Dog owners...what do you give your dogs to chew on?

[hopein08]

I have a six month old beagle. I give her skinny rawhide twists & little Nylabones to chew on. But she chews though them so fast, it is almost pointless. I tried giving her some thicker rawhide twists but I think they may be too big for her little mouth. So I was wondering if any of you dog owners have any suggestions on good things for dogs to chew on that would ideally last a little while. Just let me know if my question isn't clear enough!

Thanks in advance for any suggestions!!

[sbj405]

1. Marrow bones.

They are a little messy though. I get them at the grocery store and freeze them.

Also, cow hooves last a little longer, but are definitely stinky.

Also, there's different types of nylabones. Some are made of cornstarch and tend to be gone much quicker than the other (nylon/plastic) ones.

[hopein08]

4. I give her the cornstartch nylabones...

I wasn't sure if she'd be as interested in the nylon/plastic ones. They don't break apart, do they?

I did give her a cow hoof a little while ago but she wasn't too interested. Maybe she was too young and it was too big. I think I'll give it back to her.

I'll look into the marrow bones.

Thanks!

[sbj405]

7. Try the other kind. I've never had them fall apart.

They last a long time. They are flavored and my dogs were always interested.

[Red State Rebel]

2. Our Dog Trainer Recommends Real Bones

He said the rawhide chews can be torn off and swallowed where they don't break down for weeks. The same with pig ears, etc. He said just get those bones they sell at the pet stores and it cleans their teeth and they get calcium from chewing on them.

It's all we give our dogs and they do have nice white teeth!

[hopein08]

8. Oh, good idea!

Do you brush you dogs' teeth too or just go with the bones?

Calcium and white teeth are definitely good!

[petronius]

3. I used to give mine freepers,

but I had to give him antibiotics every time...

[hopein08]

9. That's perfect...

my puppy weighs about 16 pounds and a few weeks ago my aunt & uncle (who are dyed in the wool...hannity quoting repukes) brought their 75 pound lab to visit and it scared the crap out my baby. She plastered herself against me and trembled! I'm thinking it may be the freeper factor as my aunt keeps sending toys for my dog and she's not real interested in any of them. Contamination alert!

[Mutley]

5. She's probably teething about now if she hasn't already.

She'll need stuff to chew on for that.

There are sterilized cow bones you can buy at pet stores that come pretty small. Watch out with the Nylabones — some of them are edible, and some are inedible. While my dog never had a problem with them, I've heard bad things about Greenies. Apparently, some dogs have a very difficult time digesting them and that can be fatal.

There are lots of toys that are good for chewing. I believe there are some meant specifically for teething puppies. My dog loved nylon stuffed toys when she was a puppy. They were tough enough to take the abuse, but still soft like a cotton stuffed toy. She also had a little rubber tire. She still chews on that.

[hopein08]

13. I've heard about Greenies too...

I'd never give her one! But my vets office sells Greenies products, I wonder if they haven't heard the stories about the fatalities.

I think she's about done teething. She's lost a lot. I even found a few little teeth...so cute! I think I got her through that because a lot of it happened during the heat waves so I gave her smashed up ice cubes to keep cool and I think it helped her mouth.

But I haven't seen nylon stuffed toys and I will look harder now. She loves to play with toys.

[cwydro]

6. ditto to sbj

marrow bones and I freeze them...I call them "bonesicles"...and they know the word...

[Mike03]

10. My Veterinarian Prescribed

something called "C.E.T. Home Dental Care Chews for Dogs". They look like rawhide chews, but they digest in a dog's stomach so do not cause medical problems. At first my dog didn't like them but she has really taken to them and becomes upset if she does not get one a day. On occassion, I give her a treat of either a pig ear or a "greenie". Pig's ears are easily digestible in a dog's stomach. Some chew treats are not, and when I volunteered at a dog shelter in Los Angeles, we saw some instances of dogs that apparently died because of treats that would not digest in their stomachs.

[elperromagico]

11. Smaller dogs. nt

[SoyCat]

12. Years ago I had a schnauzer who loved nylabones and C.E.T. chews.

[zonkers]

14. A little peanut butter ought to keep her busy. (video)

http://youtube.com/watch?v=qh4DATEKFLc&mode=related&search=

and another one

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ETE1R6X2fIE

[hopein08]

15. That is too funny!

Incidentally, I do smear some peanut butter (not nearly that much) on her rawhides as a special treat for chewing.

[zonkers]

17. Its so funny hearing about a puppy. My dog is 15 and moves like

a snail. She falls asleep at her food dish. Sometimes she'll sneeze and knock herself off balance.
And she will not eat her food unless I make it into a mountain.

[hopein08]

18. Awwww...that's so cute about the mountain...

and I only say that because my puppy won't eat her food unless a I put a little orange cheese & egg cracker in it!

Sometimes I wish my puppy moved like a snail, she moves like lightening now!

[zonkers]

21. Orange cheese and cracker???? You are spoiling that puppy a little

early, don't you think?

[hopein08]

23. Most likely, yes I am, but in my defense...

the crackers are called Charley Bear Cheese & Egg Treat Crackers. I got them at Pet-Smart. They are all natural ingredient-wise. So I figure, she may be spoiled but at least it is in a healthy way!

Plus, she was runt of the little and ever since I got her it seems like she's been afraid that she's going to get pushed away from her dish. And she just doesn't think to go to her dish on her own! But that's probably because I've spoiled her already!

Anyway, no offense taken! I freely admit that I'm spoiling her because how could I not???!!

[sweetheart]

16. Knee joints from cows

A few friendly butchers can supply a mountain of
delicious bones that are bloody disgusting by my eyes,
but to a woofer-nose, a creme bruilee.

[gkdmaths]

19. I NEVER give ours a rawhide.

they're made of crap and they just bloat up inside. I also wont let my dog chew on plastic, either, but that's just me.

We get BullyStix, which are smoked tendon of cow leg. they're about as big around as a quarter at one end tapering down to about the size of a dime on the other, they're three feet long and very rigid. We cut them with a hack saw into 6- or 8-inch sections and let her chew on them. as she chews her saliva softens them a little, which actually makes them last longer. Also, try raw bones - I give our a little crack with the hammer to give them a weak point so she can get to the marrow easier while at the same time controlling the shape (making sure they're not swallow-able)

I strongly reccommend them to you.

[femmocrat]

20. Kongs are great.

You can stuff them with a little peanut butter or cheese spread and it will entertain the puppy for a long time. My older dogs still get all excited when they get "kongs".

I also had a heavy cotton "bone" that I put in the freezer and she liked that. I still have it in fact. There is also a special line of developmental puppy toys now... but I forget who makes them. Any well-stocked pet store would have them.

Watch out for those rope toys. My puppy chewed one up and it created a blockage in her tummy. She was very sick. We have banned those even though she is grown-up now.

[madmax]

22. Republicans

:evilgrin:

[MissB]

24. A kitten.

Really, she has her own cat. She doesn't really chew on him, but he keeps her very busy during the day (and half the night).

I'm sure someone has suggested those Kong dog chew toys that you stuff with a treat.

[InvisibleTouch]

25. I've come to like cow's hooves best:

http://www.jbpet.com/Shopping/product.asp?catalog_name=JBWholesale&product_id=202-0101

I do give mine rawhide and pig's ears also, but that often upsets their digestion - and I'm worried about the chemical treatments that may be used to process these. Plus, rawhide can be dangerous if large pieces are swallowed. I stay away from real bones because I'm worried about chipped teeth - so the cow's hooves are really the ideal middle ground, soft enough to be chewed without tooth damage, but hard enough that they last a long time, as only tiny bits can be chewed off at a time. You can also fill the interior hollow with peanut butter or cheese for an added treat. That'll keep your girl busy! :)

(I've got teething puppies at the moment too. In addition to cow's hooves, they're eating my walls, floor, kitchen counters.....)

[hopein08]

35. I'm glad you mentioned worry about chipped teeth...

I've been worried abou that too. And the one real bone I got at PetSmart is so hard and heavy that my girl doesn't seem to like it because she can't figure out how to pick it up. And it's not even that big. But I have been worried about chipped teeth. Even when she crunches a rawhide loudly I worry about her teeth.

She's never had any real digestion problems.

But thanks for pointing out about filling the cows hooves (along with the softness)...I had never thought of that!!

My puppy's favorite thing to chew (that I really wish she wouldn't chew...like your walls & counters) is paper. Newspaper, mail, magazines...if she can tear it, she will. Thankfully she just chews it up and spits it out...no swallowing. She also has complete fun with paper towel rolls or wrapping paper rolls...lots of pouncing and tearing.

[InvisibleTouch]

37. The good news is...

...they outgrow it eventually. With my breed, they start calming down a bit after 1 year, and by age 2 they're very mellow. Until then, they're a handful! I think that's pretty typical of most breeds, too. Just keep after her about the paper (my pups love paper also, and anything made of wood - sticks, boards, etc. - and my 1-year-old still destroys pens whenever he can reach them), be sure she's in a crate or other enclosed space where she can't damage anything when you have to leave her alone, and know that it gets better with time and maturity.

[livetohike]

26. Nylabones is what I give them to gnaw on and Cindy has the

"jaws of death". She is a really strong chewer.

I also give them marrow bones for a treat once in awhile. I cook them in boiling water for 5 minutes to take the rawness out of them.

I have steered clear of rawhide chews with these two since they were puppies. They had them once, and Cindy ate hers so fast that she got sick.

[flvegan]

27. Nylaring and Galileo toys

From Nylabone, the Nylaring costs around $5 (www.kvvet.com) and will last quite some time:


Also from Nylabone, The Galileo comes in 3 sizes. The wolf would probably be appropriate for your girl. Cost (again, at kvvet.com) is around $5.50 for the medium (wolf, pictured below) and $11 for the huge one:


All our dogs (ours and our rescues) LOVE these. The rings are great for aggressive chewers, but our pitbulls go through them fairly quickly. Our boxer, chow, etc don't have the powerful jaws, so they last quite some time. The Galileo toys are another story. They last forever. The pits have trouble chewing them down. I'd say we get a year out of them.

[av8rdave]

28. ex wife's shoes work well

[seemunkee]

29. Merrick Flossies

spiral tendon chews.
We used to give greenies but caused her digestive problems plus we read all the bad stuff about them.

[philosophie_en_rose]

30. Ice cubes.

They will crunch on them, and too cold for gulping. Virtually free to make. & Perfect for the summer.

[Twillig]

31. Tennis ball

Good resistance, tough. Something a dog loves to chase and can really give a good bite.

[Lance_Boyle]

32. one sofa, two coffee tables, 800 square feet of carpet

multiple electric cords, the metal scoop I use to dish out their food, tv remotes, a digital camera, mail, canine ear cleaning solution, shoe molding, the little plastic doohickies that cover the ends of the bolts that attach the toilet to the floor, toilet paper, their leashes, dead mice, pinecones, sticks, small trees, rocks, dish towels, bars of soap, toilet scrub-brushes, etc. The only things they puke back up are roasted pig ears.

[hopein08]

36. Perfect...

Boy do I know what you mean. My puppy will chew and sometimes eat (if I accidentally let her) rocks, dirt, twigs, grass, flowers, foam from her puppy bed, stuffing from her pillow that she tore open, mail (a definite favorite), anything she can pull out of the clothes hamper, balls of yarn, the couch, lawn chairs, sidewalks...it's crazy.

But like your dog, the only thing she has a problem with are certain treats!

[Broken_Hero]

33. rawhides primarily

and Greenies...but Greenies are expensive...

http://www.greenies.com/

[NewWaveChick1981]

34. Rawhide that is 100% made in the USA

A good friend of ours owns a pet supply company, and we are able to get pet supplies from him. He keeps up with all the literature and research concerning pet products, and it is getting increasingly more difficult to find rawhide that is 100% made in the USA. The US has different health standards for pets than do countries like China, which is where most of the rawhide you see in stores comes from. Rawhide made in non-NAFTA countries is often treated with arsenic, which can make dogs sick in small doses. In large doses, it can kill them. :( Rawhide made 100% in the US is safe; the next safest is rawhide made in Mexico or other NAFTA countries. Outside of that, it's anybody's guess.

Our dogs will not give up the rawhide habit, so we limit what we give them and only give them the 100% USA kind.

[Blue Diadem]

38. Our dog is a big guy..so he gets those big bones from either the

pet store or from the meat section at Meijer store. I like the ones from the pet store better..they're completely dry. The ones from the meat section are smoked but also have an ucky liquid that will run from them. They come in many sizes..small ones for the small mouths.

Anything else, he pretty much destroys immediately. Those big fuzzy tennis covered footballs? He pulls the fuzzy off. Rawhide..he doesn't chew enough. He gets an occasional pig ear..broken up because he tends to want to swallow extra large pieces.

Oh..we do have this large ball with a handle on it. He's had it a full year now..only chewed off a bit of the handle. That ball comes in various sizes as well.

Kongs(I think that's what they're called) are those rubber things with a hole for putting a treat or peanut butter in it. Our dog doesn't have one but my granddog does..she loves it. She'll spend forever getting the peanut butter out of it. Those come in various sizes too.

[calico1]

39. Clark's shoes, Birkenstocks.

At least if you asked them....