Chew toys are vital to keeping a dog happy and healthy. According to the ASPCA, chewing helps clean a dog's teeth, provides exercise for their jaw, keeps them entertained, and helps them relieve stress, anxiety, and frustration.
To get the best benefit, owners should provide safe and durable toys — and hemp is an ideal material.
What are hemp dog toys?
Hemp is a natural plant fiber. It's used to make rope and cloth because it's tough and resists breaking or tearing.
Dog toys made with hemp, like these from Hemptique, include tug ropes, loops, and short rope "bones." Some companies also offer woven cloth collars and leashes made from the same material.
Why choose hemp dog toys?
First, hemp is a durable material that stands up to a dog's chewing, shaking, and pulling. Where a chew toy made from synthetic materials often breaks or wears out quickly, Hemptique claims its toys "will not break and fray."
The company says its toys can be washed with an ordinary load of laundry when they get dirty and can be reused for months or years. This will help save time and money for owners and is also great for dogs since they often get attached to their favorite toys.
Second, hemp toys can be a healthy choice for your pet for several reasons. Many other synthetic toys are made from or treated with toxic materials, according to Rover.com. Natural hemp is untreated and nontoxic.
Toys that break and shed pieces can contribute to gastrointestinal blockage — a severe health issue. Durable hemp resists fraying, so dogs won't swallow all those fibers.
Hard plastic or even synthetic fabric can damage a dog's teeth, but hemp is softer than tooth enamel and safe to chew. According to Hemptique, the material is even "naturally resistant to bacteria, mold, and mildew," helping keep the toy sanitary.
If those reasons weren't enough, hemp is also an extraordinarily environmentally friendly option. Unlike plastic which is made from oil, hemp comes from a plant, so producing it is safer for the Earth. Since hemp is a weed, it can grow abundantly with little water and no fertilizer, capturing and storing a ton of carbon pollution in the process.
At the other end of a toy's life, synthetic ones often go to the landfill, but hemp breaks down naturally in the environment.
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