily there are a few other easy (and fun!) things that you and your pet can try to stop the problem:
- Keep your dog busy during the day! Dogs that get enough exercise and attention during the day don’t usually need to chew things at night. Try taking them for long walks, playing with them, and ensuring they don’t spend too long alone in a room without you.
- Offer your dog something better to chew on! Whether it be a bone or toy, plenty of options will satisfy your pet’s urge to chew. Just make sure they’re the right size for your pet (and not too small that they might swallow it!)
- Treats! Offer your dog a treat every time you catch them gnawing at something other than the furniture or their toys. You can also use this trick to redirect your dog’s attention when it starts chewing on things again. Whatever you do, please don’t use the treat to reward your pet when chewing on something!
- Make sure you brush their teeth! Even though it’s not likely that you can stop your dog from grinding their teeth together (especially if the habit has lasted for a long time), you might be able to prevent some tooth damage by brushing their teeth every few days. Just make sure you have the correct type of brush for your pet!
Hopefully, these tips will help your dog stop grinding its teeth. Remember, if the problem continues for a long time or seems severe, you should take them to the vet to ensure there isn’t any other medical issue!
Conclusion
If you’ve noticed your dog grinding its teeth, don’t worry! There are a few solutions that will help to stop this problem. Whether it be changing the diet, teaching them how to sleep on their back, or removing distractions from home, there’s something for every household and pet owner out there.
Remember not to use toothpaste as a treat during these times of gnawing behaviour because they’ll associate one with another and continue doing both behaviours. If all else fails, take them in for a checkup with your veterinarian since long-term habits can cause more severe problems down the line.
