Chew toys & Rawhides?

[RoyeBeth]

I have a 9 week old and of course she's teething and chewing on everything. I see so many "chew toys" in the store but they're almost all rawhides. What is the consensus about rawhide and if that isn't a good option what is recommended?

Thank you for any help.

Roye

 

[gmacleod]

Rawhide is a terrible choking and obstruction hazzard (as well as coming with a nasty dose of chemicals, used to cleanse the hide of hair). Much better options are raw bones (the singular thing that *nature* intended dogs to chew on). If you don't fancy those, then NON-edible man made items are the next best option.

 

[meyerclan]

I just got Brewski some sweet potato chews. He seems to really like it and all it is is a dried sweet potato so I figured it was ok.

 

[RoyeBeth]

Thank you

Rawhide is a terrible choking and obstruction hazzard (as well as coming with a nasty dose of chemicals, used to cleanse the hide of hair). Much better options are raw bones (the singular thing that *nature* intended dogs to chew on). If you don't fancy those, then NON-edible man made items are the next best option.

I was thinking the rawhide probably isn't a good thing. I'll look for the natural bones, she definitely needs something to chew on LOL.

 

[RoyeBeth]

Pork Chomps?

I don't remember seeing these before, they sound like a better choice than rawhide. Is anyone familiar with this product?

This is a description on the package

"Range Riders Pork Rollz

9 out of 10 dogs prefer porkhide compared to rawhide! Unlike beef rawhide products, which are not digestible, pork skin has tested at over 95% digestibility in lab analysis. Pork skin is a safer and more digestible alternative to rawhide."

Ingredients: Pork skin


I bought a small natural bone but from past experience, my Boxer Jake didn't find them very interesting.

 

[gmacleod]

...they sound like a better choice than rawhide.

What's different to these than rawhide (besides the claim that they're digestible)? LOL - they're still the chemcially-treated cleansed hide of some animal, otherwise known as leather. In this case, pig leather rather than cattle leather. Pig leather makes equally durable coats, shoes and bags as cattle leather...

As a chew for dogs, they're going to present exactly the same toxic chemical problem, and exactly the same choking hazzard as any other chemically cleansed and dried body part. It will present the same bacterial poisoning risk also. If the marketing claims are right, then you've only a 5% chance of obstructions (which can be fatal, btw) because the dog will digest the other 95%. LOL - that last isn't exactly accurate, of course. But really, you're just talking about another un-natural and not fully digestible man-made chew item that your dog doesn't need, isn't designed to consume, and that carries with it risks to his health.

Much safer are the things nature designed the dog to chew on (raw bones). Or NON-EDIBLE man-made items, such as kongs or nylabones.

 

[LILYLARUE]

How about using a frozen meaty bone. I used the bone off of our t-bone steaks we had for dinner. Put the bones in foil and froze them. When Lily started to teeth, I would hand her a frozen bone and that would occupy her for an hour. The cold felt good on the gums I'm sure.

What you have to worry about with any "chew" toy or bone, is that when the pieces get to be the size they can swallow it, you need to take it away. If you see them chewing it and not getting anywhere with it anymore, take it away. I don't trust leaving my pups alone with bones. My luck they would swallow it whole and choke. I'm just too paranoid.

I was told by my vet when Lily was a pup, not to give her nylabones. Those that aren't digestable cause they are too hard for a puppies teeth and could cause breakage or fractures. Not sure how true this is, but sure scared me enough not to use them either.

 

[RoyeBeth]

Well they (pork chomps) sure sounded like a better option, I'll keep looking.

I was thinking too that the natural bones and the nylabones are too hard right now for her baby teeth.

 

[kathysboxer]

When we got Tyson, we purchased a ton of chew toys. He has:
kong to stuff
kong ball
rubber pull toy
rubber tire
a couple soft squeeky toys
a couple socks braided together for pull toy
kong ball that he rolls around and treats come out

We are lucky enough to have a slaughter house about 3 miles from us, so I keep him stocked in knuckle bones. If I don't make it to there, I will give him a frozen chicken leg quarter.

We don't give any type of raw hides. The breeder we got him from actually had to pull a huge piece of raw hide out of the daddy as it didn't chew apart and he was choking on it.

We do have a noneditable nylabone, but he doesn't really like it.
I have also washed up a potatoe and gave him that to knaw on. Kind of messy, but kept him busy for a good hour.

 

[RoyeBeth]

Thanks, I'll get some on those kongs, my other dogs didn't like the nylabones at all.

Are knuckle bones OK? I've always heard that you're not suppose to give any bones?