# Best toys/bones for teething pup?



## Beanie (Aug 30, 2009)

Little Dottie is 6 months old and has her teeth coming in which means she is chewing on chairs, furniture and my older dog. Can anyone suggest good toys for teething? She has a little Nylabone, but doesn't chew on it much. Also, I don't want to give her rawhide as she can't digest it. What else?


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## Beanie (Aug 30, 2009)

*Thanks, Karen!*

I will try that! I just took a little mini-Kong toy and put a little bit of chicken in it; Dottie is very occupied biting and chewing to try to get it out...

:brushteeth:


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Mine get braided bully sticks or antlers. On places you don't want them chewing, like baseboards, walls, wood furniture, you can put Vicks Vaporub on it and they won't chew it. Teething doesn't last that long but you don't want to start habits.


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## Ruthi (Nov 10, 2011)

I just got Otis a split antler. We were out of town, and I gave it to him as we traveled. He hasnt gotten car sick for a while, but, he went to town on that antler. Just as we pulled in the driveway, he started throwning up. We got him out in time. I looked at the antler, and he had chewed quiet a bit of the inside out of it. Do you think that could have made him sick? He loved it, but dont know if I should give it back to him.


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## Sparkle (May 17, 2012)

Kallie loved (and still does) her deer antlers when she was teething. But I got the whole ones, not the split ones. She's 8 months old & still chews on her antler every morning. Oh, and the braided ropes! I swear there's probably baby teeth embedded in hers, she chewed it so much.


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## Tuss (Apr 22, 2012)

my dogs love nylabones. When she was that age the adult ones were too hard, get the puppy one and make sure you get one that has some flavor (i think i had one that was bacon flavored). Bitter apple spray will deter gnawing on unwanted things (like table legs).


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## miller123 (Aug 13, 2011)

bully sticks


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## Pixiesmom (Jul 31, 2008)

I love what you named her! Mine had flossies, but you have to get the thicker ones. Some of the are really flimsy and I always worried about them swallowing a big piece. Anything other than furniture, books, and a vacuum cleaner cord (which is what mine got into).


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## Suzi (Oct 27, 2010)

Maddie hid all her chew's and she still does. Zoey loves bully sticks and just in the past three mo likes nylabones bones. I think my shoes were their favorite. I started a bad habit of giving them baby carrots I didn't know they don't digest well but they love them.


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## Lola :) (Nov 20, 2012)

Lola is going through the same thing! She does like the frozen towel but she LOVES ice cubes! She also likes having her teeth brushed which I think is like a little massage for her gums.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

Himalayan Chews. Terrific.


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## lucymyhavanese (May 1, 2012)

Since Lucy absolutely loves to chew on everything and her teeth can bite through almost anything I used to give her this petstages bone

http://www.petco.com/product/106918/Petstages-Mini-ORKA-Bone-Dog-Toy.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch

but she chewed through it too quick and now I am replacing this one every 6-8 months not every month

http://www.petco.com/product/115448...g-with-Rope-Dog-Toy.aspx?CoreCat=OnSiteSearch


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## BearsMom (Jul 16, 2012)

Bear enjoys a bully stick (only when I am here to supervise). What I also found to help him a lot with teething were carrots. They are cold and seemed to help his gums. I still give him one once in a while and he still chews away on it.


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## gelbergirl (Jun 9, 2007)

textured nylabone type toys


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## Bidik (Aug 23, 2012)

I will be the fourth person to say that but cannot rave enough about it : antlers! Cora cannot keep his down. Two month working on it and he made a dent. They are more expensive compared to nylobones but worth every penny.


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## swaye (Mar 28, 2013)

I bought an antler for Sofie. It was labeled a "puppy antler", so I felt ok about giving it to her. After coming across an article about puppies and antlers and the dangers, it scared me and I took it back (I may reconsider). I do need something to give her to chew. After the food is gone from the Kong (and it doesn't take her long) she is no longer interested. She has a textured rigid nylabone (she seems to like things with ridges/bumps/textures) And that is so so. She had a textured bacon flavored rubber type nylabone that she LOVED, but we had to throw it out as she had eaten part of eat!! She is a vigorous chewer! She also loves bully sticks. I have given her the stick type and the braided and she is fast becoming a champion at devouring them. What other long lasting chew is available that she might like? How often during this teething phase can I give her bully sticks? Daily? I give her ice cubes and the frozen chicken soaked rag. Loves the ice cubes, but that means more frequent bathroom trips and we are trying to lengthen the time between potty trips. Thefrozen chicken soaked rag was soon forgotten.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

hmmmm, be carefuly with the bully sticks, I would think MAX of 1 a week ... maybe... they are VERY high in calories and most likely sodium as well. Finding chews is SO hard, I agree. I have finally settled and get about 1 a month, the Himalayan Chew, the LARGE one ...  they don't stink, aren't made from questionable sources, and seem to last MUCH, much longer than bully sticks... maybe something to try, although I don't know how they would work with a puppy.


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## KimmPuppy (Apr 21, 2013)

This is all such great info. At 9 weeks Benny has a few BABY teeth poking through. I bought some soft chews and cut them up in 4's and he doesn't seem to have much interest in them... 

I am looking for a training treat that he will be able to eat fairly quick. We do A LOT of verbal praise, however, I think that using treats will take him to the next level. He is doing will with house breaking, but I want to start teaching him basic commands... sit, stay, come, down etc... 

I also have a question about Bully Sticks... do I have to wait until all his teeth are in to give him one to gnaw on? I do understand that he should only have it when he is supervised. 

I also saw somewhere that Greenies dental chews are not good for Havanese? Is that correct. Bummer... I just ordered a box because my vet recommended them!

Thanx for the help and feedback!


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

The link between bully sticks and disease (e-boli even) scared me off of them but they were the best in terms of engaging and lasting..though they do get mushy and disgusting. The antlers seem to last and if you get the broad ones sliced down the middle, there must be a marrow or something that at least appears to be an added draw. I hear about the Greenies too but think they corrected that product and my vet sells them too. good luck. My Hav at 16 months is a very big chewer and the challenge of satisfying that and occupying him remains.


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

Alcibides said:


> The link between bully sticks and disease (e-boli even) scared me off of them but they were the best in terms of engaging and lasting..though they do get mushy and disgusting.


I only read one article on this, but the article I read was basically saying humans needed to wash their hands after handling bully sticks because of the bacteria found on them. Dogs weren't getting sick from them.


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## Alcibides (Feb 14, 2012)

A study in a Canadian Journal. Here's the bit that says what you say miss tray...but hey, if contamination is an issue...

The study also revealed that the bully sticks can harbor harmful bacteria. Researchers said that many dog owners are unaware that the treats are made from raw meat and should be handled accordingly.

The group sampled 26 bully sticks purchased from retailers in the United States and Canada and made by different manufacturers. They found one tainted with Clostridium difficile, a bacteria that can cause gastrointestinal illness. Another had traces of methicillin-resistant Staphyloccocus aureus, or MRSA, and another had an antibiotic-resistant strain of E. coli.

The number of treats sampled was small and not all of these bacterial strains have been shown to infect humans. However, the researchers advise all pet owners to wash their hands after touching such treats.

The team advised dog owners to observe the same sanitary practices they would with raw meat when handling bully sticks. Dog owners should thoroughly wash their hands with soap and warm water after touching the treats and children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems should avoid handling them.

- See more at: http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/po...-harbor-harmful-bacteria#sthash.85kkjF6r.dpuf


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KimmPuppy said:


> This is all such great info. At 9 weeks Benny has a few BABY teeth poking through. I bought some soft chews and cut them up in 4's and he doesn't seem to have much interest in them...
> 
> I am looking for a training treat that he will be able to eat fairly quick. We do A LOT of verbal praise, however, I think that using treats will take him to the next level. He is doing will with house breaking, but I want to start teaching him basic commands... sit, stay, come, down etc...
> 
> ...


They aren't just bad for Havanese... They are dangerous for ALL dogs. I was told by a vet that they had been reformulated and were safe. I let Kodi have them, which resulted in $1600 in vet bills. The ER vets at the university hospital told me that dental chews are the number one reason for surgical impactions. (Kodi didn't need surgery, but needed to be hosiptalized twice)


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Alcibides said:


> The link between bully sticks and disease (e-boli even) scared me off of them but they were the best in terms of engaging and lasting..though they do get mushy and disgusting. The antlers seem to last and if you get the broad ones sliced down the middle, there must be a marrow or something that at least appears to be an added draw. I hear about the Greenies too but think they corrected that product and my vet sells them too. good luck. My Hav at 16 months is a very big chewer and the challenge of satisfying that and occupying him remains.


I think you mean E-coli. . E-coli is actually a very common bacterial contaminant in dog and people food.

I know lots of vets sell them, but even though the formulation has been changes, they STILL don't digest properly before leaving the stomach if the dog bites off a big piece. (as per Tufts University Animal Hospital). When Kodi got his impaction from a Greenie, it was after the supposed formula change. So if you do it, just be forewarned... It could be a mighty expensive chew treat.


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## KimmPuppy (Apr 21, 2013)

krandall said:


> They aren't just bad for Havanese... They are dangerous for ALL dogs. I was told by a vet that they had been reformulated and were safe. I let Kodi have them, which resulted in $1600 in vet bills. The ER vets at the university hospital told me that dental chews are the number one reason for surgical impactions. (Kodi didn't need surgery, but needed to be hosiptalized twice)


Oh goodness! That is awful. I bought a box for my Mom's pup too for Mother's Day. Guess they will be going back. Sorry to hear what happened to Kodi!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

KimmPuppy said:


> Oh goodness! That is awful. I bought a box for my Mom's pup too for Mother's Day. Guess they will be going back. Sorry to hear what happened to Kodi!


Well, he's fine now... That was a couple of years ago. But it was pretty scary when it happened!


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Take a braided rope. Soak in water or chicken broth. Freeze it and give to puppy


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

narci said:


> Take a braided rope. Soak in water or chicken broth. Freeze it and give to puppy


Or even a wash cloth. I just used water (not so messy) and Kodi LOVED them!!! I kept several frozen, so I could rotate them.


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