# Chew sticks



## Gerri (May 13, 2012)

Trying to find out what kind of chew sticks to buy. There seem to be few if any good choices for a puppy. 

Help Please

Thanks


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

I buy Himilayan Chews. They are a hard cheese, and the only ingredients are yak's milk, lime juice and salt. I originally bought bully sticks, but beef doesn't agree with his stomach.


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## Rita Nelson (Jul 13, 2009)

Tucker loves Merrick's Flossies. They have gotten so expensive (I buy the box of 50) that I may have to switch him to something else.


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## mamacjt (Aug 23, 2011)

When mine was little, his most favorite thing was Merrick's Flossies. I'd drop $20 every two weeks or so on them. Now that he's 14 months old, he wants nothing to do with them. Now, he loves bully sticks. Go figure!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

Tillie's gnawing on her birthday Bully Stick right now!
She has a few marrow bones and an antler that she chews on occasionally.
She gets a bully stick maybe once a month or so ...


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

OMG Tammy, is her birthday TODAY!?


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

YES!! I plan to post it, but STILL can't post pics and really, what is a birthday post without PICTURES!??


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## LouAnn (Dec 28, 2011)

I can highly recommend Himalayan Chews and Antlerz......they are the only chews that survived Maggie's teething stage and now her adolescence (she's 8 months old). She absolutely loves them! Her first bully stick was braided, and she unbraided it very quickly leaving skinny, sharp looking pieces. So, on to a regular bully stick......once the end got soft and gooey, a piece came loose and got wrapped around a front tooth and stuck to the roof of her mouth. But, she did love them, too, while they lasted......so watch carefully.


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

Where do you guys get Himalayan Chews? Do they sell them at the big pet stores?


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

angiern2004 said:


> Where do you guys get Himalayan Chews? Do they sell them at the big pet stores?


I get Himalayan chews from BestBullySticks.com (search the site for Himalayan chews-they come in 4 sizes, I get small, but you might be able to use medium if your Hav is a little bigger) . I've also gotten them from doggieloot.com, which is a flash sale site for dog stuff. They are the exact same chews, but you don't pay tax or shipping. The only downside is that you have to wait for them to become available (which seems to be every few weeks). I've never seen them at Petco or Petsmart.


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## LouAnn (Dec 28, 2011)

You can find Himalayan chews on Amazon.com, some with free shipping (if you spend $25). We buy ours at a small independently owned pet store which carries a lot of the higher quality foods and treats.......so maybe you can find a store like that in your area. Good luck!


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Rita Nelson said:


> Tucker loves Merrick's Flossies. They have gotten so expensive (I buy the box of 50) that I may have to switch him to something else.


 I had heard that flossies can cause blockage in small dogs. Kodi here on our forum had that happen and Karen doesn't buy them any more. I had just spent like $18 dollars on them and gave the package to my sister.


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## mellowbo (Aug 12, 2007)

I used to buy the flossies by the case but they got so scrimpy and were gone in a minute or two. Now I buy the best bully sticks. They are 100% digestible. Do not buy any type of raw hide as they are not digestible.


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## Gerri (May 13, 2012)

Got deer antlers from DoggyLoot.com and Nylabone from DogSupplies.com....While I'm new at this both seem to have great deals.

Thanks everyone.
Maggie


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## BennyBoy (Apr 25, 2012)

I don't give Benny chews, he seems to be satisfied with his chew toys and various bones. I did give him some of the chews mentioned here, but he just ate them so quickly and then wouldn't eat his food.


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

Mine like pig ears but they are rationed slimly. I have a cache of deer and elk antlers around here that I have been collecting for years and my dogs have never shown any interest in them. Must be because they are free.ound:


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## angiern2004 (Apr 24, 2011)

What about the hooves? Anyone use those?

I found Himalayan chews at a specialty dog store, but it was HUGE, and like 17 bucks. I'm off to check out the sites that have been posted for smaller ones.


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## Cailleach (Jan 30, 2010)

Another thing we have a lot of is horse hooves when the farrier trims...again I swear because they are free the dogs don't have interest in them. Maybe if I bag up the antlers and the hooves with a high fake price tag on them I can fool them.ound:


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## Lisainidaho (Feb 1, 2012)

I just recently gave my 5 mo. old puppies split elk antlers, and they really seem to love them. I am watching them carefully, but they are not supposed to splinter, don't get gooey or stinky, and last awhile. Thank goodness because a piece about 3" long costs about $9.

I'm curious about those Himalayan chews. I bought these two sticks that were supposedly yak milk and that was about it. Honestly, I couldn't get past the smell so a friend with a dog tried them out. Do they smell that strong the whole time, or just when you open them?


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

Himalayan chews do have a smell, but to me they are sooooo much better smelling than bully sticks, even the "low odor" bully sticks. Himalayan chews smell a little more when they are wet, so you might dislike the smell even more when they are using them.


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

My puppy seems to love the greenies chews, even though they're really big for him. I think he has delusions of size. :biggrin1: It doesn't stink, but sure does turn into a gooey mess. I tried a couple of others that were really stinky, and of course he loved those too. I haven't tried any free or stinkless ones yet, but he would probably turn up his nose at them anyway. Ha ha ha.

-- Eileen


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

emichel said:


> My puppy seems to love the greenies chews, even though they're really big for him. I think he has delusions of size. :biggrin1: It doesn't stink, but sure does turn into a gooey mess. I tried a couple of others that were really stinky, and of course he loved those too. I haven't tried any free or stinkless ones yet, but he would probably turn up his nose at them anyway. Ha ha ha.
> 
> -- Eileen


Joey loved Greenies, until both my vet and my trainer advised me to be very careful with them. They can be a choking hazard, and the vet said the she has had to surgically remove larger pieces that dogs swallowed. That scared me enough to throw them all out.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Does anyone give their pups carrot sticks? Was recommended by a friend.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

LJS58 said:


> Joey loved Greenies, until both my vet and my trainer advised me to be very careful with them. They can be a choking hazard, and the vet said the she has had to surgically remove larger pieces that dogs swallowed. That scared me enough to throw them all out.





emichel said:


> My puppy seems to love the greenies chews, even though they're really big for him. I think he has delusions of size. :biggrin1: It doesn't stink, but sure does turn into a gooey mess. I tried a couple of others that were really stinky, and of course he loved those too. I haven't tried any free or stinkless ones yet, but he would probably turn up his nose at them anyway. Ha ha ha.
> 
> -- Eileen


If I recall correctly, greenies caused an impaction with Karen's (Krandall) Kodi.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Alcibides said:


> Does anyone give their pups carrot sticks? Was recommended by a friend.


I would, but Brody won't touch them. He'll play with them, but won't chew them. He only likes COOKED carrot! The brat.


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## Jplatthy (Jan 16, 2011)

All of mine love carrot sticks......also Himalayan Chews, Bully sticks and deer and moose antler......but I only let them chew the Himalayan and Bully sticks for about 30 minutes at a time so they don't get too much....


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Seems to me they'd be just as likely to choke on a carrot as a greenie, but what do I know. How are you supposed to avoid turning into a nervous wreck worrying about everything that could happen? I've just been watching him closely, and he's turned the greenie into a gooey mess, with no apparent digestive disturbance. It's too soft to break now, I think, but if any breaks off I will snatch it pronto.

-- Eileen


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Suzi said:


> I had heard that flossies can cause blockage in small dogs. Kodi here on our forum had that happen and Karen doesn't buy them any more. I had just spent like $18 dollars on them and gave the package to my sister.


It wasn't flossies, it was Greenies. (other dental chews can cause the same problem)

I don't use flossies, but it is because Kodi is intolerant of beef.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

angiern2004 said:


> What about the hooves? Anyone use those?
> 
> I found Himalayan chews at a specialty dog store, but it was HUGE, and like 17 bucks. I'm off to check out the sites that have been posted for smaller ones.


We have a hoof that we pull out on RARE occasions, but it STINKS to high heavens!!!uke:

Himalayan chews are expensive, but I like the big ones because they last a long time with a small dog. For chews that are even more long lasting. (more chewing, less edible, Kodi's favorite is Moose Antlers:

http://acadiaantlers.weebly.com/

He especially likes the flavored ones (they are boiled in the flavoring, so a little bit softer) and he prefers the ones cut from the flat paddle. The thick, rounded ones are just too heavy and hard for a small dog to chew. But he likes the moose antlers MUCH better than deer antlers.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LJS58 said:


> Himalayan chews do have a smell, but to me they are sooooo much better smelling than bully sticks, even the "low odor" bully sticks.


I agree with you completely. I can't tolerate the smell of bully sticks, flossies or hooves, but I really don't mid the Himalayan chews.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LJS58 said:


> Joey loved Greenies, until both my vet and my trainer advised me to be very careful with them. They can be a choking hazard, and the vet said the she has had to surgically remove larger pieces that dogs swallowed. That scared me enough to throw them all out.


Yup. Kodi was hospitalized twice (same incident, but two hospitalizations about a week apart) because of a partial obstruction caused by a Greenie, and the resultant damage to his insides. He didn't need surgery, but we were lucky. We had been told by several vets that they had changed the formula and that Greenies were now safe. The university emergency hospital where he as hospitalized told us that Greenies were the number one cause of obstructions that they saw brought in.

All-told, that Greenie cost us about $1,600 and a LOT of worry! No more Greenies in THIS household!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Alcibides said:


> Does anyone give their pups carrot sticks? Was recommended by a friend.


Kodi LOVES carrot sticks. But then he's really a rabbit in disguise. He loves almost all fruits and vegetables! He loves blueberries so much that when we did the landscaping around our new addition, blueberry bushes were incorporated into the design just for him!:biggrin1:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

emichel said:


> Seems to me they'd be just as likely to choke on a carrot as a greenie, but what do I know. How are you supposed to avoid turning into a nervous wreck worrying about everything that could happen? I've just been watching him closely, and he's turned the greenie into a gooey mess, with no apparent digestive disturbance. It's too soft to break now, I think, but if any breaks off I will snatch it pronto.
> 
> -- Eileen


I hope you don't make an expensive mistake.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I would think that there IS a HUGE dif between carrots and greenies ... carrots are 100% digestible!!!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> I would think that there IS a HUGE dif between carrots and greenies ... carrots are 100% digestible!!!


That's right, Tammy. Choking isn't the big issue. It's swallowing a chunk that doesn't digest, then blocks the intestines.


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## LJS58 (Mar 23, 2012)

krandall said:


> Kodi LOVES carrot sticks. But then he's really a rabbit in disguise. He loves almost all fruits and vegetables! He loves blueberries so much that when we did the landscaping around our new addition, blueberry bushes were incorporated into the design just for him!:biggrin1:


Lucky boy to have his own blueberry bushes! Good thing he has a black face, or we might have to start calling him Bluebeard


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Well, Benjamin has pretty much demolished the one Greenie I bought him, with no apparent ill effects, and I won't buy any more. I'm just sayin', if so many bad things happen to pets from items that are so commonly sold in pet stores, it's a wonder that any of them survive. It's great that we can learn from peoples' experience on here, but I'm sure there are many people out there who are doing the best they can and don't know that Greenies or little toy feet can kill their pets. I find it rather upsetting.

Everybody seems to think that carrots are good, and he really likes chicken breasts cut into raisin sized pieces (special reward), so maybe I'll just stick with those for a while.
-- Eileen


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## RitaandRiley (Feb 27, 2012)

I buy the odor free bully sticks from bestbullysticks.com They are a better quality than I get in the store and at a better price. Still not cheap, though.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

emichel said:


> Well, Benjamin has pretty much demolished the one Greenie I bought him, with no apparent ill effects, and I won't buy any more. I'm just sayin', if so many bad things happen to pets from items that are so commonly sold in pet stores, it's a wonder that any of them survive. It's great that we can learn from peoples' experience on here, but I'm sure there are many people out there who are doing the best they can and don't know that Greenies or little toy feet can kill their pets. I find it rather upsetting.
> 
> Everybody seems to think that carrots are good, and he really likes chicken breasts cut into raisin sized pieces (special reward), so maybe I'll just stick with those for a while.
> -- Eileen


(I added the colored quote) yes! and that is WHY we are telling hav lovers on this forum, so that they KNOW these things and can be educated and make the BEST choices. If someone doesn't want advice they shouldn't ask, because we WILL give advice when asked... for the betterment of the dogs and owners on the forum, for their safety. just my 2 cents. eace:


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## emichel (May 3, 2012)

Tammy -- I want the advice, believe me, I'm just feeling a bit overwhelmed at the moment. I'll explain it in a while under the puppy area. I really appreciate all of the information.

-- Eileen


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

okay, good to hear!! 
hang in there and remember the puppy phase does NOT last forever... I PROMISE!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

LJS58 said:


> Lucky boy to have his own blueberry bushes! Good thing he has a black face, or we might have to start calling him Bluebeard


ound:


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## maplegrovecindy (May 28, 2011)

krandall said:


> We have a hoof that we pull out on RARE occasions, but it STINKS to high heavens!!!uke:
> 
> Himalayan chews are expensive, but I like the big ones because they last a long time with a small dog. For chews that are even more long lasting. (more chewing, less edible, Kodi's favorite is Moose Antlers:
> 
> ...


Karen, I was looking at the page mentioned and am interested in buying from this seller. Do you get the small or medium sized ones for Kodi? When you say 'ones cut from a flat paddle' are you refering to the 'tynes and splits' package? Princess has not been very fond of the elk antlers I've found at local stores, including a $20 "button!" I'm hoping to find something that she likes to replace her beloved bully sticks which are not good for her digestive problems or calorie intake! Thank you so much!


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## HavaneseSoon (Nov 4, 2008)

I buy the really long bones (bully sticks) they come 2 long ones in a package. Then I saw them into snack size pieces. I think I am getting at least 12 pieces after sawing them down. The small curly. reminds, I am also cutting in half. I get my tendons at PetSmart.


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## ShirleyH (Sep 13, 2009)

Our vet voted for rawhide made in the U.S.-no 3rd world country products and certainly not 'made in China'. We've never had a problem.

Keeper's Mom


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