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Safe/proper chewing items for dogs.

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October 31, 2018, 08:00 PM
barndg00
Safe/proper chewing items for dogs.
I have two dogs, a 55# lab and a 24# Scottish Terrier. They like to chew on things, like all dogs, and I believe that chewing on things is good for their teeth, and hence, their breath. We have tried Nylabones previously - the lab can destroy them when he decides to and then swallow largish pieces. Bully sticks work well, but get gross/wet and smell. Elk antlers seemed to be a great option (USA sourced, entertaining for both dogs, good scraping action and no smell), but found that our Scotty broke a couple teeth on them after several months (he loves them anyway though, we only found out when we had his teeth cleaned).

What do you give your dogs to chew on, and why? Any problems with it?
October 31, 2018, 08:03 PM
V-Tail
Jeff Yarchin recommended bully sticks for my dog.



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October 31, 2018, 08:16 PM
sasquatch28
Kong brand bones and squeaky ball.
October 31, 2018, 08:21 PM
Sock Eating Golden
Bully sticks are great, though a bit expensive. Bulleit loves chewing up used water or rinsed milk bottles.

The Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff products are fantastic. Bulliet can consume a Bully Stick in minutes. The Orbee-Tuff products still look new. Plus he absolutely loves them.


Nick



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October 31, 2018, 08:33 PM
comet24
I had a 100lbs lab. There wasn't much he couldn't destroy fairly quickly. The classic kong toys he didn't but he didn't really like chewing them unless there was food in them.

I used this to keep he entertained when I would do out sometimes. He learned quickly how to flip it and pull on the rope. A little dry dog food inside and he was good for a little. It was one of the few toys he didn't destroy.


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October 31, 2018, 08:38 PM
cslinger
Declawed cats. Wink


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October 31, 2018, 08:50 PM
rusbro
You can get "odor free" bully sticks, though I'm not certain they're as appealing to all dogs as the stinky ones.

As far as antlers, my previous dog was only a moderate chewer, but she hollowed out the marrow-like center of an antler, then broke off and ingested two shards from the hard exterior, which resulted in violently expelled puke and poop on my carpet, and a midnight trip to the emergency animal hospital.

I don't know about being good for the teeth, but you can put peanut butter inside a kong to keep a dog busy. You can also mix PB with kibble, or also add in canned food. Freezing the Kong after filling it can make it last longer.

One other thing, I often feed my dogs a few ice cubes after meals. I've read some warnings about breaking teeth, but my dogs have never cracked down hard enough on the ice cubes to make me worry about that.
October 31, 2018, 09:12 PM
GWbiker
100lb thief for a 120lb K9?


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October 31, 2018, 09:15 PM
Gustofer
Both of my Goldens loved these world balls.

They are virtually indestructible.

Another good one that they enjoyed were these Skinneez toys. They are stuffingless chew toys with squeakies in the head and tail. Also virtually indestructible, at least for my Goldens. But then, they had very soft mouths.


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October 31, 2018, 10:08 PM
Ken226
I like the costco bully sticks. They used to last hours when he was a puppy. Now, at 90lbs my german shepherd can finish one in 10 minutes.

He loves them, but they smell like death.

I shouldnt expect expect a dehydrated bull penis to smell good i guess!
October 31, 2018, 10:15 PM
heisrizn
Himalayan dog chews


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October 31, 2018, 10:55 PM
46and2
kong + peanut butter, or dried-steer-penis / bully sticks.

I skip the Naugahyde types altogether, and pig-ears. Causes mine to fart too much.

And my Boston Terrorist loves "killing" squeaky toys and tennis balls. She'll tear the thing apart, pull out the squeaker when it has one, and then get bored, and she loves doing that so I indulge her periodically even though I hate noisy toys and I have to pick up the stuffing/guts/torn up bits.

That stuff and all-natural treats, plus Fromm foods, and occasional table scraps (but never from the table or my plate) are all I feed mine or give them to chew on.

There is one thick rope for tug-o-war.

I think it's important to avoid chew toys that can break up so small they swallow pieces.
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October 31, 2018, 11:07 PM
Green Highlander
Had great luck with Kongs and Nylabone Galileo. My dogs destroyed pretty much everything else. I was luck if the toys designed for tough chewers lasted 15 minutes. The Galileo is much tougher than the regular Nylabones. I bought one for each of my dogs and they lasted years. Longer than the dogs actually.


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November 01, 2018, 05:51 AM
HayesGreener
I give my Lab a Greenie or Denti-Stik every day for teeth cleaning and she is satisfied. I have given her various chewable natural items in the past and she destroyed them in short order. No more. She is a hunting flusher/retriever and has a soft mouth so I really don't want her in the habit of gnawing away on a chew toy all day.

I would also be careful of things that the dog can choke on.


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November 01, 2018, 06:07 AM
Ozarkwoods
My schnauzer loves deer antlers


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November 01, 2018, 07:12 AM
daikyu
Our last Rottweiler got Bully Sticks. 1 per day came out to about $75 a month.

Our current Rottweiler gets Split Elk Antlers
November 01, 2018, 07:56 AM
Gustofer
FWIW, my brother, a veterinarian, advises to never give dogs bones/antlers. He's made a whole lot of money off of people who do.


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"Great danger lies in the notion that we can reason with evil." Doug Patton.
November 01, 2018, 07:57 AM
MagicHorse
We always liked giving our dogs a treat to distract them from the fact that we left esp. when the Shepherd was a puppy but didn't want something to last as long as a bully stick because we would not be there to supervise. My other dog is not a big chewer & would take him forever to finish a bully stick. The answer for us was "gullet" sticks. Very similar to bully except they are somewhat softer so they don't last as long. Just long enough for us to crate the dog, give them the stick, gather our stuff, & they are almost done with it. Now that she is over a yr old, she's done with them pretty fast but she loves them. It is pretty hit or miss with the smell.

We also use water buffalo horns & goat horns. The older dog is allowed to have his freely (he's has 1 of his over 3 yrs but he's not much of a chewer, but as soon as I think of taking it away, I'll randomly see him with it) but we only give the Shepherd the horns when we can watch her. She is much more aggressive with chewing.

Have you tried plain old, raw, meat bones from a butcher? An also get them frozen from pet stores but they are much more expensive. I believe "Primal" the company packages them. Also if you have access to a blacksmith/horse farrier, most dogs like to chew on fresh hoof trimmings.
November 01, 2018, 08:06 AM
valkyrie1
We use these in bulk, auto ship and much cheaper than in a store.Our rescue loves them. Never give cooked bones because they can splinter. We also go to the butcher and buy cow knuckles and freeze them. She loves those but gets to chew them for about 20mins then back in a bag and re freeze. Antlers will crack teeth... https://www.chewy.com/usa-bone...y-stick-12/dp/130512
November 01, 2018, 09:20 AM
KDR
Himalayan Yak Chews

These chews are our new favorite thing. The dogs LOOOOOVE them, they actually take a while to wear down, they are completely edible, and when they get too small to safely chew on, you can soak them in water then pop them in the microwave and make a cheezy poof for your pooch.


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