# Chew Treat Recommendations



## trueblue

What do you give your babies to chew on? I'm looking for something that will keep Cricket's attention for more than 10 seconds. Thanks :biggrin1:


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## Judy A

Bully Sticks........they love them


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## maryvee

i use the trusty kong- put some chicken jerky on it and let him go to town...sometimes he gets it out fast, other times he leaves it and will go back to it later-- guess it helps that he loves his jerky and that is the only way he gets it!


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## Posh's Mom

I second the bully sticks (don't ask what they "really are...") and give a HUGE thumbs up to the Merrick Flossies -they love these! Both bully sticks and Flossies are parts of the animal that aren't bone so they are completely digestible. The flossies are shaped like a curly que and so they get in between the teeth and "floss" them. Honestly dogs that don't even like to chew on stuff like the flossies. I get the big ones and Posh eats about 1/3 of it in a morning. Gives me some time to be on the forum.


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## JanB

Merrick Flossies all the way here. She loves them and like Amy, it always gives me a few moments peace when I need it. She will even play with hers for a while before chewing it by tossing it, then chasing and pouncing on it. It's so cute! 

I also cut it in thirds and give small pieces, not the whole thing.

The only downside is it makes her thirsty so I won't give one to her in the evening.


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## Me&2Girls

In addition to the Flossies, you can give a beef knuckle bone - they are messy so perhaps let her chew in her crate without a pad. Also, remember to put it back in the refrigerator so it doesn't go bad. You can buy at the butcher store frozen most of the time for very little money and it can help them work out those puppy teeth that are stubbornly still attached.


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## irnfit

Mine love Flossies. They don't like rawhide unless they are very bored. I put treats in their Kong, but they go through those too fast.


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## Redorr

I fill a kong with cream cheese, pop a few treats in the middle, and freeze them. Then i put a little fresh dab on the kong and give it to Lola before I leave the house. It will last about an hour, or she goes to sleep and picks up on it later. 

Bully sticks rock - they last forever with lola and when she chews off part it is digestible, unlike rawhide.

I also have a soft plastic ball full of holes that I put large pieces of Natural Balance food in, and she pushes them around trying to get the treat out. They usually last about 20 minutes. Again, long enough for me to get out the door without any whining. 

There is a thread here about pigs ears and lambs ears. I haven't tried those yet, but again, they are digestible, unlike rawhide.


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## Alexa

Flossies are Marley's favorites. I have to video his little happy dance some time when I give him one. It's too cute. 

I order them from dog.com (if you order more than 12 they are $2.29 a piece)

A local pet store has mini versions of them for 49c, which are great when you don't want to go for the whole thing. 

He also likes pigs ears, but someone mentioned the other day that they are pretty fatty and he is already not the skinniest, so I think the flossies are overall better.

He likes Greenies, but they don't seem to last very long at all, not sure how that is for other people, but Marley pretty much bites them and eats them instantly, not much chewing going on there. 

Alexa


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## Redorr

*Exhaustion from a bully stick*

Here is the progression for Lola of working on a bully stick. Happy to sound asleep. but not letting it out of her arms....


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## Missy

awwww- great shots of Lola. I really like the Antlerz--- I can't stand the smell of bully sticks so unfortunately my boys suffer--But Antlerz (yes they are Deer Antlers) are odorless and they last a really long time. It is kind of hit or miss though-- sometimes they love LOVE them and really go to town and other times it's just so so -- I think it has to do with marrow in the middle-- hard to explain, but sometimes it's softer than others and I think that is what they love.

http://www.qtdog.com/antlerz.htm


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## trueblue

I love those pics of Lola! I bought some flossies today to give them a try...Cricket really liked it, but P-U! They stink! What kind of Kongs do you guys have? I've gotten them in the past for my other dogs, but they were never interested...


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## Redorr

Lola has a puppy sized kong - it's pretty teeny. Probably the smallest one they have. It gives her tongue lot's of work to get inside. A friend who has big dogs told me about the cream cheese and freezing it - best advice ever. Cream cheese saves my life - I smear some on the grooming table to get her to be still for 10 minutes. A little bit goes a long way.

Also - the round ball with lots of holes - I just put a little jerky treat in there and it took Lola almost an hour to get it out. Love that!


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## Posh's Mom

trueblue said:


> I love those pics of Lola! I bought some flossies today to give them a try...Cricket really liked it, but P-U! They stink! What kind of Kongs do you guys have? I've gotten them in the past for my other dogs, but they were never interested...


This just makes me better at brushing Posh's teeth...after she chews on a bully stick, I brush her teeth and then allow her to give me kisses!


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## Poornima

I give N-Bone Pearly Whites and Dogs Well's Duck breast jerkey.

Lola's pictures are too cute for words.


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## hectorhav

Carlos really likes the mini kongs but for playing because they bounce funny. The best chew toy is a raw beef bone - the small ones like from a sirloin steak (round w/marrow) the meat can be cut off so that it is not incredibly messy - marrow smells a bit. Even when the marrow is gone and no more meat they still get used - Carlos has three that he works on. They will put tiny dents in your floor if they are pointy.

The other chew toy that work well was the flavored nyla bones (not sure if I spelled that right). Carlos takes them to bed with him. 

And last but not least, is his very first plush toy, the kangaroo! He LOVES to chew on the ears! They are always VERY clean.

Good Luck!


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## Redorr

trueblue said:


> I love those pics of Lola! I bought some flossies today to give them a try...Cricket really liked it, but P-U! They stink! What kind of Kongs do you guys have? I've gotten them in the past for my other dogs, but they were never interested...


Thanks on the pics. If you can find them, try the "Moo" brand of bully sticks. They are from bulls that graze on grass and they are "odorless". Not completely, but much better than most, and less salty.


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## Lina

trueblue, what kind of flossies did you get? I don't think the Merrick ones stink, at least not the ones I've gotten.


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## Jan D

No, the Merrick ones don't stink. I ordered some from Pet Edge and boy do they stink! Stick to the Merrick flossies.


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## marjrc

Just thought I'd pass this on. I'm sure some already know, but this also offers suggn's for chew treats that are safe and actually do a good job of cleaning the teeth! 

Found at: http://www.astrologyzine.com/safe-dog-food.shtml

*A Dangerous Dog Treat - "Greenies"*

You should also know about this top-selling dog treat called Greenies which is sold as a teeth cleaner and breath freshener. A CNN Report states that Greenies have killed at least 13 dogs, but not from poisoned ingredients. It seems that sometimes the toothbrush-shaped chewable dog treat remains hard and undigested and becomes lodged in the dogs' throat or intestine.

"A CNN investigation uncovered 40 cases since 2003 where a veterinarian had to extract a Greenie from a dog after the treat became lodged either in the animal's esophagus or intestine. In 13 of those cases, the pet died."

Note that chewing raw meat actually cleans the teeth of wolves and wild dogs, and keeps their gums healthy. Commercial pet foods without chunks of real meat are NOT a substitute for the natural cleaning effect of raw meat in your dog's diet. Instead of using those risky Greenies, you could occasionally give your dog chunks of turkey or chicken breast or some cheaper cuts of raw meat for humans, like "stewing beef" or "flank steak". (Do not feed your pet the SKIN of turkey, which can cause acute pancreatitis in dogs.)


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## havaone

My girls don't like bully sticks. However, they do like braided pizzles which are made of the same stuff (yuck!), but are softer. I buy the 9" ones and break them in two. They are expensive ($7.49 at our local Southern Ag), but here's a link to much cheaper ones:
http://www.petmountain.com/product/treats/504404/smokehouse-treats-braided-pizzle.html. They also love Flossies and Old West Beef Chew Strips.


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## SaydeeMomma

Greenies also have wheat in them, which can cause allergies in some dogs. Saydee loves bully sticks (Moo! brand doesn't smell bad) and kongs filled with frozen wet food. They buy me at least half an hour, sometimes more.


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## baca008

Missy said:


> awwww- great shots of Lola. I really like the Antlerz--- I can't stand the smell of bully sticks so unfortunately my boys suffer--But Antlerz (yes they are Deer Antlers) are odorless and they last a really long time. It is kind of hit or miss though-- sometimes they love LOVE them and really go to town and other times it's just so so -- I think it has to do with marrow in the middle-- hard to explain, but sometimes it's softer than others and I think that is what they love.
> 
> http://www.qtdog.com/antlerz.htm


I was just wondering about the Antlerz. Will this wear down the teeth if they keep chewing it? Avery really likes bully sticks. Likes the little scrap pieces a little more than the big bully sticks. And always before she finishes it off the love to throw it around a bit.


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## Jane

We like the Antlerz too, as a long-lasting chew. Most chewies my boys devour within minutes. The Antlerz lasted for weeks - gave Scout something to do when he was bored  I didn't notice it wearing down their teeth at all. Some of the Antlerz were harder than others - some of them they seemed to get shorter gradually as they worked on them, and others pretty much stayed the same length. 

I think they need the more easily consumable chewies too, but the Antlerz are also nice to have around!


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## baca008

so would you recommend antlerz as an occasional treat or just something they can eat whenever they feel like it?


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## Scooter's Family

We've had the same antler for months, Scooter has it with the rest of his toys and gets it out when he wants to. Flossies are great to keep him occupied!


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## Missy

I think the Antlerz are pretty safe to leave them with. My boys won't touch it for weeks and then all of a sudden they are fighting for it (of course there used to be 2 identical ones but one has disappeared under something) They really do not splinter and last forever.

Another long lasting chew that my boys love are the Nylabone super tuff chews.
Both really love these...

http://www.nylabone.com/products/non-edible/durable-chews/supertuff-chews-for-tuff-little-dogs.htm


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## Jane

Missy said:


> Another long lasting chew that my boys love are the Nylabone super tuff chews.
> Both really love these...
> 
> http://www.nylabone.com/products/non-edible/durable-chews/supertuff-chews-for-tuff-little-dogs.htm


Missy, do your boys ever break off a piece of the Nylabone chews? I am worried about choking, but would love to find a long lasting chew for them.


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## mintchip

Jane said:


> Missy, do your boys ever break off a piece of the Nylabone chews? I am worried about choking, but would love to find a long lasting chew for them.


I always thought Nylabones were made of plastic and worried about them :jaw:digesting the small pieces. uke:


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## Missy

they are made of plastic... I believe nylon (thus the nylabone) I read that they were the preffered plastic chew in the Dorothy Goodale book when I first got Jas. 

They tuff ones are so hard they only get off tiny pieces at a time... I mean I guess it is weird when you think about them eating plastic...but then again, cow penis' are weird too...ound:ound:ound: I do leave them out for my guys when I am not around because I have observed how they chew them-- and it seems safe (well as save as the furniture anyway) 

So Jane, Sally, I would say observe your boys at first just to make sure how they chew them...But I think they are a lot safer than bully's to leave un-supervised.


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## Sheri

Anne, I love you progression of shots of Lola with her bully stick! How sweet...

Sheri


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## LuvCicero

DH brought Cicero back a deer antler last weekend from his hunting trip. He "loves" it...and I think it will last him a long long time. He keeps it beside his bed and from time to time he will get it into the bed and chew for a long time...then drop it back on the floor. He has a fit if we act like we are going to take it.

I'm thinking of sending him on another hunting trip to find some more. :biggrin1:


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## baca008

i got avery a antlerz yesterday. She seems to really enjoy it in bursts as well. She really likes the middle. Thanks for all the great suggestions.


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## bullwinkle

My little 3 month loves the bully stick. so far a life saver...:whoo:


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## Beamer

Nylabone also has a edible line of bones to.. They still kinda look like plastic, but they are not!

Ryan


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## baca008

Averys never really been a big fan of nylabones. I got her a Galileo and she chewed it for like 5 min then that was it. I guess Avery just likes the edible things.


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## RIstream

Oh my god Cooper LOVES the Flossies!!!!!!!!!!!!!! After reading this thread I went on line and ordered some Flossies from dog.com and we were going to wait until they got here. Then I stumbled on some at the grocery store today and bought one just to try it. Cooper has been going nuts with this thing for hours!! He loves it. Thanks for the suggestion........


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## Lilysplash I

Do you let your dogs eat the entire flossie or bully's? I always worry that when it get to be an inch or two that they will choke so I take it away.


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## Lina

I usually take it away when it's down to 1-2 inches as well. Though sometimes he will finish it before I notice.


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## Sheri

havaone said:


> My girls don't like bully sticks. However, they do like braided pizzles which are made of the same stuff (yuck!), but are softer. I buy the 9" ones and break them in two. They are expensive ($7.49 at our local Southern Ag), but here's a link to much cheaper ones:
> http://www.petmountain.com/product/treats/504404/smokehouse-treats-braided-pizzle.html. They also love Flossies and Old West Beef Chew Strips.


Michelle, good site. Thanks. What is their shipping like, though?

Sheri


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