Ask the Shelter: My dog loves chewing cans. Could she have a health problem?

• Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter answers readers’ questions every week in “Ask the Shelter.”
• A reader wonders whether her dog’s recent habit of chewing cans of cat food could mean he has a nutrient deficiency.
• It is pretty rare for a cat to get their head stuck in something. That’s because of all their whiskers, even smaller ones that are less noticeable.
• And, meet the pets of the week: Shorty and Cheez-it.

Q:  My dog has chewed up two or three different cans of cat food that she found somewhere. I mean chewed the food and parts of the can.

Yet the other day, she left a book pretty much completely untouched. Does she have some kind of metal deficiency or something?

A:  Actually, animals can suffer from mineral deficiencies in their diet and sometimes eating metal means they are looking for additional nutrients. If you think this could be an issue, I would suggest talking with your vet about the food you’re giving your girl in conjunction with her age, breed and overall health. It’s probably a good idea to let your vet know what happened regardless since she might have bits of the can going through her digestive tract, and that could be a serious issue down the road.

However, I have a feeling the cat food inside the can probably had something to do with your girl’s need to gnaw her way through a can — especially considering she seemingly left the book alone. I would also wonder if your pup might be bored. A bored dog often gets into trouble, so it might be a good idea to make sure your girl gets enough exercise.

I know when I first brought my cats home when they were kittens, I would try to tire them out each night so that I could get some sleep. A tired pet is often a better-behaved pet. You might also want to make sure your pup has enough toys and other items to play with so she’s not tempted to get into other things.

If you can store the cat food in an area she can’t reach, that would be a good idea, too. Over the next few days, watch your girl for signs of illness so that you can get her to the vet if she needs medical attention as the pieces of can pass through her.

Q:  I noticed that my cat has little whiskers on her chin — not just the obvious ones. What are the smaller whiskers for?

A:  A cat’s whiskers are to let him know whether or not he can fit into certain places. Did you ever notice, outside of photoshopped email pictures of cats, that you never really find a cat with his head stuck somewhere? That’s because his whiskers tell him when to stop.

I’m betting the smaller whiskers really help keep him out of small spaces. If the outer walls of a space hit those, the cat must know he won’t fit. Isn’t it amazing what we find when we really take a look at our pets?

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Ask the Shelter is a weekly feature aimed at pet education. If you have a question, contact Jennifer Vanderau, public relations coordinator, for the Cumberland Valley Animal Shelter, at cvascomm@cvas-pets.org or 263-5791.

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