Chew toy

A chew toy is a toy designed to be chewed by animals for purposes of stimulation and relief from boredom . The act of gnawing on a chew toy is meant to be soothing and to assist small animals, like puppies, in event of easing the pain when breaking in their adult teeth as the chewing process releases feel-good chemicals from the brain. There are several different types of chew toys, including rawhide, wood, paper and mineral. Chew toys are commonly associated with puppies and dogs, though they are also used for birds, rodents, and rabbits.

Chew toys are a vital part of a happy, healthy animal's life. In addition to providing hours of entertainment, they also allow the animal to work out anxiety and boredom by being occupied with chewing a toy. Chew toys also distract small animals from chewing on other "forbidden" items, and they assist in maintaining healthy teeth.

Similar toy called Teether is also given to human child as soothing tool to help soothe inflamed gums during teething.

Rawhide chew toys are most often associated with puppies and dogs, though rawhide toys are plentiful in the bird toy section of most pet stores. Rawhide is suitable for all animals except herbivores, as it is made of animal skin. Rabbits, which only eat vegetation, cannot have rawhide toys because their digestive systems cannot process them. This is a rather sturdy kind of chew toy and it can take months for a small animal or bird to destroy. Examples of rawhide chew toys are twists and rawhide bones. Chew toys made of leather are not recommended for dogs as they cannot be properly digested in the stomach and may cause blockage in the intestines.

Wood chew toys are made of a safe, non-poisonous, softer wood and are often coated in bright, vegetable-based dyes or paints. Wooden chew toys are given in place of the wood that small animals would find in the wild. They are a safe alternative for a small animal owner to purchase if the owner has no knowledge of the trees and shrubs growing in their area. They are generally used as either small rodents toys or rabbit toys. Wooden chew toys help to keep teeth trimmed down, preventing eating difficulties in pets and unnecessary trips to a vet for teeth clipping. An example of a wooden chew toy is the commercial product toy ropes

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