Dog chewing sticks?

[KalamazooMom]

Should I be concerned about my dog chewing sticks? It seems his favorite toy is a stick. He loves to run around the yard with them and just lie down and chew them. Is this something I should stop?

[Oubliette8]

i would stop it, I've heard of dogs getting splinters in their mouths from chewing on wood. I've also heard of dogs running with a stick in their mouth and then tripping or running into something, causing a stab type injury to the mouth or neck. Also if he swallows a piece it could cause a blockage or perforation.

I would keep an eye on him and substitute the stick for an acceptable chew toy. Also if you can, try to keep the yard clear of sticks. If you play fetch with sticks, i would stop that and use a toy or a ball instead.

[lifeguard]

I've always allowed my pup to chew sticks. She doesn't do it often but when she does I've never thought to stop it - figure it's better for her teeth than a friend's dogs choice of rocks!

[mama2toomany]

i have a very large dog, she chews sticks all the time and we have never had a problem with it. I actually prefer her to chew sticks, we once got her this dog chew rawhide thing and she actually broke a tooth on it, so I really like her stick thing lol.

[lonegirl]

Sticks can get lodged across the roof of the mouth, become foreign bodies if swallowed and wear down teeth. I can always tell a chewer when I do an oral exam by the wear of the teeth lol.

[KalamazooMom]

I'm not sure if he's swallowing anything. I clean up his poop and have never noticed anything that looks like wood. But I'll have to watch and see if he swallows anything. We don't play fetch with sticks.