Dog got his jaw stuck in cage- scary!!

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Sallyh87

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Last night my parents Labrador got his jaw stuck in his cage. Mum was woken by him screaming and when she went in dug was on his back with his mouth trapped around the cage bars. Fortunately he let her free him and although he was a bit shaky initially was fine shortly afterwards.

A quick google search shows that this isn't an uncommon accident and can be very dangerous.

Duggie has slept in his cage since he was a puppy and has never had anything like this before. He doesn't really settle to sleep without it. Does anyone have any recommendation of safer crates where this can't happen either due to the size of the holes or some sort of quick release mechanism. Don't want this happening again!!
 
Gosh, that sounds awful OP, I'm pleased he's OK now. How old is Duggie?

I used a cage for the very first time since I've owned dogs (some 30 odd years) when I got a pup just over a year ago, at 9 weeks old. It was a new concept for me with a pup. She slept in it overnight and used it only if I needed to go out during the day for an hour or so. By the time she was 4/5 months old, I'd provided another bed and always left the cage door open overnight anyway so she had a choice. She chose to sleep outside the cage, so I dispensed with it, leaving her secure in the kitchen overnight (with bed) and when I needed to go out.

Perhaps Duggie would be better off if his cage door were left open overnight, he could still use it and feel safe but can get out if he needs to, perhaps to access his water or for a good stretch. Is there any reason why you couldn't do this? It would certainly lesson the chance of him catching his teeth in the cage and I'm wondering why he felt so distressed to chew it in the first place. What could have upset him so much? was it thundering/lightening? sudden loud outside noises? anything you can think of that would have made him so anxious?
 
I use an airline crate. It's all plastic apart from the door and side vents, which are very small mesh/narrow bars. Indeed the one I have in the car, the side vents are just moulded out of the plastic and the door is the only metal part.
 
Duggie is nearly three and has slept in a cage since he was 8 weeks old. We have tried leaving the door open in the past but he isn't as settled as when it is closed. I think he just feels more secure when closed in.

The only reason I can think of that he tried to get out etc is that he had been sick- an occupational hazard of being a Labrador that eats anything!! Last 2 nights he has slept on a bed not in the cage and apart from deciding it's breakfast time at 6am and starting to moan he has seemed ok over night so will probably just see how he goes.
 
I've been using crates for around 30 years and luckily have only seen this happen once - it is very scary! Luckily greyhounds don't seem inclined to chew the crate bars (it was a cavalier that got stuck!) so I will carry on using them - glad your boy is OK
 
I have had it happen once in my salon, a westie managed to wrap his jaws around the bars of a crate - and I did manage to free him with no damage to himself or me. But god that was a terrifying thirty seconds or so. My border terrier on the other hand, managed to break several of his teeth biting the bars. Never stuck on, but just damaged his pegs.
 
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