# Safe chewtoys/treats?



## sanducando (Dec 9, 2010)

At almost 7 months, Mochi is now "over" the standard Kong and a small rawhide bone (don't flame me! we watched her when she chewed on it but now we don't give it to her after hearing that they're not good for pups). What types of toys/treats do you suggest we give her to occupy her when we can't watch/be in the house? 

Specifically our dog trainer suggested we reserve a "special" toy or treat to give Mochi when we're not around to get her used to being alone (she still has minor separation anxiety). Mochi also has a helluva chewing habit, having chewed off and eaten the plastic from a chew toy (I think it might've been a Nylabone, but for puppies). We recently got her a pig ear but now I'm reading about how fattening and bad they are.

Help! We're lost in a sea of options at the pet store and could use some guidance...

Thanks!


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

I am curious to read this thread as we are always searching for good chewing options! 
Thankfully Tillie still loves her Kong stuffed with goodies in her crate when we are gone, but for every day regular chewing I struggle to find safe options!
We actually have a neighbor who hunts and I asked if she had any deer antlers! and she did!! so that is what Tillie chews on now and it IS awesome, virtually undestructable. BUT i don't think I would leave her alone with it....? They can be pricey, which is why we asked our neighbor! LOL Although I know on PetEdge.com they are VERY resonable, like $4 or so.
Curious to hear what others have to suggest!!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

http://www.himalayandogchew.com/ - Cey loves these, and they last a LONG time. All natural, low fat, real food (no plastic!) product (that doesn't seem to go bad either).


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## sanducando (Dec 9, 2010)

heatherk said:


> http://www.himalayandogchew.com/ - Cey loves these, and they last a LONG time. All natural, low fat, real food (no plastic!) product (that doesn't seem to go bad either).


These look interesting and they're available at my neighborhood dog store (how convenient!). What size did you get for Cey, and do they smell?


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

I'm definitely interested in options as well. In the last couple of days we've started to realize we need to find Rollie a good chew toy. He is getting very "chewy" as my DH and I say. He completly took apart a rope/rubber chew toy in one day. Someone gave us rolled rawhide sticks, but I hear they are bad and pose a choking hazzard. (Plus rewhide grosses me out). The Himalayan Chews are interesting.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

I got the medium size for my 2 year old girl and year old boy (now 15 months). Buster is a very intense chewer, and I let each of them have the cheese for an hour or two and then involve them in something else. There is a very mild, cheese smell, IMO.

Both dogs like Nylabones, especially the blue nubby one. I also got Buster a Nylabone dinosaur. He works at it but has not made much of a dent in it yet.

I found these all on Amazon.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

I see them on Amazon. I think I'm going to try them. I don't mind cheese and Rollie LOVES cheese. Interestingly, you can buy a multipack of deer antlers on Amazon as well for around $20 . . . I never thought I'd see that.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

sanducando said:


> At almost 7 months, Mochi is now "over" the standard Kong and a small rawhide bone (don't flame me! we watched her when she chewed on it but now we don't give it to her after hearing that they're not good for pups). What types of toys/treats do you suggest we give her to occupy her when we can't watch/be in the house?
> 
> Specifically our dog trainer suggested we reserve a "special" toy or treat to give Mochi when we're not around to get her used to being alone (she still has minor separation anxiety). Mochi also has a helluva chewing habit, having chewed off and eaten the plastic from a chew toy (I think it might've been a Nylabone, but for puppies). We recently got her a pig ear but now I'm reading about how fattening and bad they are.
> 
> ...


We've only found two things that stand up to Kodi's chewing. The first is Antlerz. He didn't have a lot of interest in these (probably because he can't make any headway on them!ound until I found some that had been quartered the long way at a recent dog show. These are specifically made for toy breeds, and allow access to the tasty inside.

The second is the large stuffed real bones, like this:

http://www.petedge.com/product/Red-Barn-Filled-Bones-Dog-Chews/45258.uts

You don't have to order them on line (though they are cheaper here than in the stores) and they come in a variety of flavors. The best part is that once the dog has licked the inside clean, you can fill it with whatever you want again. (probably better quality stuff than comes in it to begin with!:biggrin1:

I buy the longer ones, even though theya re supposed to be for large dogs. The reason for that is that Kodi's tongue is long enough to clean out the short ones in one sitting. With the long ones, I can put some PB WAY down in, and it keeps him busy for much longer, while he gets less food out of it. The only problem with the longer ones is that there will be some in the middle that your dog can't reach no matter what. So you'll eventually have to push that stuff closer to one end for them to reach. Likewise, when you go to clean the bone out between uses, you may have to use a knife to scrape out anything left behind.

Some people advise against giving dogs hard bones for fear that they will break teeth. While I suppose it could happen, Kodi chews hard enough that there are tooth marks in his bones, and his teeth are fine. I believe that dogs need SOME outlet for their desire to chew, and if I have to choose between something that could, potentially, cause a blockage, and something that could chip a tooth, I'll take a chance on the tooth. That won't kill him; a blockage could.

Oh, there is ONE other chew that he likes, and seems safe, and that is cow hooves. The problem there is that they smell absolutely GHASTLY!!!! So I only give them his him if he has to wait quietly outdoors for a long time, like at a family barbeque. Even then, I find I need to thoroughly wash his face and front paws when he gets home because it smells so bad. So I guess it depends how sensitive your nose is!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> I am curious to read this thread as we are always searching for good chewing options!
> Thankfully Tillie still loves her Kong stuffed with goodies in her crate when we are gone, but for every day regular chewing I struggle to find safe options!
> We actually have a neighbor who hunts and I asked if she had any deer antlers! and she did!! so that is what Tillie chews on now and it IS awesome, virtually undestructable. BUT i don't think I would leave her alone with it....? They can be pricey, which is why we asked our neighbor! LOL Although I know on PetEdge.com they are VERY resonable, like $4 or so.
> Curious to hear what others have to suggest!!


While the up-front cost of antlers is expensive, because they lest almost indefinitely, the long-term cost is really pretty cheap. Kodi still has the first one he got as a puppy, and still pulls it out from time to time. Why wouldn't you leave her alone with it? Even Kodi (AKA "Jaws") hasn't been able to get even a chip off of an antler! As long as it's large enough that she can't swallow it whole, I can't see any danger.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

jessegirl said:


> I'm definitely interested in options as well. In the last couple of days we've started to realize we need to find Rollie a good chew toy. He is getting very "chewy" as my DH and I say. He completly took apart a rope/rubber chew toy in one day. Someone gave us rolled rawhide sticks, but I hear they are bad and pose a choking hazzard. (Plus rewhide grosses me out). The Himalayan Chews are interesting.


Much worse than a choking hazard... They can swallow chunks which then can cause a blockage anyplace in their digestive tract. Kodi had a blockage earlier this year, and we suspect a greenie (which I had been assured by several vets were now reformulated and safe) as the cause. $1,600, two hospitalizations and a month on meds later, fortunately, he's fine. There are no greenies or rawhide allowed in our house!!!


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Ooh, Krandall, that's terrible! I'm so glad your little one is okay now. Those rolled rawhides are G-O-N-E. I ordered a Himalyan Chew and will consider the antlers (but will respectfully hide when my vegetarian and vegan friends come over). 

Call me crazy but I'm totally tickled that you can buy antlers by the pound on Amazon.com . . .ound:


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Oh, another great chew with some food value is freeze dried sweet potato chews. There are several different sizes and shapes available. Some are like jerky, but our favorites are:

http://shop.snookdog.com/Sweet-Potato-Dog-Chips-8-oz-SChip8.htm

These look like hard, wooden donuts. (sort of) There's nothing in them but sweet potato... no preservatives, no nothing. For a consumable chew, they last a long time, and their size makes it harder to bite off a choke-sized chunk. The vets at the hospital when Kodi was there for his blockage late winter told me they thought that even if the dog bit off a large-ish chuck, it would soften enough in the stomach that it wouldn't be a problem in terms of causing a blockage.

The only potential down-side I see is if you have a dog with a weight problem, they might be adding too many carbs to the diet. OTOH, if you have a beef-sensitive dog like Kodi, it's nice to have a consumable chew alternative from time to time.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

thanks for the encouragement Karen! I'll try to be braver about leaving Tillie with her Antler! the reason why I am hesitant, is that it is a real antler and the tip is pretty sharp, AND it is curved like a big "L" I worry she could accidently get it down her throat the wrong way!!
I'll look into those sweet potato chews! it is something Tillie isn't allergic too! LOL


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> thanks for the encouragement Karen! I'll try to be braver about leaving Tillie with her Antler! the reason why I am hesitant, is that it is a real antler and the tip is pretty sharp, AND it is curved like a big "L" I worry she could accidently get it down her throat the wrong way!!
> I'll look into those sweet potato chews! it is something Tillie isn't allergic too! LOL


The "Antlerz" brand ones we have are really too big to swallow. I'd be careful too, if there's any way of her swallowing the one she has. (but then, what would you do if she swallowed it with you sitting there? Maybe it's just too small to be safe at all) As far as the tip is concerned, that should be an easy fix... just saw off the tip and sand it a bit.


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

it's quite large, she can't swallow it,and my husband did saw the end off, but I do want to get her the Antlerz brand, now that we know she likes them! LOL


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

TilliesMom said:


> it's quite large, she can't swallow it,and my husband did saw the end off, but I do want to get her the Antlerz brand, now that we know she likes them! LOL


Oh... So you're just being a WORRYWART mother!ound:


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## TilliesMom (Sep 30, 2010)

LOL, who ME?


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

I have been giving my 5 month old puppy Rollover Super Beef chew which actually is beef pizzle. She is a big chewer and loves them but are they good for her???


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tessa's Mommy said:


> I have been giving my 5 month old puppy Rollover Super Beef chew which actually is beef pizzle. She is a big chewer and loves them but are they good for her???


As long as she's not beef intolerant, they certainly won't hurt her AS LONG AS you take it away from her BEFORE it gets too small for her to swallow whole.


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## Tessa's Mommy (May 20, 2011)

Thanks so much. She's not beef intolerant and I really try to get the stubs away from her except the ones she buries. It good to know that I can keep giving her these chewies.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

jessegirl said:


> Ooh, Krandall, that's terrible! I'm so glad your little one is okay now. Those rolled rawhides are G-O-N-E. I ordered a Himalyan Chew and will consider the antlers (but will respectfully hide when my vegetarian and vegan friends come over).
> 
> Call me crazy but I'm totally tickled that you can buy antlers by the pound on Amazon.com . . .ound:


Thanks, Jesse. Kodi was very, very sick for a few days, and I still worried for the whole month + until we took him off his meds and he was STALL OK. (we had taken him off once, and he had relapsed, so the vet put him back on for a solid month to let things heal) It was a very scary (not to mention expen$ive! way to learn this lesson!)

Don't worry about hiding the Antlerz! These come from farmed deer, and deer shed their antlers annually. No harm done to the deer!


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Well, Rollie loves his Himalayan Chews. And because he entertained himself for the very first time for any significant period of time, we got some well-earned rest and relaxation last night!


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## heatherk (Feb 24, 2011)

jessegirl said:


> Well, Rollie loves his Himalayan Chews. And because he entertained himself for the very first time for any significant period of time, we got some well-earned rest and relaxation last night!


I know, those chews are great aren't they??


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## shimpli (Mar 24, 2010)

Ache also loves the Himalayan Chews. Thanks a lot for the suggestion. I use them during grooming time and I needed something other than the flossies because she was gaining weight with them... I am more than happy with the Himalayan Chews.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Fingers crossed that he continues to like them! We're going to reserve them for evenings when we need to crash and probably for other things like grooming. Hooray for "chewies!"


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## sanducando (Dec 9, 2010)

Wow we're going to have to try those Himalayan Chews! I got distracted at the store and bought the odorless bully sticks (I had NO IDEA they made odorless ones) and Mochi looooves them, although she chews them down to stubs pretty quickly. I'll have to try the Antlerz too, especially if they last forever, although I am also worried about leaving her alone with them.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Hi All, well - we need new advice on chewies again. Rollie is a super chewer. He used to be able to work on a single bully stick for the better part of a week before it got too small. Now he can go through one in about 1.5 chew sessions. The other night he had half a bully stick and a little while later it was gone. GONE. I still look for it, but I know he swallowed it. Now I'm worried about giving them to him as he chews so fast. 

I'm going to look into antlerz, but I thought I'd double check on other in-destructible options. Oh and as for other things mentioned here: 1) sweet potatoes - he LOVES them and they're gone in about 3 minutes; 2) Himalayan Chews - won't touch them anymore (so sad); 3) stuffed Kong - he's never really been interested in that and the only time it will occupy him for any amount of time is if I put cheese in it, but even then it's only worth about 10 minutes of activity and it doesn't satisfy his desire to chew.

I haven't tried Karen's hard, stuffed bones so that's another option.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

You might want to put away the Himalayan Chews for a little while and then bring them out after, say, a week so the cheese will smell/taste new again.

Have you tried Nylabones yet? Buffy prefers the chicken flavored Flexi chews, but Buster goes through those much faster. Instead, I give him Dura Chews , including the dinosaurs, which are super tough. He really likes the blue nubby bones, and I buy the larger ones rather than the smaller ones for him. They may actually be Flexies, but he works on them longer than the smooth ones. 

The only real problem I have with the Nylabones is that I have to remove their hair - undercoat tends to get caught in the nubs and the areas they have chewed. Not a big deal, really.

I usually get them from Amazon.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Hi Starr. Yup, I've tried Nylabones and he has no interest in them. But maybe I need to try different ones . . .


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## CrazieJones (May 28, 2011)

Roshi's also a super chewer. I have 4 antlers: one upstairs, one downstairs, one at parents, and one in the office. Before, with the baby teeth, not much damage was done. Now with all his adult teeth, he chewed down 3/4 of one in 2 wks. Hehe. They do last long and are safe! Yay.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

Here's a link to the Nylabone page for small dogs [You have probably already looked here, but this may help others.]:

http://www.nylabone.com/product-finder/my-dog-is/dog-small/finder-small.htm

Please let us know if you find something that Rollie likes.


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Starr, which ones do you guys like? The completely edible ones or the non-edibles? I've tried Rollie on the non-edibles, but as I say, he's not interested. If you do the edibles, which ones and how long do they last? Thanks!!!!!!!


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## misstray (Feb 6, 2011)

I had a pack of 3 with 2 edibles and one blue nubbly one. Brody really liked the blue nubbly one, but I haven't been able to find one in the stores again. As for the edibles, I thought the first one just got lost. Then I gave him the 2nd one and I couldn't believe how fast that thing disappeared. I'd not buy one of those again, I don't think it even lasted 10 minutes.


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## StarrLhasa (Jun 6, 2010)

*Jessica*:

Buffy really likes the chicken flavored Flexi chew bones [transparent yellowish], a;though she also like the blue nubby ones. She likes to chew in her bed at night and in the morning as well as in her car seat sometimes. She also likes the "chocolate" Dura Chew that came in a multipack and anything that is chicken flavor. She is not as rough on toys as Buster.

Buster likes the same Nylabones as Buffy, but he has also shown interest in the Dinosaur shaped Dura Chews, although he is not as interested in those since I purchased extras from Amazon. :frusty:

They both have tried the Healthy Edibles Bacon flavor bone, and they devoured them really quickly - maybe in half an hour. I haven't bought any more since.

I have also given Buffy Merrick Tendons, small and large, and she chews them up pretty quickly [I haven't timed her, it just seems fast.]. I decided to cut them in half as they are pretty expensive, and I use them as really high value treats, sometimes for grooming.

I have not given any to Buster yet as he has a sensitive gut. and I am careful about what actual food products I give him to eat. The bits of nylon do not seem to bother him.

I have not yet tried Antlerz or filled bones but may try them soon.

*Tracy:* I have found the blue nubby ones on Amazon at a better price than most of the brick and mortar stores. Amazon's selection varies, though, and the sizes that I want are not always available. so I have stocked up when I found the medium and wolf sizes for Buster.


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## lanabanana (Jul 2, 2011)

Bully sticks (no odor) are the bomb in this house. They still last quite some time before I have to throw the nubs away. I can always tell when one has gotten too small because both pups will be after the same nub with great excitement. That's when mean old mom grabs it and it magically disappears!

I gave them beef tendons for the first time today and they loved them but BOY DO THEY STINK!!! Practically unbearable. I'll think twice before getting them again. They'd make a great outdoor treat.

I buy marrow bones regularly, take out about half the marrow (it's too rich and they throw up if they eat too much), put them in the freezer and then when I leave for work, they each get one as a special treat. They love them and giving them frozen makes them last a bit longer. We have them all over the house and when I pick them all up and put them in one bag, they love to paw through the bag and take out their favorites once again. I do not believe we've had any trouble with their teeth from this activity.

The dried sweet potatoes are a medium hit. They've really liked some venison shin bones that were cured with some kind of baste. I've also given them trachea and they like them a lot, but they don't last long.

Can you tell my babies are spoiled????

Alanna


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## jessegirl (May 13, 2011)

Well, we have a couple pieces of good news. He apparently didn't swallow that piece of bully stick - we ended up finding it. (whew!) AND, I think that this one particular kind of bully I got at the petstore was just particularly easy to chew. I usually order them at Amazon and have loved the ones we usually get, but last week, they were out of stock so I went with a new vendor. It took a while to ship and in the meantime I bought two bullies at Petsmart. Well, those petsmart bullies were too easy to chew AND they reaked! The new ones arrived the other night and so far, there's PLENTY of his first one left. I'm going to keep them in the freezer between chew sessions as well hopefully to make them harder. 

I still think I'm going to try the antlerz though. If he likes those, I won't have to shell out my retirement fund on bully sticks.


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## Becky Chittenden (Feb 4, 2009)

Mine love the bullies. I bought some more today at the dog show. I looked at the antlers, but they are awfully pricy for a chewy. I also bought a small bag of CET have been wanting to try them.


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## Puppylove54 (Oct 19, 2011)

My dog Kyia as had deer antlers since we got her last December. She is not allowed pigs ears, raw hide bones or plastic chew bones. I purchase the largest one I can find for her size and she wears it down over time and when it gets to a point where I can't hold on to it while she chews away it goes into the garbage. I have tried different chew toys and this has been the best investment so far. Kyia's mon


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## Momo means Peach (Jun 7, 2011)

I just discovered Antlerz myself when I was ordering more bully sticks. Momo, who is a very aggressive chewer, hasn't made a dent in it. It's so worth paying the extra for something that lasts. She loves bully sticks but they go very quickly. She can get through one in about an hour or less, depending on the size.

http://www.bullysticks.com/


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## narci (Sep 6, 2011)

Oreo chewed a Himalyan in half the other day leaving 2 pieces. 

Question about those tho freeze chicken stock into icecubes. Is it home made stock or bullion(concentrate cubes etc) stock?


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