Hi all, we have a dog with megaesophagus who is starting to show increasing levels of frustration in his kennel. Lately, he has started chewing at the walls and trim of his room. He has been with us for a few years now, sadly, but has remained relatively stable behaviorally until this development.
I'm hoping some of you might have experience or suggestions on megaE-safe enrichment to use in his kennel.
We are also increasing his out-of-kennel time and incorporating new activities (like sniffaris on walks and "find it" with a scented toy in our play room) to try and tire him out mentally. He is a larger dog, has stranger danger, and is dog selective, so we have a relatively small team of human and canine friends to work with. We have had almost no foster interest during his time with us, but if that opportunity pops up we will obviously take it. We're also pushing for him to spend more office time with the staff he trusts, when possible.
He cannot have linens or soft toys in his room with him. He ingests them. He has a kurunda bed and hard toys, but we are hoping for ideas on how to give him more to "work on" while in his room. Anything food based is currently out of the question, but we are re-checking with our veterinary team on whether small amounts of frozen enrichment would ever be a possibility.
Thank you!
#Behavior,TrainingandEnrichment------------------------------
Kristin Kenney
Director of Projects & Partnerships
Animal Haven
NY
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