Dogs will eat just about anything, and that includes leather. If your dog eats leather, there are a few things you need to do to ensure they remain healthy and safe.
In this blog post, we’ll discuss what to do if your dog consumes leather, as well as tips to prevent them from doing so in the future.
Keep reading to learn more.
What to Do If Your Dog Eats Leather
If your dog eats leather, the first thing you should do is call your veterinarian. Leather can be a choking hazard, and it’s important to make sure that your dog doesn’t have any pieces of leather stuck in their throat.
Your vet will likely want to do an x-ray to check for foreign objects, and they may also recommend giving your dog a mild sedative to keep them calm while you’re on the way to the vet’s office.
Once you’re at the vet’s office, they will give your dog a physical exam and take a history of what happened. They may also recommend doing some blood work to check for any potential problems.
If everything looks okay, your dog will be able to go home with you. If the vet is concerned about any potential health problems, they may recommend that your dog stay overnight for observation.
Tips to Prevent Your Dog from Eating Leather
There are a few things you can do to prevent your dog from eating leather in the first place:
- Keep any leather products out of reach of your dog. This includes things like shoes, purses, and belts.
- If you have a trash can with a lid that your dog can’t get into, use it to dispose of old leather products.
- Monitor your dog when you’re out in public, especially if there are places with a lot of leather items, like shoe stores or furniture stores.
- Don’t leave your dog unsupervised, especially if you have some leather items lying around the house.
- Train your dog with positive reinforcement so that they know not to chew on leather.
- Divert your dog’s attention away from leather items with chew toys or treats.
FAQ
Why do dogs chew on leather?
There are a few reasons why your dog may be chewing on leather. One possibility is that your dog is teething and chewing on leather helps to soothe their gums.
Chewing is also a great way for dogs to relieve boredom or excess energy, so if your dog isn’t getting enough exercise, they may start chewing on anything they can find, including leather
The scent and taste may be appealing, and the texture can be satisfying to chew on. Some dogs also enjoy the noise that chewing makes.